Hello,

I am searching for specific documentation re: proper procedure for roofing a wet, rotted roof in Philadelphia, PA. to refute the allegations of a roofer that their work on a project was satisfactory.

A roofing contractor took off an old, low-sloped roof, said all of the planking underneath the roof was rotted, warped (curled) and entirely soaked with water, They installed sheathing directly onto this substrate and put a new roof on top of this. In the contract, they said they would remove any rotten wood @ x cost / square foot. I'm concerned that the "rotted"/soaked planking will attract WDO, breed mold and advance the rot into the structural members of the roof. They only offer a manufacturer's warrantee on paper. I am afraid the roof will have to be completely removed at a greater cost, the manufacturer's warrantee will be voided and that the two young children living directly below the roof will be affected by possible mold growth and dispersion.

Thank you for your time,
John

[Michael J. Merino]

John, I think you should remind them that the contract included removal of the wet rotted wood. regardless of whether it is a proper install or not, a contract is a contract. I believe that the wood should have been removed before the new roof was installed.

[David P. Valley]

If the sheathing was simply wet and it did not get damaged from the continuous moisture, it should be fine. But if this sheathing is compromised, curled, or delaminated, it should have been replaced before the shingles were applied. The shingle hardware will not hold on compromised sheathing.


Do you have images of the underside?

[Michael J. Merino]

I believe he stated in the post "A roofing contractor took off an old, low-sloped roof, said all of the planking underneath the roof was rotted, warped (curled) and entirely soaked with water"

[David P. Valley]

[QUOTE=mmerino;530974]I believe he stated in the post "A roofing contractor took off an old, low-sloped roof, said all of the planking underneath the roof was rotted, warped (curled) and entirely soaked with water"[/QUOTE]


What one person calls rot does not mean it actually is.

Images will confirm this.

[Larry D. Kage]

[QUOTE=John Caulk;519331]Hello,

I'm concerned that the "rotted"/soaked planking will attract WDO, breed mold and advance the rot into the structural members of the roof.

Thank you for your time,
John[/QUOTE]


The rot may have already advanced into the framing but since the rotted/soaked sheathing wasn't removed, that may not be known.

It sounds like a very poor choice of application methods.

Getting a look under the roof deck is going to be important to get the information you seek.

What type of roofing materials was installed on the low slope?

After that, State Licensing Boards and Roofing Manufacturers (for installation instructions) may be helpful.