I purchased a 2ft x 2ft x 1/2in drywall panel for ~$4 and marked a 6in by 6.5in square in the corner to fit the hole I cut in the basement ceiling. (If you have a scrap piece of drywall laying about, that will also do fine.) The curve in the bottom edge of the panel in this photo is a fisheye artifact from the camera lens.

2ft x 2ft Drywall Repair Panel

Fitting the Drywall Patch Panel

Here’s the new repair panel compared to the water damaged drywall section cut from the ceiling. I used a sawzall blade to the cut the panel because it has finer saw teeth for a cleaner cut.

New Drywall Patch Panel Compared to the Damaged Section

The drywall repair panel is trimmed to fit with the utility knife and fastened with four drywall screws to the plywood backer board and the metal runner of the suspended ceiling.

Drywall Patch Panel Attached to the Basement Ceiling

Tape and Mud the Joints

Self-adhesive fiberglass drywall joint tape is applied to the four joints of the repair panel. A thin coat of joint compound applied with a 4″ or 6″ blade. Click on the photo for a larger version. If you look closely, you can see the weave of the fiberglass tape.

Apply Drywall Joint Compound to the Fiberglass Taped Joints

I forgot to snap a photo of the fiberglass joint tape before I applied joint compound to the ceiling. This next photo illustrates the process from a job I was doing on the wall.

Applying Drywall Joint Compound over Fiberglass Tape

Apply Finish Coats of Joint Compound

Immediately after the fiberglass tape joints are mudded (“mud” is slang for drywall joint compound), spread a thin coat of drywall compound using the 12-inch blade, feathering the edges. Don’t delay because those feather thin layers of mud start to dry in minutes and will gum up the blade leaving long tracks in the finish.

Tip: With drywall compound, “less is more”. The less you spread on the less sanding you’ll have to do later.

Spreading Drywall Joint Compound with a 12inch Blade

The next photo is the ceiling patch after the first application of drywall compound with the 12 inch blade. I left this to dry overnight before sanding.

Drywall Joint Compound over the Ceiling Patch

Wet Sanding

The next day, I used a wet sanding sponge to smooth the high spots and feather the repair into the main ceiling. A drywall sanding sponge is a sponge made with an abrasive surface. Dip the sponge in a bucket of water, squeeze out the excess water so it’s damp, and sand with almost no dust. Rinse the sponge in water as needed to remove the joint compound that will clog up the sanding surface.

Wet Sand the Joint Compound with a Drywall Sanding Sponge

After sanding, I applied a very thin second coat of joint compound with the 12 inch blade, let dry and wet sanded. Here’s the ceiling patch ready to be painted. The nearly white-on-white doesn’t contrast well for the camera.

Ceiling Drywall Patch Ready to be Painted

If you look closely (click on the photo for a larger view) you can see the brighter edges of the new paint where I painted the ceiling patch. I took a small sample of the ceiling to the local paint store for a computer color match, but as the salesman explained, the computer isn’t perfect and whites are especially hard to match exactly.

Finished Ceiling Drywall Repair after Painting

I hope this project saves you some money!

Take care,

Bob Jackson

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I’ve made the rough cut to remove the water damaged portion of the ceiling drywall. Using the combination square, pencil lines are marked to square up the hole for the final cuts. The lines are marked to align with the suspended ceiling metal runners as seen through the hole.

Damaged Ceiling Drywall - Rough Cut

Square Up the Hole

The replacement drywall panel will be screwed into the bottom of the metal support runners. A utility knife is used to cut the drywall along the squared lines to expose the edge of the runner. Score the paper face of the drywall first, then plunge the blade in making a seesaw motion with successive passes, and finally a long deep pass to complete the cut.

Cut along the Metal Support Runner

Cutting along the other metal support runner.

Squaring up the Hole with a Utility Knife

The damaged section is cut away and the hole is squared exposing the two metal support runners.

Finished Hole in the Drywall Ceiling

Another angle with a good view of the bottom of the shower drain pan, drain body and U-bend.

Damaged Area Cut Out in Drywall Ceiling

Plywood Bracing Board

A 9in x 4in x 1/2in plywood bracing board is installed on the right side of the hole to provide a hard point to fasten the new drywall ceiling panel.

