26 Silent Signs That Your House Has a Serious Problem

Damaged Plumbing Vent Boots

Plumbing vents help regulate air pressure to the plumbing fixtures in your home and help gases escape. The plumbing vent bootsare the piece that fits around the vent; its job is to keep water out, preventing leaks and protecting your roof. Vent boots can be all plastic, plastic and metal, or even two-piece metal units. These boots should last around 15 years, maybe as long as 30 years, but you should regularly inspect them for damage.

Check plastic bases for cracks and metal bases for broken seams. Then examine the rubber boot surrounding the pipe. That can be rotted away or torn, allowing water to work its way into the house along the pipe. With any of these problems, you should buy a new vent boot to replace the old one. But if the nails at the base are missing or pulled free and the boot is in good shape, replace them with the rubber-washered screws used for metal roofing systems.

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