Over time, as your roof ages, your roof vents may start to leak or face other repair issues. In particular, you may notice water seeping into your house that is coming from the areas around the vents. Luckily, you can repair a leaking roof vent relatively easily. You can do these repairs as part of an overall roof restoration or on an as-needed basis. Just follow these steps.

1. Smooth Top Edge of Pipe

If your roof vent features a plastic pipe sticking out of the roof, run your hand over the edges of the pipe to make sure it's smooth. Use coarse sandpaper or a knife to smooth out rough edges and make the top end of the pipe even. Then, when you slip a rubber flange over the pipe, you don't have to worry about it ripping. 

2. Find the Right Gasket

With most roof vent pipes, a flexible gasket sits around the base of the pipe, helping to create a watertight seal between the vent and the roof. To find the correctly sized gasket, measure the diameter of the pipe and choose a corresponding gasket. If you can't find this item at a hardware store, contact a roof restoration specialist, and they should be able to point you in the right direction. 

3. Remove Old Caulk

Ultimately, you are going to put the new gasket over the old gasket. To ensure it fits tightly, you need to remove the caulk or silicone from the existing gasket. Use a paring knife to scrape off all the caulk. Don't worry about damaging the existing gasket as you will be covering it later. 

4. Apply New Caulk

Now, apply a new layer of caulk between the top edge of the gasket and the point where it meets the vent. For best waterproofing results, use a caulk that is designed to work with rubber roofing materials. For extra resilience, apply a second bead of caulking underneath the first bead. 

5. Install the New Gasket

Before the caulk dries, slide the new gasket over the pipe and push it down until it is tightly on top of the other gasket. The caulk will create a watertight seal around the old gasket, while also holding the new gasket in place. 

6. Lay New Roofing Tiles

Finally, you should add new roofing tiles around the vent pipe. This helps to further waterproof the area around the pipe. Ideally, the tiles should overlap with the base of the roof vent pipe.