1/2 inch Plywood Bracing Board

The plywood brace is attached to the ceiling using 1-1/4″ drywall screws and the drywall screw setter bit. I allowed for a generous ~2″ overlap into the hole to attach the replacement panel.

Fasten the Plywood Brace with Drywall Screws

The drywall screw setter is a Philips driver set inside a collar. This automatically sets the drywall screw at the proper depth without tearing through the paper face of the drywall. The countersunk screw can then be covered with joint compound for a perfectly smooth finish.

Drywall Screw Setter Drill Bit

Plywood backer brace fastened with two screws. I started to set a 3rd screw in the metal runner then realized the screw head would interfere with the replacement panel. The two screws were plenty strong enough for the task.

Drywall Ceiling Repair Plywood Brace

SHEETROCK® Brand Repair Clips

Home improvement and hardware stores sell SHEETROCK® Brand Repair Clips – these are metal clips that are fit over the edges of the drywall hole to fasten a repair panel with screws. The SHEETROCK clips could be used in place of a wood brace and appear to be structurally sound, avoiding the sagging problem of the self-adhesive metal mesh patches.

This repair is continued in Part 3.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

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Ceiling Drywall Water Leak Damage

This article explains how to repair the drywall ceiling by cutting out and replacing the damaged area.

Ceiling Water Damage from Leaky Shower

Water from the leaky shower drain dripped from the U-bend in the PVC drain plumbing onto the suspended drywall basement ceiling. The leak caused the drywall paper backing to delaminate and the splashing action of the water drip eroded the gypsum material leaving a crater.

Shower Drain U-Bend and Drywall Ceiling Water Damage

The basement ceiling is 14 feet high because the house sits on a hillside and has high basement walls. I used a 16 foot extension ladder and a Werner AC78 QuickClick Stabilizer to stand the ladder an extra 10 inches off the wall to better reach the damaged area. The water stain doesn’t look that bad from this viewpoint, however upon closer inspection the drywall paper is delaminated with a sagging bubble in the center.

Drywall Ceiling Water Stain

I bought my Werner AC78 QuickClick Stabilizer from Amazon.com, it’s great for laying up the ladder across a window!




Damaged Drywall Repair Options

Option 1: Self-Adhesive Mesh Drywall Patch

Drywall patches are widely available at home improvement stores that consist of a thin metal mesh with a sticky backing. The metal mesh provides support for the spackle. The patch is stuck over the hole, spackle, sand and paint. Self-adhesive metal patches work best on walls and small holes, but often sag when used on ceilings. I therefore chose not to use a metal repair patch.

Option 2: Cut Out and Replace with New Drywall

The best way to repair the roughly 5″ by 5″ area of damaged drywall ceiling is to cut out the area and replace it with a new section of drywall, install a wood reinforcement piece, tape the joints, apply joint compound, sand and paint. The most difficult part was working on the extension ladder to reach the high ceiling.

Drywall Repair Kit

You’ll save yourself a lot of time if you assemble the necessary tools and materials before starting the job. The items needed for this project are:

A. Drywall Screw Setter – automatically sets the drywall screw the right depth everytime. A 4-pack costs $5.

B. Course Thread 1-1/4″ Drywall Screws

C. Combination Square

D. Pencil

E. Utility Knife

F. Cordless Drill/Driver

G. Tape measure

H. 12″ Drywall Taping Blade

I. 6″ Drywall Taping Blade.

J. Drywall Jab Saw

K. Drywall Sanding Sponge

L. Roll of Self-Stick Fiberglass Drywall Tape. Cost is about $8.

M. Drywall Joint Compound. A 1 gallon bucket cost about $6.

N. 2ft x 2ft x 1/2in Drywall Repair Panel. Costs about $4 at Home Depot.

Drywall Repair - Tools and Materials

A large drop cloth is also needed to keep debris and dust off the floor.

Remove the Damaged Section of Drywall Ceiling

Before you cut out the damaged section of ceiling, know what’s on the other side. Are there electrical wires, plumbing, gas lines, HVAC ducts, wood joists or metal support runners? I knew from looking into the crawlspace above the ceiling that the center of the leak was close to the metal runners for the suspended ceiling. If you can’t see what’s on the other side, first cut an inspection hole in the center of leak with a utility knife.

