I am not sure when it came to me, but I recognized that my roof leak project was not done. There was another vent pipe that needed to be inspected. Fortunately, it was on the first story roof over the family room. We did not see any staining on our family room ceiling, so maybe that one was not leaking.
When I mentioned to Efiwym, my wife, that I was going to the hardware store to get a rubber gasket, she suggested that I at least inspect the vent pipe first. No ladder was needed to look at this vent pipe. I could just go through one of the bedroom windows. I went upstairs to a bedroom by the roof. I pushed up the lower sash of the window, then the screen and sash of the storm window. I stuck my head out the window, and it was pretty obvious that the gasket needed to be replaced. I could easily see the splits in the gasket from the window. I pulled down the windows, and I was off to the hardware store.
Since I knew where the gaskets were at this hardware store, I walked to the aisle where it was located and grabbed the 3-inch diameter gasket. I checked out and went home.
I put together my plastic bag of supplies: roofing cement tube, caulking gun, paper towels and the gasket. Back upstairs, I went to the back bedroom window. After I got the windows opened, I awkwardly pulled my body through the window opening. With my bag of supplies, I walked to the vent pipe and sat down next to it.
The gasket was split, and you could see the opening in the roof. The gasket was brittle and broke off in pieces as I removed it. Once I got all the old gasket removed, I put several layers of roofing cement around the bottom of the pipe. I filled the large gap between the roof and pipe. I got out the gasket and started to put it on the pipe. Oh no! The gasket was too big. This pipe might be only 2 inches in diameter.
What would I do? I could go back to the hardware store and replace it with a 2-inch gasket. However, I had a thick layer of roofing cement already applied to the pipe. Would it dry out before I got back? I decided to use the 3-inch gasket. I slid the gasket on the pipe and pressed it tightly into the roofing cement. The cement oozed out of the gasket opening. As I pressed down the gasket, it created a valley in the gasket. I filled that valley with more roofing cement. Satisfied, I wiped up any excess cement around the pipe, put everything in the bag, and walked back to the window.
After I was in the house, I explained my fiasco to Efiwym. I said I was not satisfied and when I had a chance, I would get the 2-inch gasket and put it on top of the 3-inch gasket.
Well, I go my chance that day as I needed to go out. So, I went back to the hardware store and got the 2-inch gasket. Back on the roof and within 5 minutes I had the gasket on the pipe. Now, I was really satisfied. There was no anxiety being on this roof. In fact, I sat back to look at the surroundings around me to enjoy the moment.