Roofs
Most roof leaks are caused by deteriorated plumbing vent stack boots. Over time, the seal on the plumbing vent stack boot gets compromised and when it rains, water will go down the plumbing vent pipe where the seal has failed.
Roof leaks are tough to locate. Here in the Lehigh Valley, PA water stains can show up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. Since we have 4 season weather to deal with, homeowners should check plumbing and roof vents, chimneys, dormers or anything else that is not part of uninterrupted shingles by looking from indoors. Water stains can be several feet from the leak as water travels downward.
A recent study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that between 1990 and 2005, ladders sent 2.1 million people to the hospital. Ninety-seven percent of those accidents happened in “non-occupational settings”–in other words, your backyard.
These numbers translate into an average of 140,000 injuries a year, or one every 3 minutes and 45 seconds.
Even if you never play around with chainsaws or other dangerous tools, many people do not consider ladder safety before pulling their ladder from the garage. So if you are unsure of your ladder skills, it would be more prudent and best to leave it for the professionals.