I began the cut by tapping the point of the drywall jab saw into the ceiling, knowing that I was inside the suspended ceiling metal support runner.

Cut out the Damaged Area with Drywall Jab Saw

I continued the cut until I was well clear of the water damaged area. You might ask: “How do I know I’m making a straight cut?” because I’ve not marked cut lines on the ceiling with square. Right now it doesn’t matter – I’ll cut out the damaged area first and square up the hole later.

Making the 1st Cut with the Jab Saw

Knowing the leak was just inside the intersection of two suspended ceiling metal runners, I made the 2nd cut in the other direction.

Second Drywall Ceiling Cut with the Jab Saw

Here’s the damaged section of ceiling drywall that I cut out with the jab saw. Water from the leaky shower drain dripped and splashed creating the hole.

Water Leak Damaged Section of Ceiling Drywall

This repair is continued in Part 2.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

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This is the Victor plug repair kit. Note the puncture hole at the red arrow.

Tire Plug Repair Kit - Rasp Tool, Needle Tool and Plugs

The puncture hole is cleaned with the rasp tool by drawing it back and forth several times to remove any dirt, mud or grease that would interfere with a clean bond between the tire rubber and tire plug.

Clean the Tire Puncture Hole with the Rasp Tool

The tire plug is very sticky and consists of chord material coated in a thick tar-like substance.

Peel a Tire Plug from the Package

The tire plug is threaded through the eye of the needle tool, centered halfway as shown:

Insert the Tire Plug into the Puncture Hole

It takes a fair amount of force to press the needle tool and plug into the tire. Press straight in, do not twist.

Press the Tire Plug in with the Needle Tool

The plug is pressed about 2/3rds of the way into the tire, then the needle tool is quickly and forcefully drawn straight out to set the plug. This was the hardest part and took a lot of muscle.

Press the Plug 2/3rds into the Tire Puncture Hole

The plug remains in the hole after the needle tool is withdrawn. The newly installed tire plug:

Tire Plug set in the Puncture Hole

Cut the plug off roughly even with the tire tread.

Cut Off the Tire Plug Flush with the Tread

A small portable air compressor is used to re-inflate the tire. It takes more than one tank of air to fully inflate the tire, so the compressor needs to be plugged in to the 120VAC outlet to do the job.

Portable Air Compressor

Refer to your owner’s manual for the recommended tire inflation pressure – on my car, it’s 39 psi. Do not exceed the maximum tire pressure printed in raised letters on the sidewall.

Reinflate the Tire to the Car Manufacturer's Specifications

Check the tire pressure with the gauge several times as you inflate the tire. Here I’m showing 42 psi on the tire pressure pencil gauge. I let out small amount of air to bring the pressure down to the recommended 39 psi.

Check the Tire Pressure with a Gauge

The tire is now ready to be mounted back on the car.

Balancing the Tire

It’s possible the tire plug can add enough weight that the tire needs to be rebalanced. I’ve never noticed a balancing problem with a plug repair nor has my plugged tires ever developed a vibration or flat spot that is characteristic of an unbalanced tire. However, if you notice a vibration that increases with speed or which happens at a specific speed range (it’s worse at a harmonic frequency), then have your tire rebalanced. While you’re at the repair shop with the tire off the car to have it rebalanced, you might as well have the tire patched-and-plugged professionally per the Rubber Manufacturers Association recommendations.

Tip:

Press your thumb into the sidewall and note how firm the tire feels. Remember this for a quick check with your visual inspection to ensure the tire is holding air each time before you drive. If in doubt, confirm the tire pressure with the tire gauge when the tire is cold. The problem with too frequently checking the air pressure with the tire gauge is you’ll let out a bit of air each time and may need to reinflate the tire to bring it back to the recommended pressure.

Pluggers by Gary Brookins

If you’re plugging your flat tire, then you’re a Plugger. I enjoy Pluggers and read it every day.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

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The other day I drove about 2 miles between office buildings, briefly went inside the office and returned to my car about 5 minutes later to find the driver’s side rear tire was completely flat! I was asking myself “Now how did that happen?!” because the car handled well on the short trip over.

