How to Repair a Flat Roof
Flat roofs can be installed in residential homes but it is more commonly used in commercial building. Somehow, most of these residential flat roofs were installed by contractors with little or no experience dealing with flat roofs so that they need repairs before reaching the minimum life expectancy of the material.
If one uses a single ply rubber membrane in a flat roof, and if it was not properly installed, then the roofs will leak easily. Before, flat roofing did not use this material but it was made of a base sheet and multiple layers of felt paper and hot asphalt or coal tar. In order to increase its life, it was covered with gravel. What this is commonly called is built up roofing. When used residentially, the built up roofing outlasts the roof that uses single ply rubber membrane despite using less high tech materials. And it is only because the installation procedure is inconsistent.
So instead of repairing your flat roof which is really expensive, you decide to replace it with a new one, make sure that the roofing contractor that you will hire has years of experience in installing flat roofs. Before signing a contract make sure you check referrals. It might not be easy to find a competent flat roof installer on a residence. You don’t automatically be an expert in installing flat rubber roofs properly even if you know how to install asphalt shingle roofing. Flat room installers usually only do commercial roof installation, but if you really take your time looking for a good one, you can surely find one.
If you are installing flat roofing, you can use one of several materials. Single ply membrane is used in most low slope commercial roofing. Others, however, prefer newer materials like PVC membrane or self adhering membrane system and these use hot air welded seams. If you find a roofing contractor, they will have their own preferences of what materials to use. So you will need to find a roofing contractor in your area with years of experience. There are materials that work best in extreme heat or cold and this means that your location can make a difference.
There are options for repairing a single ply membrane flat roof. You can use a black rubber glue or a peel and stick flashing material with a rubber primer that covers the seams of the membrane which is where the leaks occurs.
Life can be extended to your roof for a limited period. You only need a small amount of this repair materials so if you don’t want to spend much on these, find a roofing contractor that can sell you’re the amount the your need.