Roof Repair in North Canton, Ohio

What roof repairs do North Canton houses need most?

Four repairs cover most of the calls.

Leaks at pipe boots

Every plumbing vent that comes through the roof is sealed by a rubber collar called a pipe boot. Sun cracks the rubber long before the shingles wear out. Water then runs down the pipe and shows up as a brown ring on a bathroom or kitchen ceiling. On the two-story homes built here in the 1990s, the original boots are often the first thing to go. The fix is a new boot and a few shingles around it.

Flashing at chimneys and walls

Flashing is the metal that bridges a roof and anything that rises through it. On the prewar houses near Main Street and Maple Street, many chimneys were sealed with roof cement at each reshingle instead of new metal. Roof cement dries, cracks and lets go after a few freeze and thaw winters. A proper repair removes the tar and installs step flashing and counterflashing. There is more on the page about skylight and chimney flashing in North Canton.

Nail pops

A nail that was driven into a gap in the deck, or never driven flat, works its way up over the years. It lifts the shingle above it into a small bump, and the head finally wears through. The repair is to pull the nail, seal the hole, nail again into solid wood and replace the damaged shingle.

Lifted, cracked or missing shingles

High wind can break the seal on a shingle and fold it back. One or two can be replaced. Brittle shingles are another matter. If they crack when lifted, a patch will not hold, and the report will tell you so.

How do you find where a roof leak starts?

Water rarely drips straight down. It gets in at one spot, runs along the deck or a rafter, and falls where it finds a gap. The wet place on your ceiling can be several feet from the hole. So the owner checks both sides. On the roof he looks uphill of the stain at every boot, vent, valley and flashing line. In the attic, where there is a hatch, he looks for dark tracks on the wood and rusty nail tips.

How does the fixed written price work?

1. You call or use the quote button. We text or call back within the hour to set a time.
2. The owner inspects the roof himself, when it is dry and safe to climb.
3. A photo report reaches you the same day, with each problem shown and named.
4. You get a fixed written price for the repair in that report. It is set before work starts and it does not grow once shingles are lifted.
5. Nothing is touched until you say yes.

The price stays good for a year, so a repair found in January can wait for a dry spring day without costing more.

When is a repair the wrong spend?

A repair is money well spent when one part failed and the rest of the roof has years left. It is the wrong spend when granules are gone from whole slopes, when shingles snap as they are lifted, or when leaks show up in three rooms at once. A 1960s ranch that already carries two layers of shingles is a common case here. Patching the top layer does little when the layer under it is rotting. In those cases the report rates the roof Replace Soon and explains why. You can read what a full roof replacement in North Canton covers, and the page on what a new roof costs explains how one is priced.

What can you check yourself before calling?

• Look at the ceiling under each bathroom. A ring there points to a pipe boot.
• Look at the base of the chimney from the street. Black smears of tar mean old patch work.
• Check the attic with a flashlight after a hard rain, if you have a hatch.

Tell us what you saw when you call. It shortens the hunt. If you would like the whole roof looked at and not only the wet spot, ask for the free roof inspection.

What repairs are not offered?

Asphalt shingle roofs only. Metal, slate, tile and flat roofs need a different trade. Brick work on a chimney is also separate, and the report flags it for a mason.