Flat Tire Puncture by Metal Tube in Tire Tread

Fortunately I was in a parking garage and quickly changed the flat, swapping it for the full size spare tire in the trunk. Later I found that I had run over a metal tube that was perfect for letting all the air out of the tire.

Flat Tire Repair Options

There are several options for repairing a flat tire:

1. Fix-A-Flat® aerosol inflator and similar products.
2. Tire plug (described here).
3. Take the flat tire to a repair shop for professional evaluation and repair with a inside patch and plug.
4. Call for Emergency Roadside Assistance using your American Automobile Association membership.

Aerosol Inflators

The Fix-A-Flat® aerosol inflator is a temporary repair in-a-can that will seal small punctures and inflate the tire to get you back on the road until you can reach a repair shop. See the Fix-A-Flat® Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information. The primary advantage of Fix-A-Flat® is it easy to use, even by my wife who otherwise would have no clue how to put on the spare tire. A disadvantage of aerosol sealants is the tire and/or rim needs to be cleaned.

Tire Plug

Tire plugs are a temporary repair for tread punctures up to 1/4 inch in diameter according to the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), although plugs are often used as long term repairs.

Plugs are the subject of differing opinions; I called half-dozen tire shops and the recommendations were about evenly split between “we plug” and “we patch and plug”. All tire shops would patch and plug if requested. A typical plug repair quote was $14 compared to a patch-and-plug for $28. The “we plug” shops said plugs worked just fine and that’s what they recommend for most repairs.

I personally have never had a plug repair fail on a repair for a small puncture from a nail, screw and the like.

Plugs should not be used to repair damaged sidewalls. A plug shouldn’t be trusted on  high speed performance tires; if you have an expensive performance tire, have it professionally repaired.

Professional Tire Repair

The best and safest decision is to have your tire professionally evaluated, repaired (or replaced) at a tire shop. Especially if you’ve driven with the tire low on air or flat. The sidewalls and/or tread might be damaged beyond repair, although it might look OK to the untrained eye.

This reminds me of the time I saw a woman driving a Jaguar Vanden Plas on the shoulder of the highway in Boca Raton, FL with a rear flat tire. Rather than stopping at the first sign of trouble, she kept driving long after the tire disintegrated and was running on the metal rim, sparks flying. The wheel rim is destroyed and rims are way more expensive to replace than a tire.

Emergency Roadside Assistance

There are many Roadside Assistance programs available, often from your auto insurance company, automobile manufacturer, or the American Automobile Association (AAA). I have an AAA Plus membership for my wife and myself that I paid $118/year – Google for AAA membership discounts. The AAA Plus membership features 100 mile towing – which will get me home 99% of the time – along with battery, free fuel, vehicle locksmith and flat tire service.

If my flat tire had happened on a rainy, muddy night stuck on the side of the road instead of inside a parking garage, I would’ve called AAA to put on the spare tire. When you’re back home, you can evaluate tire repair options at your leisure.

When to Plug Flat Tire

A tire plug was suitable for my situation because:

• The tire was not driven while flat and therefore has no sidewall damage.
• The tire tread is in good shape with about 30% remaining tread depth/life.
• The tire is not an expensive high performance tire.
• The puncture is the tread.
• The puncture is less 1/4 inch in diameter.
• I already had the tire off the car, having put on the spare.
• I’m acutely aware of how my car drives and know when things aren’t quite “right”.
• I’ll do a quick visual check of the tire each time before I drive to see it’s not low air.
• I understood my tire repair options and risks.

On the other hand, if this were my wife’s minivan, I’d have the tire patched and plugged by professional because she will blissfully drive so long as the engine starts. It’s not that she doesn’t care, she just isn’t “tuned in” to mechanical issues. More than once I’ve driven the minivan with her, and asked “How long has it been making that noise?” (squeaky break pads) or “Why didn’t you tell me about that vibration when braking?” (warped rotor) or “Do you notice it’s not tracking straight?” (wheels out of alignment). Her response is invariably “I don’t know” or “What are you talking about?”. Sigh.

