Repairing A Built Up Roof

If you live in an arid region or an older urban area you may have a large flat roof.
Repairing a built up roof. Some flat roofs have hot tar built up roofing which may have a gravel surface. Tar gravel roof. Repairing a split in a built up roof a k a. The repair methods for built up roofs vary in adhesives used but the procedures are basically the same.
Make sure the substrate is in good condition before making any repairs. Although built up roofs are durable leaks can develop. Some roof leaks are tough to locate. Thankfully built up roofs can be maintained to maximize their lifespan as long as leaks are repaired as they occur.
A flat roof is usually slightly sloped. Tar gravel roof the tools used here were not the typical tools i would use to repair a split in a gravel surfaced built up a k a. Elastomeric roof coatings for roof leaks repair. Roof coatings can be used for roof leaks repair and to extend the life of all types of roof leaks repair including concrete roof leaks metal roof leaks flat roof leaks and built up roof leaks repair etc.
If your ceiling has a plastic vapor barrier between the drywall and the attic insulation push the insulation aside and look for flow stains on the plastic often water runs to openings in the vapor barrier such as at ceiling light fixtures. It may be covered with a granular roll roofing epdm which is smooth surfaced or modified bitumen which may be smooth or mineral surfaced. I flew in to the closest airport about 4 hours away to look at this roof. The roof is on a nursing home in a very small town and i had to buy the.
First you look for the leak point of entry. Cracks on the asphalt surface should be an easy fix. The following method of repair is only applicable to roof systems that are asphalt based. Repair built up roofing undulations by simply adding layers on top of the area to level it.
Expert advice on how to repair built up and tar and gravel roofs including diy tips on patching torn roofing and repairing blisters on a flat roof. Sometimes the water shows up at a ceiling spot distant from the leak. These are most often found where flashing is located such as at connections between the roof and the chimney the eaves or another roof plane. Usually the sun can find it for you by causing the water to take a peek out of its hole when the sun heats it up.
Wally for the project kick off segment of the roofing it right miniseries on installing a commercial roof from start to finish. The older built up roofs get the more likely they are to start cracking around the perimeter particularly around flashings and the outer field of the roof. Start by cleaning the area of any gravel and debris. If your roof assembly is a single ply membrane such as epdm or tpo the application.
With the right materials tools and knowledge asphalt built up roof.