Important Step: Flat Roof Repair - know the type of rubber membrane
Find out what type of flat roof you have before making flat roof repairs,Always make sure you use the right roofing materials for flat roof repairs
First Step: Determine the Type of Flat Roof Membrane
There are basically three types of roof membranes used:
- EPDM Rubber Membrane – you can tell it by the look and feel of it. It is smooth and looks like the rubber of an inner tube of a tire. This is the most common roofing material used by most roofing contractors
- TPO Vinyl Membrane – this is normally white and has a plastic vinyl feel to it. This type of membrane is the least used by roofing contractors.
- Modified Bitumen Torch Down Rubber Membrane – This type of rubber membrane comes only three feet wide, So if you see seams every three feet wide you know its some kind of a Modified Bitumen rubber. These membranes are either painted with a Silver paint or have Ceramic granules embedded on the surface.
In this video, I point out possible issues to look for on flashing against a chimney or brick wall.
To be able to make a Flat Roof Repair, the area that causes the leak must be identified. There are several videos on this page that will help you do just that.
Second Step: Determine how old the roof is
An invoice or receipt will help or call the roofing contractor that did the installation. You can rough guestimate the age as well.
Advice from Flat Roof Doctor:
If a particular roofing membrane has reached its expected life, then it becomes questionable to make extensive repairs on:
Life Expectancy of different Roofing Materials
- Torch Down Rubber Membrane – Life expectancy changes drastically if it goes unprotected
- EPDM Rubber and TPO Vinyl does not come with ultraviolet protection
Ultraviolet Rays cause roofs to fail. It depends on what part of the country and how much the roof was exposed to the sun, how long a roof will last.
Third Step: Determine where the area is that causes the problem to make the necessary repairs.
Each roofing system has its own issues that could cause leaks. Once you know what roofing system you have and how old it is, then you need to identify what is causing the leak. There are many objects that could be causing a leak.
A list of possible things:
- Flashing against siding, air conditioner or vent
- Underneath the half round pipes that covers a parapet wall
- Doors leading unto the flat roof – the sill
- Drains that are not properly connected to the membrane
- Seams on the membrane – especially on EPDM and Torch Down Roofs
- Vent pipes from bathrooms
- Skylights cause a lot of leaks
Choose below your specific roof type where you will find videos, tool and material list and instructions on how to repair your roof
Below is a list of Categories
Flat Roof Drains
- Flat Roof ...
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Rubber Membrane Repair Torch Down – DIY Videos
- Main Page: Torch Down Rubber Membrane Repair
- Other Articles:
- Materials and Tools list with instructions to fix a Torch Down Rubber Roof
- What to look for before making roof repairs
- Comparing Torch Downs with other Roof systems
- Aluminum ...
More Flat Roof Repairs
TPO Vinyl Membrane Repair
- Main Page: How to repair a TPO membrane
- Other Articles:
- TPO and PVC Roofing - Single Ply Roofing System
- Advantages and Disadvantages of a TPO roof
- TPO Roofing membrane
- Fixing a TPO ...
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EPDM Rubber Roof Repair
- Main Page: DIY EPDM Rubber Roof Repair instructions
- Other Articles:
- Comparing EPDM Rubber with Torch Down
- Explaining three types of Rubber membranes
- Ultra Violet Degradation of EPDM Rubber
- EPDM Rubber Roof Issues ...
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How to Determine the Type of Flat Roof Membrane to make roof repairs
- EPDM Rubber Membrane - you can tell it by the ...
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Flat Roof Repair – How to Fix a Leaky Flat Roof – DIY Guide – Videos
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