It's Raining in My Family - Major Water Leak - HELP!!

[on-ramp]

There's nothing like stepping into your family room and seeing tons of water coming in, all over the hard wood flooring. You can see the beads of water collecting and dropping down in the second pic.


There's a gutter outside this bay window that hasn't been cleaned out in over 2-3 years. I'm suspecting the water in there can't escape and it's backing up into the house. Any other ideas? I'm off to Lowes for a 40 Foot ladder to get up there and unclog it. It's been raining/sleeting all day but thankfully it will let up by this afternoon.
Ah, the joys of home ownership. Our house is only 12 years old.
I'm very surprised about this! For now , it's all pots and towels to protect the interior as much as possible.

[Jims5543]

Get a big blue tarp and make a big curtain with it and put a hole in it for the water to siphon into one receptical. You would use a desk stampler to attach to walls so when you take it down there are no real marks.

[Rick Lee]

It's a Bush/Rove conspiracy! Global warming did it.

[HardDrive]

Its probably not the gutter, its an ice damn.

When the weather starts of get warmer in the spring, the ice and snow on the roof melt. But at night, they refreeze, and push themselves backwards under the shingles. If you have a large mass of snow and ice in the 5 feet leading up from the gutter, thats you problem. Get as much off and you can with without damaging the shingles, then use salt (yes, I'm suggesting salt your roof) to get the rest off.

This summer, get a heat coil installed that will protect the bottom edge of the roof.

I went through this in Wisconsin one year, and it sucked.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
Get a big blue tarp and make a big curtain with it and put a hole in it for the water to siphon into one receptical. You would use a desk stampler to attach to walls so when you take it down there are no real marks.

Good idea!

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by HardDrive
Its probably not the gutter, its an ice damn.

+1

[Porsche virgin]

Originally posted by HardDrive
Its probably not the gutter, its an ice damn.

+2

I had the same problem this year in the living room (this after spending serious cash replacing half the roof, the siding, gutters and windows) and a few years ago in my glass-roofed sunroom.

notfarnow, do you have a larger version of that picture?

[lendaddy]

Standing by for a "Fell off icy roof and broke leg - wifes ice-pick embedded in ass- HELP!!" thread.

[URY914]

ICE?

What are you guys taking about???

[notfarnow]

Originally posted by Porsche virgin
+2


notfarnow, do you have a larger version of that picture?

I found it on the innernets. I'll see if I can find a better one.

[competentone]

I'd say "call a good contractor," but....

Originally posted by on-ramp
i agree that most are thieves - that's why i try to do all work myself and have friends/relatives that are very experienced in building/repairs.

Seriously, pictures from the inside don't tell us a whole lot; pictures of the roof line could be helpful. Does the bay window have its own roof area or is it shared with the main roof?

[notfarnow]

[on-ramp]

Originally posted by lendaddy
Standing by for a "Fell off icy roof and broke leg - wifes ice-pick embedded in ass- HELP!!" thread.

Trust me, I'm very careful when it comes to repairs..

upon further inspection, there is a fair amount of snow/ice accumulated on the roof (just like in diagram), the part that is leaking. The problem is getting up there to clear it off..

It starts at a good 15 ft off the ground, though, so it's hard to get up there and do anything. Can I hose it off with warm water?

thank you, gentelmen! Another thing learned in my adventures of home ownership.

[Porsche virgin]

Originally posted by notfarnow

Grazie.

[lendaddy]

Don't they make an electric heated rope you can throw up there to melt an evacuation channel?

[on-ramp]

Originally posted by competentone
I'd say "call a good contractor," but....



Seriously, pictures from the inside don't tell us a whole lot; pictures of the roof line could be helpful. Does the bay window have its own roof area or is it shared with the main roof?

hey, by the time i get a contractor out here, it will be spring already. i need to resolve this by this weekend.

but I do appreciate your quote

[competentone]

Originally posted by on-ramp

upon further inspection, there is a fair amount of snow/ice accumulated on the roof, the part that is leaking. The problem is getting up there to clear it off..

It starts at a good 15 ft off the ground. Can I hose it off with warm water?

Can you get heat to the area directly below the roof? Essentially, if there is an attic area you can open an access door to and let the house's heat enter the attic, or if you can get a space heater in that area (follow proper safety precautions with space heaters), the heat from the inside will melt the snow/ice on the roof.

[Jims5543]

Get a hair dryer, extension cord and ladder and get up there!!!

[on-ramp]

Originally posted by Jim Cesiro
Get a hair dryer, extension cord and ladder and get up there!!!

but is it safe to operate a hair dryer in the rain ?

[on-ramp]

Originally posted by competentone
I'd say "call a good contractor," but....



Seriously, pictures from the inside don't tell us a whole lot; pictures of the roof line could be helpful. Does the bay window have its own roof area or is it shared with the main roof?

it is shared with the main roof. I'll see if I can get a pic from outside.