How to Plug Flat Tire

Plugging a tire is simple, quick and I’ve had excellent experiences with tire plugs on the handful of occasions that I’ve run over a nail or screw, with the plug lasting the life of the tire. I bought a Victor Tire Repair Kit for about $6 at Advance Auto Parts as shown here.

Victor Tire Repair Kit

The metal object is pulled out with sturdy pair of needle nose pliers. It took several attempts to get a grip and pull it out, little by little.

Remove the Metal Object with Needle Nose Pliers

Wow! How long is this thing?! The puncture was caused by a metal tube over 3 inches long!

Metal Tube Puncture in Flat Tire

A 3/16 inch diameter by over 3-1/2 inch long metal tube punctured the tire! The metal tube is surprisingly strong, I couldn’t bend it with two hands, and it smelled strongly like brake fluid. It appears to have fallen off a car or piece of machinery.

Metal Tube Puncture Extracted from Flat Tire

This repair is continued in Part 2.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

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Basement Ethernet Jack Installation

The outlet will be located in the corner of the room. This location was chosen because it was close to the entertainment console and the wall cavity was readily accessible from the ceiling crawlspace. The outlet box dimensions were marked on the wall. The level is to ensure the outlet is plumb (true to vertical).

Outlet Box Opening Marked on the Drywall

The opening is cut in the drywall and the outlet box fitted as shown:

Fitting the Old Work Outlet Box

Fishing Cable Down the Basement Wall

Working in the crawlspace between the 1st floor and the basement ceiling, I needed to run the cable down the wall to the opening for the new outlet. This problem is I needed to drill a hole through the horizontal bracing between the wall studs to the reach the basement floor level and the outlet box.

The solution is a six (6) foot long by 3/4 inch diameter drill bit! This is a Greenlee D’versibit Flexible Drill Bit part #12-04-72A. The cost is around $50 to $60 from various retailers. I purchased mine at Home Depot, you will find it in the electrical section.

72 inch Long Flexible Drill Bit

The drill bit is placed between the basement wall studs:

Drill Bit between the Basement Wall Studs

The drill is attached and a 3/4 inch hole drilled through the 2×4 bracing.

Hole Drilled through the 2x4 Bracing

Being a resourceful Handyman and building upon the crescent wrench technique, I went back to my tool box, got a 1/4 inch socket wrench extension and duct taped it to the Ethernet cable. This provided a heavy pointed weight to fish the Ethernet cable through the hole in the wall bracing.

Ethernet Cable Duct Taped to a Socket Wrench Extension

The socket wrench extension dropped easily through the hole:

Fishing the Cable through the Basement Wall

Back at floor level, I reached inside the wall and pulled the cable through the opening cut in the drywall for the new Ethernet outlet.

Pulling Cable through the Wall Opening

The cable is fed through an old work outlet box. An old work outlet box has wings that automatically flare out and grab the inside of the drywall when box is mounted and the screws tightened. Notice that I broke off the wire cover because it would pinch the Cat 5e cable and either kink it (causing signal loss) or possible break the light gauge wires.

Old Work Outlet Box

The kit for wiring up the new Ethernet jack consists of:

• Two port wall plate
• Blank insert
• Ethernet jack

Kit for Wiring the New Ethernet Jack

The new jack is wired as before and snapped into the wall plate.

New Ethernet Jack and Wall Plate

The wall plate ready with the jack and blank insert.

Wall Plate with Jack and Blank Insert

The wall plate is mounted to the outlet box with the provided screws. Notice the cordless drill is set to a low speed and low torque value of “3″ for a gentle touch.

Mouting the Wall Plate

The Ethernet jack upstairs is connected to the NetGear desktop router and a laptop is used to verify Internet connectivity and LAN connection speed (Start –> Control Panel –> Network Connections –> Local Area Connection).

Home Network Ethernet RJ-45 Jack

Lastly, a standard Ethernet cable is plugged into the new RJ-45 wall jack and the Xbox 360. My son reports the Xbox Live performance is much improved and very pleased.

Multi-Room Ethernet Wiring Solution

As a follow-up to the original article, a reader asked what the wiring would look like for Ethernet jacks to several rooms. The following diagram illustrates the multi-room solution:

Ethernet Home Network Wiring Diagram

How it Works:

The cable or DSL modem is connected to an Ethernet Switch to distribute the broadband internet service to a wall plate with four Ethernet jacks serving different rooms in the home. An inexpensive 5-port NetGear FS105NA Ethernet Switch is shown with a four position wall plate. Wall plates are available with 1 to 12 jack positions.

