If you find small streaks of water on the ceiling in your kitchen, contact a roofer right away. The sealant surrounding the base of your roof vent pipes could be cracked. Cracked sealant can allow water to leak into your home throughout the rainy season. Learn more about roof sealant and why you need to seal the vent pipe on your roof below.

Why Is Roof Sealant Important?

Roof sealant is one of the most critical materials used on your roof today. Sealant secures the structures on your roof that could potentially leak over time, including the plumbing vent pipe sitting over your kitchen. However, sealants can dry out and crack with age. Water can seep past the dry, cracked sealant and enter your home, including the ceiling in your kitchen.

Roof sealant comes in many forms, including traditional caulk, sealant tape, liquid rubber, and acrylic coating. Although each type of sealant provides a watertight bond over the metal bases of roof vent pipes and other structures on a roof, age and excessive heat can dry out the materials over time. 

If the sealant dries out and cracks around the plumbing vent pipe on your roof, it will allow large amounts of rainwater to seep into your kitchen through the ceiling. If you allow water to remain in your ceiling, it will eventually damage it. 

If you think the vent pipe on your roof needs new sealant or another protective material, contact a roofer today.

How Do You Reseal Your Roof Vents and Flashing?

A roofer can replace the sealant around the vent pipe on your roof for you. But before a contractor replaces the sealant, they must inspect the materials beneath it first. A thin piece of metal flashing and a small rubber gasket cover the base of the vent pipe. If the flashing and gasket succumbed to age, heat damage, or another issue, the pieces can allow water to slip through the base of the pipe as well. 

A contractor may need to repair or replace the roof flashing and rubber gasket at the base of the pipe before they seal it. After they repair the flashing and gasket, a contractor will seal the vent with a liquid or solid sealant. 

A roofing contractor may also need to cover the area surrounding the vent with new shingles. If water remained around the vent pipe for a long time, it may have soaked into the shingles as well. The new shingles should prevent additional problems from affecting your roof later.

Learn more about roof sealant and why you may need it by contacting a roofer today.