Plumbing stacks, sometimes referred to as soil stacks, are pipes that protrude through the roof and vent gases from the drainpipes (sinks and toilets) in your house perform a vital function. Bathroom fans that help evacuate the offensive odors in your water closet also require metal flashings at the roof. These fans also pull hot humid air produced when you shower. These small vents cause leaks that damage to your ceilings and attic insulation.
The photo above shows a failing plumbing stack on a slate roofing system. This component needs to be replaced along with the cracked slate and any deteriorated underlayments.
Plumbing vents do not last forever and should be replaced. By scheduling the Renaissance Roofing, Inc. Magellan Building Assessment (MBA), we were able to inspect and determine if the plumbing vent on this roof requires replacement. In this instance, it was determined the plumbing vent had come to the end of its useful service life.
As shown in the photo above, our roofing crew removed the existing unfading blue-black Buckingham slate from around the plumbing stack on this residence in Milwaukee, WI.
We replaced the failing underlayments with new Grace Ice and Water Shield, installed a new Plumbing vent cover using a soft lead and reinstalled the original Buckingham slate around the area (replacing the cracked and unusable pieces).
As a result of early detection during our MBA, we were able to successfully identify and replace the areas of deterioration and failure on this historic Buckingham slate roof and give our client peace of mind that their 100 year old roof will continue to protect the contents of their home. Had we not detected this issue, the client may have incurred the high cost of ceiling damage, insulation damage and interior water damage as a result of the leak (not to mention the cost of the work performed).