Roof owners worry about soft spots and potential collapse
16 posts across 4 communities in the last 30 days; 81% from r/Roofing.
“How much water pooling on a flat roof is normal and "standard?" We have a house under contract and our inspector flagged some ponding on the roof. We asked the seller to repair it, but the response we got back was that their roofer inspected it and found that the roof was in…”
“I found a house with a bunch of broken roofpans, so i decided to go inside at take a peak! Moisture on majority of inner roof was below the 17% threshold at 12-13% but the ones who had turned white rotten was above 22%, but the black is wierd to me, could it be this much black…”
“Hi all. I’m in process of getting our roof repaired. We bought the house about 3 years ago. Inspector listed the roof as halfway through its life with aesthetic issues. Noted the humps as “moderate” defects instead of major. To his credit he did recommend consulting with a…”
Several homeowners are concerned about soft or squishy spots on their roofs, with warnings from contractors suggesting possible structural instability and a risk of collapse. They're seeking reassurance and advice on whether to call in professional help.
SOURCES (35)
“I’m considering buying a house in Europe built in the 80s, and which has had very little renovation since it was built. During the viewing, I noticed a lot of small black spots covering the wooden underside of the roof overhang (soffit/eaves), visible when looking…”
“Weighing in at about 260lbs. Want to put some solar panels up there, but not sure how to safely get up there. Thanks! submitted by /u/Novis_R [link] [comments]”
“How much water pooling on a flat roof is normal and "standard?" We have a house under contract and our inspector flagged some ponding on the roof. We asked the seller to repair it, but the response we got back was that their roofer inspected it and found that the roof was in excellent condition and this ponding is standard. It has been raining. So I guess it is hard to tell whether this would be evaporated in 48 hours. There is also an active moisture issue in the ceiling below it. So”
“there was a ladder leaning against the edge. Is this amount of bending of shingles normal? submitted by /u/brodds_c [link] [comments]”
“In an earlier post, OP was told not walk on the roof because of damaging shingles. My roof has a low slope and collects pollen tassels, from oak and hickory trees, as well as leaves, because of the low slope. I blow them off each spring and fall. What are your thoughts and recommendations on this? submitted by /u/jescoe [link] [comments]”
“The left of the image is downslope. A soft spot developed here and I think it's bc this shingle at the corner is halfway over over another shingle but the other side of it isn't which is causing water to flow sideways. It's low slope to begin w. Thoughts? Thanks. submitted by /u/Bartleby11 [link] [comments]”
“have these spots on my ceiling have a three year old roof. already poked and prodded the ceiling. It doesn't feel spongy. -I've previously checked my attic. No sign of moisture. There's no plumbing above this spot. -my kitchen is adjacent to this room, however it does not vent outside. My current theory is that this is a consequence of inadequate ventilation right near a kitchen. think l've wiped the spot away before and it looked better but it could be I'm ruining the finish”
“This has to be the worst condition flat roof I've ever seen. I'm not even sure what the material is. It so saturated it feels like walking on moss... Have y'all seen something like this before? What is this and how could it even be repaired? Surely the tenants below have to be noticing leaks in their units? submitted by /u/Content-Selection113 [link] [comments]”
“Went to clear area around roof drain of flat roof today and noticed bubbling around the valley in the roof. Does this look like something I need to fix before winter (in NYC)? Does it seem to be from water seeping in or bubbling from the summer? It is also in the area above a bathroom. The seams themselves seem unaffected. submitted by /u/mameyconmamey [link] [comments]”
“Hey, folks, I am finishing up a shed I bought from Costco. I am a bit concerned it may not be strong enough to hold my weight (about 200 lbs.) when it’s time to lay shingles since it does not have a ridge board or rafter ties.. I included some photos and general info. Rafters are 2x4 24’’ apart and decking is 7/16 OSB. Should I add collar or rafters ties to strengthen the structure? Let me know what you think. Suggestions and tips are welcome. submitted by /u/Georgius_123 [link]  ”
“Just had a new roof installed six weeks ago and during a lull in this weekend’s nor’easter I’m noticing a little bit of pooling water at the very edges of some shingles. Does this mean the edges are improperly curling up / cupping, or is this normal? submitted by /u/Gandalf-Lundgren [link] [comments]”
“Literally about 100 of them in pattern so I assume it's where the nails are? While I'm sure this is time consuming is this an easy fix? Will they come back? submitted by /u/Big_Bee_5125 [link] [comments]”
“I was in my attic today and noticed my roof decking next to the chimney was completely green. Is this all water damaged? submitted by /u/nat45928 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, just wondering what this stuff is covering the roof of my sunroom. Not sure if this is just paint or some specific roofing material/substance. It's not visible at ground level but it's still an eyesore and I'd love to scrape and repair/replace it if it's DIY-able submitted by /u/Trigger_impact [link] [comments]”