I personally use an 8-port NetGear FS108P Ethernet Switch with four Power-over-Ethernet Ports for my Panasonic Network Cameras as illustrated below. The NetGear Switch is connected a Linksys WRT54G WiFi router so I’ve got the bet of both worlds, wired and wireless networks.

Ethernet Home Network Diagram with PoE

This is a photo of the my home network equipment on a crowded shelf. From left to right are:

• DSL modem (black box far left)
• Linksys WRT54G WiFi router
• ISY-99i Home Automation Controller (black box in center)
• NetGear FS108P Ethernet Switch (blue box)
• NetGear Skype WiFi phone base unit (white box)

I’m really in need of a structured wiring panel. Please see the comments section below for addition information about structured wiring panels.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

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Heavy Duty Felt Chair Leg Pads

The chair legs had hard plastic pads that were wearing the finish off the hardwood floor and made a dry scraping sound everytime the chair moved. Felt chair pads are soft and solved the problem. Now the chairs quietly glide on the floor, without being so slick as to kick-out and create a falling hazard.

Felt Pads versus Other Products

There are number of after-market chair leg pads available – felt, teflon, plastic that can be nailed, screwed or stuck-on. Teflon and plastic products are unsuitable because sand and grit will catch under the pad and scratch the wood floor. Felt pads are soft and won’t scratch. The disadvantage of felt is it tends to pick up dog and cat hair, but this easily vacuumed off.

1-Inch Nail-On Felt Chair Pads

I bought several 8-packs of Shepherd Hardware Felt Gard Plus 1-inch heavy duty nail-on felt pads at Home Depot for about $5/pack. The 1-inch pads are slightly larger than the original plastic pads but small enough to be concealed from view. These particular pads appeared to be a popular choice as I bought the last packs on the shelf. I liked the way these were made with the sharp metal ring. This pad wasn’t going to fall off. Pads are available in variety of styles and colors.

Compare the factory stapled-on plastic pads (left) with the new felt pads (right):

Old Plastic Chair Pads (left) and New Felt Chair Pads (right)

Remove the Old Plastic Pads

The original plastic pads were stapled on to the chair leg and had to be pried off. A tap with a hammer got a screw driver started under the edge of the pad. This method works if the original pads were nailed or stapled on. If yours is screwed on, just unscrew it to remove.

The chair is set upside down on the table. The chair cushion protects the table from scratches and dents. If your chair has arm rests, place a thick towel on the table.

Wedge a Screw Driver under the Old Plastic Chair Pad

The pad is pried off with a screw driver, taking care not to mar the corner of the chair leg. If your chair leg is very slender, try twisting the screw driver instead of levering it.

Pry the Old Pad Off the Chair Leg

More often than not, the plastic pad pulled off the staple. Not a problem.

Staple in the Chair Leg

Needle-nose pliers make quick work of extracting the staple from the chair leg.

Remove the Staple with Needle-Nose Pliers

The new 1-inch felt pads have a sharp circular base that is hammered into the chair leg.

Nail-On Heavy Duty Felt Chair Leg Pad

Center the felt pad on the chair leg.

Center the Pad on Chair Leg

The leg pad attaches easily with two or three moderate smacks with the hammer.

Hammer the Felt Chair Leg Pad to Attach

Felt chair pad attached to leg.

Felt Pad Nailed to Chair Leg

The felt pads work well and glide quietly on the wood floor. Now it’s time to apply new lacquer to restore the wood floor finish.

New Felt Leg Pads on the Chairs

Take care,

Bob Jackson

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The HVAC contractor began the work by disconnecting the old vent pipe at the first joint below the roof deck in the attic. To disconnect the pipe, just slide the retaining collar up and wiggle/lift the pipe to separate. The shiny new pipe sections are shown in this photo.

Furnace Vent Pipe in the Attic

Roof Vent Demolition

With one man working in the attic, the other HVAC technician went to the roof top to disassemble the vents. He began by lifting the retaining collar and wiggling off the top section of vent pipe. The top section with the rain cap is laying to the right in the photo below.

