hole in roof!

oh, don't worry, the holes were intentional! Didn't mean to scare you.

When putting the intake and exhaust PVC pipes for the two furnaces last year, we had to cut 3 and 4 in. holes right into the flat roof. This seems like the craziest thing to do to your roof if you don't want leaks, but its very common. There are two methods of sealing the gap between the pipe and the roof hole. Most common is a 'flashing boot' that goes over the pipe, and then is tarred up to seal it to the roof. Another, in this case, is a 'pitch pan'. The 'pan' part is obvious, it looks like a square pan. I'm not sure where the 'pitch' nomenclature arises, probably something from old masonry terms. Since I had more than one pipe, it was easier to use the pitch pan. You can't install two flashing boots right next to each other, they only work for individual pipes. On the other hand, the pitch pan will work for any number of protrusions that will fit into the area of the pan.

Below are the two vent pipes that go ALL the way to the basement furnace. The pitch pan is stainless steel, but you can't see it with all the sealant. Yes, i did a sloppy job, but in this case err on the side of messy is good.















Sometimes when I come across a product that works wonders, but isn't often advertised, or carried at local big box home store, I feel the need to shout!
Unlike your standard tar, Chem Link Part-1 Pourable Sealer does not shrink. You might have seen one or more year old tar that has shrunk and created cracks in just the place you intended to seal. The photo above shows absolutely no cracking, and it pliant as the day it was installed.

I found it at Lakefront Roofing Supply on N. Western Ave., for more $40 a liter. I probably didn't get contractor pricing, but it was worth every penny for the piece of mind. Here's their website: Chem Link

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