Here, we have a home with multiple layers of shingles applied on top of one another over the years. The roof appears to be five layers deep. There is a porch on the back of the house with extensive rotting wood caused by an improperly designed roof structure and improper membrane installation. The gutters on the home appear to be old and have issues with slope, leaking end caps, and mitered corners.
Incorrect Installation of Membrane that caused Water Damage on a flat surface in Knoxville TN
Bad gutters and improper installation of roofing components
Table of contents
- Old style spiked gutters damaged and pulling away from the facia
- No ridge vent and incorrect ridge cap material
- Improper chimney flashing

- 1Old style spiked gutters damaged and pulling away from the faciaGo To Pin
- 2No ridge vent and incorrect ridge cap materialGo To Pin
- 3Improper chimney flashingGo To Pin
Back porch stoop with incorrect membrane and extensive water damage, multiple layers of shingles and old gutters
- 1Multiple layers of shingles four or five layers
In this photo, you can see that several roofs have been installed on top of the other. This is generally not a good practice for longevity and is prone to leaking. Nails are likely not to reach the wooden decking below; even if they do, I am likely to be driven into some soft areas of wood. Exposing the entire roof deck is always the best plan.
Go To Pin - 2Flat roof issues
In the photo above, you can see that a flat roof was installed over the porch stoop in the rear of the house. It appears that it was not tied incorrectly to the existing shingles, nor was it tied incorrectly to the house under the eaves. This area appears to have been having problems for a long time as the structure underneath is compromised with rot.
Go To Pin - 3Rotten boards, sagging roofGo To Pin