Flat Roofs
Excessive water and puddling on flat roofs indicate structural problems. To fix these problems there are roofing solutions that should be employed. There should always be a slight pitch for quick drainage of water and when sunken areas appear from time to time it is important to determine the problem and find out the structural problems. After determining the structural problems there are professional fixes for flat roofs, and what you use will be determined by budgets, structural damage, and time.
Flat Roof Fixes
You can raise sunken areas on flat roofs with a range of liquid and sold roofing materials. You can also use roof putty, felt or asphalt mixes.
- Liquid patching materials on in a variety of types and strengths. You can use roof patch putty and apply, using a trowel, to fill low areas. Use universal epoxy concrete packing and spread mastic on the top using a trowel. An elastic sealant or mastic adheres to almost any substance. You can also use flexible mastic applied with a trowel on its own to fill and resurface an entire roof. Do review the manufacture guidelines for the best application rates.
- Fixing low spots with sheet fillers is essential re-roofing the trouble spot. Older style flat roofs were often planned with pieces of asphalt felt between tar layers. In these types of felt roofs it is possible to fill low spots with more felt and apply with tar. Use the type of felt most compatible with your roof. You can also use asphalt or gravel cap sheet and sheet roofing materials on top of the felt. Newer flat roofs are made of rubber and these same rubber materials can be used to patch low spots and leaky roofs.
- Asphaltic fillers can also fix low spots on roofs. These fillers are mixtures of sand or other lightweight aggregates combined with asphalt material. Use these fills with gooey asphalt roof coating that waterproofs and protects the roof. This form of application is idea for flat roof made of concrete, metal or asphalt. Cover all application with gravel or tar to mix in with the exiting roof composition.
Always consult a
roofing expert before fixing a roof.
Mike's Construction, LLC is one of the Best
Roofing Companies in Missouri.
Overview
As a summary, make sure when repairing low spots or dips in flat roofs you determine the cause of the problem. Weakened sheathing, sagging simulation and rotting joists are some causes of low spots on flat roofs. If you have structural damage it may be best to tear apart the offending section and complete rebuilt it then apply the roofing materials and fixes. Make sure the appearance of puddles on the roof is not caused by drainage problems. Ensure
drainage outlets are cleared and
drainage systems are functional. After cleaning and fixing, then re-roof. Roof and roofing materials should never include tile for
sloping roofs or
flat roofs. This type of roofing material will not fix low spots adequately.
