Flat roof

Professional roof contractors are vital for maintaining or replacing residential flat roof repair because of their high skill and knowledge.

For a flat roof, the best technique of repair is prevention. When it comes to the roof, it's best to have it inspected twice a year or after significant storms. 

Minor problems may be caught early and then fixed before they grow into larger ones. In addition, they will be able to tell you whether or not your roof needs to be repaired or rebuilt. A roof may need to be replaced if it is beyond repair. 

>> Related Post: Questions to Ask and Things to Consider When Comparing Roofing Estimates.

Flat roofs often need replacement every 10-15 years, so finding out how old yours is might be a good starting point.

Water pooling on flat roofs is a typical problem, as previously discussed. This is where water gathers and may cause harm to the roof. 

In other cases, the problem may be as simple as the roof pitch being out of whack, which may lead to water pooling. Tapered insulation may be added to your residential flat roof repair when it has to be replaced in this situation. 

When the gutters can collect rainwater, there will be less chance of it pooling.

Rotted decking is another common problem caused by roof leaks. A modified bitumen top sheet is often used on many roofs. 

>> Related Post: Why should you use green roofing systems?

The cap sheet may be put by hot mopping asphalt or by torching. To establish whether the decking is decaying, you need to remove the felt from the places where the roof is leaking to assess if the roof needs to be replaced or repaired.

A flat roof lasts longer if it is properly maintained. Some assessors use 10 years as an average life cycle, although this is dependent on the type of flat roof system in place. 

Some old tar and gravel roofers acknowledge that unless a roof has been neglected for too long and there are many problems in many areas, a BUR (a built up roof of tar, paper and gravel) will last 20–30 years. 

Despite these assessors, the actual averages when studied come closer to 12-27, depending on the roof type, with some roofs lasting as long as 120 years. There are BUR systems in place dating to the early 1900s.

Modern cold applied liquid membranes have been durability rated by the British Board of Agrément (BBA) for 30 years. BBA approval is a benchmark in determining the suitability of a particular fiberglass roofing system. 

>> Related Post: What You Should Expect In A Roof Installation?

If standard fiberglass polyester resin is used such as the same resin used in boat repairs, then there will be problems with the roof being too inflexible and not able to accommodate expansion and contraction of the building. 

A fit-for-purpose flexible/elastomeric resin system used as a waterproofing membrane will last for many years with just occasional inspection needed. The fact that such membranes do not require stone chippings to deflect heat means there is lower risk of stones blocking drains. 

Liquid applied membranes are also naturally resistant to moss and lichen.

General flat roof maintenance includes getting rid of ponding water, typically within 48 hours. This is accomplished by adding roof drains or scuppers for a pond at an edge or automatic siphons for ponds in the center of roofs. 

An automatic siphon can be created with an inverted ring-shaped sprinkler, a garden hose, a wet/dry vacuum, a check valve installed in the vacuum, and a digital timer. The timer runs two or three times a day for a minute or two to start water in the hose. 

The timer then turns off the vacuum, but the weight of water in the hose continues the siphon and soon opens the check valve in the vacuum. 

The best time to address the issue of ponding water is during the design phase of a new roofing project when sufficient falls can be designed-in to take standing water away. The quicker the water is got off the roof, the less chance there is for a roof leak to occur.

All roofs should be inspected semi-annually and after major storms. Particular attention should be paid to the flashings around all of the rooftop penetrations. 

>> Related Post: What are the Different Types of Roofing Used in Industrial Buildings?

The sharp bends at such places can open up and need to be sealed with plastic cement, mesh and a small mason's trowel. Additionally, repairs to lap seams in the base flashings should be made. 90% of all roof leaks and failure occur at the flashings. 

Another important maintenance item, often neglected, is to simply keep the roof drains free of debris. A clogged roof drain will cause water to pond, leading to increased "dead load" weight on building that may not be engineered to accommodate that weight. 

Additionally, ponding water on a roof can freeze. Often, water finds its way into a flashing seam and freezes, weakening the seam.

For bitumen-based roof coverings maintenance also includes keeping the tar paper covered with gravel, an older method, currently being replaced with bituminous roofing membranes and the like, which must be 'glued' in place so wind and waves do not move it causing scouring and more bare spots. The glue can be any exterior grade glue like driveway coating.

Maintenance also includes fixing blisters (delaminations) or creases that may not yet be leaking but will leak over time. 

They may need experienced help as they require scraping away the gravel on a cool morning when the tar is brittle, cutting open, and covering with plastic cement or mastic and mesh. Any moisture trapped in a blister has to be dried before being repaired.

Roof coatings can be used to fix leaks and extend the life of all types of flat roofs by preventing degradation by the sun (ultra-violet radiation). A thickness of 0.75 millimetres (30 mils) is often used and once it is fully cured, a seamless, watertight membrane is created.

Infrared thermography is being used to take pictures of roofs at night to find trouble spots. When the roof is cooling, wet spots not visible to the naked eye, continue to emit heat. The infrared cameras read the heat that is trapped in sections of wet insulation.

Conclusion

Swadley Roof Systems offers the best roofing services in the Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Dallas area.