Paula, we have 5 fertilizer treatments per year. But our neighborhood is only 15 years old and almost everyone has a fertilizer treatment service. So, weeds haven't been a problem, for most of the neighborhood (the exception being the house about 300 feet away that's a dandelion farm). Hubby mows cross-directionally once a week. Most importantly, we have an irrigation system. Our lawn became much thicker and healthier when we installed it and it got all the water it needed. This pic was also taken in May, before the late-summer drought had set in.

I understand what he's saying there. I guess that is correct---a drip edge is to protect the roof and not really to protect the fascia board. But the roof is supposed to overhang the gutter in order to direct water into the gutter. So for him to say his only job was to protect the roof, well, I disagree. I don't think it's standard to bend the drip edge, at least, for a pro. He's just going to put it on there because of the warranty issues involved for him if he makes any modifications. If you were doing it, well, you'd do whatever it took to satisfy your needs. This is just my opinion and means nothing--but it seems that today's gutters are thinner than what they used to be. So you get gaps in the back of them against the fascia board. That's why I screwed down the back of mine, because there was a lot of gapping. Since WHEN is it normal for water to run down a fascia board???? Seems like another "french wave" statement to me. If that were the case, everyone's siding would be streaked in black stains. And before the days of pressure treated or aluminum fascias, everyone would be replacing gutter board every few years. That is such a crazy statement. It seems before you hire ANYONE to do ANYTHING you now have to sit down with them and tell them exactly what you want and expect in every little,tiny area. In my opinion roofers are not very good at seeing small problem areas and finding good solutions to them. I was just on a newer roof last year after a friend had water coming in over a couple dormers. That cavity between the roof of the house and the roof of the dormer was exposed. Only because the roofer took no care in that little problem area. ACK--it's no wonder some of us try to do most work ourselves!!!!

The way you have described the damage is a bit perplexing to me. Water damage to a ceiling typically won't come from the fascia (the wooden ban around the house to which the gutter is attached) unless there is no soffit (overhang) but by telling me you have vents, there must be.... The rafters (roof) sit on top of the exterior walls and extend typically one to two feet beyond which means they are LOWER than the interior ceiling. Leaking water at a drip edge or gutter overflow will cause extensive water damage at the fascia or soffit, not the interior of the house. There's probably only one way to find the water source. Pull the insulation back where the problem seems to be most prominent, and go into the attic WHILE IT'S RAINING and trace the source.

Ichabod, we're in the desert southwest, but I probably should have expanded on that comment! Our annual average rainfall here is under 10". Snow does happen but is not common. Ice dams are not a problem here, for example, so local code does not require ice and water shield at the eaves, either. We recently had a wet 6" snow but that is fairly remarkable for us, down here in the southern part of New Mexico. Also to you and tlbean2004, thanks for your thoughts on the metal flashing. We may request metal valley flashings, with ice and water underneath. Metal flashings got the roof through 17 years with no problems, so I'm not sure why to abandon them now...unless the technology of modern underlayments has rendered metal valley flashings obsolete. I thought that was what the roofer was implying, and we weren't sure if that was correct. I'll admit I am also a bit more worried about this roof than I would be if it was not such a low pitch. So you folks are a big help. klem1, thanks for your explanation. Nope, no interest here in removing the 2x2 trim to try to treat the rafter tail end grain (DH would leave me if I suggested that) so it looks like the consensus is to keep a very wide metal flashing. I guess it will be less distracting when painted to match the wood. Our house was built in 1965 and I sure don't want to make uninformed decisions that lead to damage...all for the sake of looks. (As much as I dislike the look of the big drip edge.) I guess a smaller drip edge and rotted wood would not be very pretty, either. I need to figure out which ice and water shield product will work in our hot temperatures, if we want it under the metal valley flashing. One bid specifies GAF Weatherwatch (but the contractor isn't local.) I don't know how heat resistant that product is. I know Grace Ice and Water has the best reputation, but I was surprised to see the Grace website says that only their most expensive product, Grace Ultra, should be used in the desert southwest: Grace IWS Contractor's Guide So if the esteemed Grace Ice & Water Shield (regular product) will not stand up to desert southwest heat, I wonder how any of the (much less expensive) GAF ice and shield products would work. There are a few scary stories in some roofing forums about "bitumen bleed" when ice and shield products are used in higher temps than recommended. (Roofing is not for sissies, have you noticed?)