The storm collar is removed by cutting the caulk line with a utility knife and wiggling the collar up the pipe. Once clear of the flashing cone, the storm collar was cut in two with tin snips and pulled free of the vent pipe. Cutting the collar was quicker than working it off the length of the pipe.

Removing the Storm Collar from the Old Vent Pipe

After removing the storm collar, the caulk line at the flashing cone is cut and the old pipe is pulled down into the attic. The retaining collar at the bottom of the vent pipe inside the attic will not fit through the flashing cone, so the pipe must be pulled down.

The second vent stack is removed by the same procedure.

New Roof Gas Vent Installation

Flashing Cones

We originally planned to remove the old flashing cones. The HVAC technician advised against it, explaining the cone was in good shape and he was concerned about the shingles being brittle in the cool (mid-40’s) December weather. We agreed to leave the flashing cones in place.

The old caulk is trimmed and peeled away from the neck of the flashing cone with a utility knife. A clean bare metal surface is needed for a water tight caulk line.

Cleaning Up the Flashing Cone Neck

Flashing cone after cleaning the old caulk from the neck.

Roof Vent Flashing Cone Cleaned and Ready for New Pipe

The second man inside the attic pushes up the new section of vent pipe through the flashing cone. The man in the attic then attaches the vent pipe existing lower section inside the attic.

Pushing Up New Type B Vent Pipe

The joint between the vent pipe and flashing cone is caulked with Adaseal HVAC/R 100% RTV silicone high temperature caulk.

Caulking the Vent Pipe at the Flashing Cone

The storm collar is installed by sliding it over the pipe and down to the flashing cone. The storm collar is sealed with a generous bead of silicone and smoothed (radiused) with a finger.

Caulking the Storm Collar

The rain cap simply slides onto the vent pipe. The technician secured the rain cap with a short 1/4″ sheet metal screw to ensure it doesn’t blow off in a very strong wind. The screw is optional and must not penetrate inner section of the double wall pipe.

Installing the Rain Cap on the Roof Vent Pipe

The vertical seam on the flashing cone was caulked with silicone and the vent stacks are spray painted black for appearance. The two vent stacks are also now equal height for a better appearance.

New Gas Vent Stacks

Inspection of the Rusted Vent Stacks

The old vent stacks were saved for inspection to see if there was an obvious source of the rain water leak. The black RTV sealant beneath the rain cap and on the storm collars is only one week old and did not stop the leak. The vents are a bit dented having been dropped off the roof onto the lawn.

Old Type B Gas Vents

The rust hasn’t corroded through the pipe wall, but the rust lines indicate rain water getting inside the pipe.

Rain Cap and Vent Pipe Rust

It’s really hard to say if this was the leak source, or maybe water was getting inside the vertical seam and channel past the storm collar.

Rusted Vent Pipe

No Leaks!

The new Type B roof vents were installed only a day before a new cold front brought steady rain. The vents are water tight and no water trails are to be seen on the shiny new sections of pipe in the attic.

The job took about 2 hours and the final cost was $350 versus the $400 original quote because we decided not install new flashing cones.

Hope this helps,

Bob Jackson

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The right vent stack in this photo continues to have a slow leak only when it rains. Resealing the storm collar didn’t fix the leak. I learned after the roofer resealed the vent stacks there was severe rusting under the rain cap that couldn’t be seen from the ground. It’s also possible rain water was following the vertical seam down the pipe and getting inside. Given the extent of the corrosion, I decided the best option was to completely replace the vent stacks.

Type B Gas Furnace Roof Vents - Still Leaking

The rusted vent pipe beneath the rain cap was unusual for galvanized pipe and could be a letting in rainwater.

Rusted Vent Pipe at the Rain Cap

Bids to Replace the Roof Vent Stacks

I obtained several proposals to replace the vent stacks from highly rated Heating and Air companies on Kudzu.com. The minor issue was finding HVAC contractors that also did roof work. The bids were in the $400 to $600 range to replace the vent pipe starting at the first joint in the attic and all exterior roof components: vent pipe, flashing cone and rain cap. I chose the low bidder, which included a written 100% satisfaction and 1 year guarantee in addition to be highly rated on Kudzu.com. The company manager double checked the 4″ diameter vent pipe was properly sized to ensure condensation wasn’t an issue and a 2-man crew came out the next day.

