I have a small section at a corner of my roof where the plywood has come lose and a gap has appeared. It is on a part of the roof that is not easy to see, and unfortunately some birds have started nesting inside, and we can hear the pecking near our ceiling. Obviously I'll have to find a way to get the birds out, but is it possible to repair something like this without tearing the entire section of roof off?
Wood – How to repair small area of damaged/loose plywood sheathe on roof
damagepestplywoodroof
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Ok gentilmen , lets talk ice dams. First and foremost, what causes an ice dam to form anyway. Heat trapped in an attic, either from heat loss from the house or sun beating on the roof, cannot escape quickly and melts snow on the roof. This water drains to the bottom of the roof where it runs across a cold edge and freezes. The overhang of your roof (soffit area) is typically not over a heated area and tends to be very cold, much colder that the rest of the roof. Even with a well insulated ceiling and good ventilation ice dams will form if conditions are right. This is where the old saying,"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" rings true. Any time you have a heavy snow load on your roof followed by some moderate temps or sunny days, some natural melting is going to occur, especially if the ridge vents are buried in snow. Sun hitting the gable ends will heat up the attic a bit too. Many times the ice dam starts in the gutters then bridges over to the roof edge and starts it's way up. Once it starts, there is now way to stop it unless the source of water building it is taken away. The only way to deprive the ice dam of more water is to REMOVE THE SNOW FROM THE ROOF AND MAKE AN EXIT FOR ANY REMAINING WATER TO DRAIN. This is why it is so important to use a roof rake soon after a snowfall to remove several feet of snow from the edge of the roof. With the snow removed, you can see if a dam is starting and can address it quickly while it is small and easy to treat. Other things to consider may include, if you live in an area where your ridge vent commonly is covered in snow, add a gable end vent on both sides of the house and be sure the soffit vents are equipped with "proper vent panels" inside and that they are not blocked by insulation. Always use a minimum of 6 feet of Grace ice and water shield, or if you want a good insurance policy against leaks, cover the entire roof with Grace before shingling. This may cost a bit more up front, but pays for itself in the long run. Maximize your attic insulation. Take a good look at your gutters and consider lowering them if they are too close to the drip edge where ice dams begin. There is no one thing that will prevent ice dams, but if you look at all the preventions at your disposal, dealing with them will be a lot easier. Sorry for preaching guys, but I give this same speel to many customers every year when water is leaking in their homes and they are shelling out big bucks for repairs. Two years ago here in Maine, the huge snowfalls and subsiquint ice dam problems prompted homeowners insurance companies to send out letters telling policy holders that they would not cover a second loss if these precautions were not met.
You can do a hot roof and not require any ventilation, though I would not recommend it anywhere snow accumulates on shingle roofs. Even if i don't like it, it is allowable.
Whether you need additional ventilation depends on how much you are getting now and what is allowed by the governing building code for your area. According to the International Building Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, R806 Roof Ventilation, you need the equivalent of 1/300 of the area ventilated in free vent area. If the soffit vents do not provide this, you need to install additional ventilation or opt for the hot roof concept.
Also, the attic area needs to accessible by a min 22x30 inch opening. You must also install a class 1 or II vapor retarder on the warm side of the insulation or the ventilation requirements double.
The building code does not address moisture control within the garage space, it's only concerned with moisture in concealed spaces or general ventilation of habitable spaces. You may wish to address moisture in the garage itself with exhaust fans or operable openings. This is unrelated to attic ventillation requirements.
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Check with your local/state laws about moving birds/wildlife first. I know in my area its illegal to move bats during certain times of year. Now birds aren't bats but bats also make noises that could sound like a bird to an untrained ear. Even if its birds, a lot of birds are protected here in the US so similar laws may apply. For bats they make 1 way doors that you attach to allow them exit but not come back in. Put it there for a while to let all the critters out and then remove it in favor of a permanent fix.
Next, if you are looking for a quick fix that should last until the next time you replace the roof, you could always use some spray foam. They make it in all sorts of colors or you can paint it to be the least obvious.
However, you really need to find the source of the leak that caused the plywood to rot and the curling in the first place, or else you will likely end up with just a bigger mess to deal with.