Project Overview
In some ways, roofing is a lot like detective work; when it comes to leaks, at least. You see, some leaks like to stick around like a curse, thwarting every contractor who comes to save the day. That was the case for one frustrated homeowner in Dalmatia, PA.
They had been experiencing persistent interior leaks along a wall and near a chimney for years. Multiple contractors had attempted repairs without resolving the issue. The property features a shingle roof with an adjacent stone masonry wall system that faces due west into prevailing winds, creating significant driven-rain pressure against the wall surface.
Equity Roofing production manager, Steve Miller, arrived on the jobsite for a scheduled roof replacement, a last-ditch effort to solve this stubborn leak. But something felt off. He paused the job and initiated a thorough diagnostic investigation before a single material was touched.
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“On the morning Equity was scheduled to install my roof, they concluded that the existing roof was sound and the leaks were originating elsewhere. Another company would have installed the new roof and taken the money without solving the issue. Another company might not have had the expertise to evaluate the roof properly. Instead, Equity returned my deposit. They demonstrated tremendous integrity in the transaction, were unfailingly polite and communicated each step of the process in real time. Equity Roofing has earned my highest recommendation.” — Marcus S. | Verified Google Review |
The homeowner reported leaking along an interior wall and near the chimney. All signs pointed to a roofing issue, but Steve knew from experience that water leaves a trail, and the trail here didn’t add up.
The stone masonry wall adjacent to the roof plane is highly irregular in surface profile, with mortar joints of inconsistent thickness—a condition that naturally accelerates cracking and water infiltration over time.
A prior contractor had sealed the wall. The sealant was still beading water off the stone face, but cracked mortar joints were allowing water to penetrate behind the surface.
Another previous contractor had removed the original metal roof, spray-foamed the deck, re-sheathed and re-shingled it, and flashed it into the stone wall. The spray foam created a continuous interior channel from the wall to the chimney, meaning a wall leak could travel the entire length of the cavity before showing up inside the home.
The property’s west-facing exposure into prevailing winds off the Susquehanna created the pressure differential needed to drive rain into cracked mortar, explaining why the leak only appeared during heavy driven-rain events, never during cold weather or light rainfall.
Steve reviewed the condition and repair history before the installation crew arrived. The roof showed normal wear for its age, but the pattern of complaints and the proximity of the stone wall made Steve skeptical the roof was actually at fault.
The crew removed the downspout and carefully pulled back shingles along the wall to trace any staining or damage. To our surprise, we found that the roofing work underneath was exceptional.
From hand-sealed shingles to the sealed flashing, our crew could find no flaws. Cap pieces had butyl tape applied underneath, and the screws had been driven precisely at the lowest point of each shingle lap to maximize sealant compression. The bond was so strong the caps could not be removed without damage even after the screws were extracted.
Whoever had done that work had taken real pride in it (and if you’re reading this, mystery installer, give us a call; we’d love you on our crew.) One thing was for certain: the roofing was not the problem.
Steve ran a structured hose test, also known as a water test, starting at the lowest point of the roof and working upward. The full roof was tested in sections: lower half, middle, upper field, step flashing transitions, and every corner where the roofing plane met the stone. No leaks were produced inside the home from any roof surface.
Then the stone wall was tested. Stone absorbs water slowly, and it takes time and saturation before it releases moisture through to the other side. After an initial pass produced nothing, Steve returned for a second attempt. Within about 30 seconds of spraying the wall, water appeared inside the home. He stopped. The leak stopped.
He repeated the test three times. Every time water hit the wall, the interior leaked. Every time he stopped, it quit.
Steve and the crew went inside and located a section of roof sheathing in the attic that was actively wet and clearly a live leak. By cross-referencing that panel’s position with the exterior wall, the origin point landed squarely along the stone masonry. Two vent pipes in the same area showed daylight around their penetrations through the concrete and were angled back toward the wall, giving any water running down the pipes a direct path into the masonry cavity.
Like a classic parlor room scene, Steve found his culprit; the stone wall itself was the source of all leaks. Mortar joint cracking (a predictable result of irregular stone shapes and mortar contraction over time) had opened pathways for water to enter the wall cavity.
The prior spray-foam application then channeled that water laterally all the way to the chimney, producing symptoms in multiple interior locations from a single entry point. The west-facing wind exposure drove rain into those cracks with enough pressure to overwhelm whatever sealant remained.
For the first time since owning the home, the homeowner had a confirmed, evidence-based explanation for why the leak had persisted through every prior repair attempt. The full water test sequence was documented and shared in a photo report so the homeowner could see exactly what was found and how.
The materials we had custom ordered (and so couldn’t be returned) were charged, but otherwise, no labor was billed for the diagnostic work and the remaining deposit was refunded in full.
The homeowner is currently pursuing masonry contractors to assess tuck-pointing, resealing, or full stone removal and waterproofing behind the wall. If no mason can be found, Equity Roofing has discussed the option of removing the stone veneer and installing metal wall cladding as an alternative long-term solution. Regardless, our crew will be following up with Marcus to ensure all is well.
Ready to protect your home with the same level of care?
Contact Equity Roofing today for a free inspection and estimate.