“We recently experienced golf ball sized hail damage recently that came out of nowhere and it pummeled our rooftop for sure, but we can’t really tell based on the images how sever it is as we lack the knowledge. These pics were taken by a roofer that came over next day in our area and were still not sure if this is as serious as he’s making it seem. He says that it’s definitely going to leak because it’s seriously damaged, but I don’t know enough and we can’t really afford a $10k repair. I would”
“I found a house with a bunch of broken roofpans, so i decided to go inside at take a peak! Moisture on majority of inner roof was below the 17% threshold at 12-13% but the ones who had turned white rotten was above 22%, but the black is wierd to me, could it be this much black mold? Or am i mistaking it for mold and it is actually dirt? For some added context, this was apparently an addituon to the main building, the addition was built in 1976, and never finished submitted by /u/Kawa”
“Hurricane Milton: our house was affected by Milton. Roof damage caused water to seep in. Wet spots all over the ceilings that grew and grew and the ceiling crawl space had water spilling out. The hurricane blew windows up and damaged them which didn’t allow them to close and they were cracked. The fence in the backyard was literally blowing around up and down. The water was increasing but luckily our house was high enough that water didn’t seep into the house. One inch lower that it would have f”
“Uneducated about components of a roof but noticed cracking where soffit vents are. This is the length of a long window, then there’s some paint peeling in another location. We were having issues with our gutters that have now been resolved. I’m assuming this is damage from water? Is roofing contractor my best best or? The wood is hard and doesn’t crumble when I poke w a knife. Idk if backer rod and silicone caulk would even work here and if it’s just a bandaid? Or just old house? The house is fr”
“Noticed this exposed hole in the roof recently. Added some other images for bigger picture context. Its a single family home (split level ranch). I'm in the Northeast US (New York) and its been raining a lot. I climbed the roof and flipped closed the shingle for now. What are your recommendations? Thanks. submitted by /u/MoreQsthanAs00 [link] [comments]”
“Just moved into our first home. It’s been about 4 months and just noticed as small crack on the roofing. I’m not sure what type of material the roof is, but I would love to reseal it the best way I can myself. For the time being I used flex seal spray to prevent any water damage while I figure out a permanent solution. Any suggestions? More info: it’s a city row home, and the crack is very minimally raised. submitted by /u/ArizonaPodcast [link] [comments]”
“This is happening on a couple edges of the soffits on my roof. Can’t find any other people’s photos that look like this. Anyone know what it is? submitted by /u/skyhawkman [link] [comments]”
“Hi all, please see pics here (#1 is the hip with cracked shingles, #2 is the bridge). Sorry for the weird angle for #2. The roof that is being bridged is on an addition to the main house. Does anything look off here? submitted by /u/Buttpluggery [link] [comments]”
“I’m looking at buying houses and can’t tell if this is water damage or something else. Any ideas? submitted by /u/JBenny777 [link] [comments]”
Sloped ceiling, 100yo plaster. Cracking has existed for years. Roof was replaced a few weeks ago and all the shaking made the cracks wider and more 3d. Don't care about cosmetics but…
“I just noticed these shingles bowing upwards a bit. Is this a sign of something bad? Thanks for any help you can offer! submitted by /u/MotownMike [link] [comments]”
“Is pouring concrete on roof safe and normal? submitted by /u/Far-Year1735 [link] [comments]”
“Hi all. I’m in process of getting our roof repaired. We bought the house about 3 years ago. Inspector listed the roof as halfway through its life with aesthetic issues. Noted the humps as “moderate” defects instead of major. To his credit he did recommend consulting with a contractor to diagnose the problem. I’m just curious what this sub’s best guess is. The pictures are taken from either side of the house. The hump is at the edge of the 2nd floor rear wall. I don’t see any unlevel rafters in t”
“Hello. We have had our home for around a year now and noticed a crack on the inside with some stains around it. This is on the inside of the corner edge where slopes on two sides of the roof meet. Is this water damage? Could it be related to some kind of gutter clogging? The roof was replaced in 2023 and is relatively new. We live in the Pacific Northwest and I hope to get it fixed before the rains hit us in a month or so. Thanks! submitted by /u/sushilsub [link] [comments]”
“Emergency call turned into a much bigger roof project Got a call last week from a homeowner who said part of her flat roof felt like it was caving in. Once we started opening the roof up, we could see why. We ended up having to remove sections of the existing decking and replace deteriorated areas before we could continue with the new roof system. These pictures show part of the roof opened up, the framing exposed, and the new decking going back down. We’re about a week into the project now and”
“The weather/moisture layer is coming up from under the lip where the stucco and roof meet. Is this a simple fix of just re-nailing? Or do I need to do something more like adhesive or repair? submitted by /u/Chicagos_Finest33 [link] [comments]”
“EDIT: spots lol private walkout roof is covered in soft, squishy divots like this. The building insists that it’s safe and is just like “ wallpaper” (?) but a third party drain guy warned me that the entire building has pooling and soft spots and told me “not to stand out there too long” and that they might collapse on us……. What do you guys think? I feel like a roof shouldn’t have 10+ soft and squishy spots. We’ve also had issues with leaks and mold already. Am I being over dramatic by saying I”