Green roofing's an interesting suggestion—definitely has its perks for insulation and runoff management. Though, from experience, it comes with its own set of quirks...like unexpected maintenance or surprise plant invasions. Still, your midnight drip scenario rings painfully true. Roof vents can be notoriously tricky; pinpointing the exact leak source often feels like detective work. Hang in there—eventually, you'll nail that culprit spot and reclaim your sanity.
Had a similar drip mystery last winter...turned out the flashing around the vent had tiny cracks that only leaked when ice melted. Might wanna check there—could save you some midnight detective work. Good luck!
"turned out the flashing around the vent had tiny cracks that only leaked when ice melted."
Had almost the exact same thing happen a few years ago. Spent hours checking shingles and gutters, but it was just cracked sealant around the flashing—only dripped after sunny winter afternoons. Roofs can be sneaky like that...
Could be flashing, sure, but I'd also double-check the vent itself. Had a job last winter where the homeowner swore it was flashing, turned out the vent housing had a hairline crack—only leaked when ice thawed. Sneaky indeed... roofs love to keep us guessing.
Good call on the vent housing. Had a similar issue a couple years back—spent ages chasing down what I thought was flashing trouble, only to find a tiny crack in the plastic vent cover. It was barely visible, but enough to let water seep in when ice melted. Sneaky indeed.
Another thing worth checking is the sealant around the vent base. Even if the flashing itself is solid, sometimes the sealant can degrade or shrink over time, especially with temperature swings. I've seen cases where it looked perfectly fine at first glance, but a closer inspection revealed tiny gaps that opened up just enough to cause leaks during thaw cycles.
Roof leaks are notoriously tricky because water can travel quite a distance before showing up inside. It's like detective work—following clues and ruling out suspects one by one. Your approach sounds spot-on though; methodically checking each component usually gets you there eventually.
Hang in there, you're definitely on the right track.