New Type B Roof Vent Materials

The 2-man crew arrived on time the next afternoon with complete inventory of Hart & Cooley, Inc. Type B gas vent pipe and roof flashings. The double-wall vent pipe is made in various lengths that snaps together.

New Hart & Cooley, Inc. Type B Vent Pipe

Hart & Cooley 4RWH Rain Cap – top view:

Hart & Cooley 4RWH Type B Gas Vent (Rain Cap)

Bottom view of the same. The function of rain cap is to vent the combustion gases, help prevent back drafts, keep out rain and discourage birds from nesting in the flue vent. The HVAC technician said the H&C product works well. Were a bird to build a nest, it will block the vent and a safety switch in the furnace will sense the back pressure and shut off the furnace.

Hart & Cooley 4RWH Type B Gas Vent (Rain Cap)

The HVAC contractor used the Adaseal International, Inc. HVAC/R silicone caulk to seal the vent flashings. It’s 100% silicone rubber rated for 450°F.

Adaseal HVAC/R Silicone Caulk

This repair is continued in Part 4.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

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The attic leak is believed to be caused by a bad seal around the storm collar. The storm collar acts like an umbrella to prevent moisture from entering the joint where the flashing cone meets the vent pipe.

Fixing the Storm Collar Leak

The storm collar simply slides over the pipe. To raise the storm collar, the old sealant is scraped off. The storm collar is raised to remove any sealant below the collar and to inspect the flashing cone / vent pipe junction.

Resealing the Storm Collar - Type B Vent Pipe

The flashing cone was sealed to the vent pipe with metal foil HVAC tape. The metal tape looked to be in good condition, and after 10 years, appeared to be permanently fixed to the pipe. We therefore decided to leave the metal foil tape in place.

Removing the Old Sealant

I expected the old sealant would have to be scraped off the with a 5-in-1 tool. Much to our surprise, the old sealant around the storm collar fell away in a single long ribbon! This stuff wasn’t doing anything to prevent rain leaking in! The old sealant was very flexible – like a large rubber band – but lacked any and all adhesion to the metal collar and vent pipe.

Old Storm Collar Sealant - Exterior Side

The interior side of the old sealant (where it met the metal surfaces) was weathered in sections with clear signs of water/dirt stains. It’s obvious this wasn’t a water-tight seal.

Old Storm Collar Sealant - Interior Side

Resealing the Storm Collar

A bead of the Rutland 500°F RTV High Heat Silicone Sealant was applied just above the flashing cone, the storm collar slid down the pipe and back into the place, then a liberal amount of RTV sealant applied to the storm collar. The roofer in this photo is roped off with a safety harness around his waist and thighs. He’s also wearing Cougar Paws roofing boots.

Roofer Applying RTV Silicone Sealant to the Storm Collar

Roof vent with new RTV sealant on the storm collar.

Type B Roof Vent - New RTV Sealant on the Storm Collar

It Still Leaks!

The next time it rained the roof vent still leaked. The leak was no worse, but no better. The storm collar wasn’t the source of my leak.

The roofer said there was severe rusting at the rain cap that couldn’t be seen from the ground. This isn’t normal for galvanized pipe. The rust was significant for a 10 year old installation.

I e-mail this and other photos to a Hart & Cooley, Inc. representative explaining the leak and failed repair. The technician rain water could be getting inside the double-wall pipe, or water could be channeling down the vertical pipe seam. The best option is to replace the pipe and rain cap; the quick fix would be to apply silicone sealant to the vertical pipe seams. I opted for a total replacement.

Repair Cost

The total cost of this repair was the minimum $200 fee for a service call by the roofer. While the roofer was up there, I also had the other PVC pipe boot replaced that wasn’t done earlier in the year as a preventive measure.

Replacing the Roof Vents

Due to the corrosion and the rain water leak still not being fixed, I decided to replace the roof vents. See Part 3 for details.

Thanks for reading,

Bob Jackson

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