Where Roofs Leak in Dublin
Dublin’s housing went up in two main waves, so the most likely leak source depends on when your home was built.
| Your home |
Most likely leak sources |
| West Dublin and San Ramon Village (1960s–80s) |
Cracked pipe boots, worn flashing at chimneys and skylights, tired composition shingles, older roof-to-wall joints without kickout flashing |
| Dublin Ranch, Dublin Ranch Villages, early Positano (about 2000–2008) |
Underlayment wearing out under concrete tile, valley flashing, cracked or slipped tiles, ridge leaks |
| Wallis Ranch, Jordan Ranch, Fallon Village (2015 on) |
Solar panel mounts, vent and pipe flashings, gutter and wall details |
| Townhomes and Downtown low-slope sections |
Ponding water, seams, drains, skylight curbs |
Pipe Boots and Roof Vents
Every plumbing vent, bath fan and furnace flue that comes through your roof is sealed with a flashing. On most homes that’s a rubber or neoprene boot. Dublin’s summer sun dries that rubber out until it cracks around the pipe, often well before the shingles around it show wear. A cracked boot is one of the most common single-point leaks we repair, and one of the least expensive.
Flashing at Walls, Chimneys and Valleys
Flashing is the metal that turns water away wherever the roof meets something else: a wall, a chimney, another roof slope. Step flashing runs along a sidewall in layers, and counter-flashing covers it on chimneys. A kickout flashing at the bottom of a roof-to-wall joint sends water into the gutter instead of behind the stucco. Many older Dublin homes were built without kickouts, and water running behind the wall can look exactly like a roof leak inside.
Skylights
Skylight leaks come from one of three places: the flashing around the curb, the seal between the glass and the frame, or condensation dripping down on cold mornings. Each needs a different fix, so we check which one it is before we quote.
Tile Roof Underlayment
On a concrete tile roof, the tiles shed most of the water, but the underlayment beneath them is the real waterproofing. When it gets old and brittle, wind-driven rain gets through even though every tile looks fine. If your home is an early-2000s East Dublin tile home, read our page on tile roof repair and underlayment replacement.
Worn Shingles and Ridge Caps
Shingles lose their protective granules over years of sun, and wind lifts the edges until the seal breaks. Ridge caps along the peak take the most wind. See shingle roof repair for more on what fails on older composition roofs.
Solar Panel Mounts
Every solar mount is a hole in your roof that depends on its flashing. When a mount leaks, the panel usually has to come off to repair it properly. We coordinate that with your solar company; see roof repair under solar panels.
