Incorrectly installed roof fixtures are often to blame for roof failure. Time and time again, I see various vents, flashings, and protrusions that are simply done wrong. It baffles me how some contractors take people’s money and do such a poor job.
I’m reminded of a common problem as I look at a house in Germantown, Maryland. One roofing fixture that almost always gets installed wrong is a power fan. When having poor attic ventilation or a non-functioning unit, homeowners may be inclined to call either an electrician or an insulation company. These businesses have a good understanding of insulation and ventilation, so they offer to install a temperature-regulated roof fan. The problem is that these companies frequently lack any roofing experience! So they go up and install the fan by simply slapping it on the roof, and instead of using ice and water guard and new shingles the correct way, they use a ton of caulking to seal it in, which is wrong and will eventually leak. You see, this is the easy way to do it. Unsuspecting homeowners have a lovely new fan—and a leak waiting to happen. Take a look at the nearby photo. If your power fan looks like this, you will most likely have a leak issue sooner or later. Notice the sides caulked instead of under the shingles the way they should be.
The next time you need anything roof-related, please call a roofing professional like Dominion Roofing Co. We will install all of your roof fixtures, including a power fan, correctly the first time.
