Typical pipe seal failure

One of the most common roof problems I see at Virginia home inspections is damaged soil vent seals.

These are the aluminum or plastic flashing’s that seal around the plumbing vent pipes that go through the roof.  The problem is the rubber seals only last about 7 years before they dry, crack and leak water into the attic.  They don’t even last as long as the cheapest shingle and is usually the first thing to leak.  In fact the timing of their demise is so reliable, I use it to help me gauge the age of the roof during a home inspection.

Normally these are a booger to replace because it involves dealing with the shingles. Some people just slide a new one over the old or just gob sealant around the cracks, but that’s all just a temporary fix.

Retro-fit Pipe collar

Well they are not hard to fix anymore.  I just found this cool little device that was invented to solve this problem in a jiffy. It’s a retrofit style pipe collar that requires no tools, no fuss no muss.  I normally don’t broadcast other products but I think this will help my clients and readers a lot. They make several different versions for all types of pipes.  They are even cheaper that a new regular  pipe collar.  I have not seen these available in stores but manufactures website is creativecompostis.com

Check out their video and see how easy it is.