The simple fact is that at some point in everyone’s life, we all have to face roof leaks, and the resulting roof repair work. There is no way out, even if someone does not have to do the actual work themselves. After all, most roofing contractors do repairs.
What About Roof Repair for Do it Yourselfer?
But what if your roof leaks, and you don’t have the money to hire a professional, or just don’t want to pay high fees? In this case, if you don’t know someone who wants to climb on your roof for you, you have to do the work yourself.
The First Step is Finding Leaks
So the first step, is to find the leak, and you might be surprised by how far the water can flow once it finds its way through a gap in the roof. You see, felt or tar paper is three feet wide, and the plywood is coated with 4×8 sheets.
Water Can Travel Under Flat Roofs
What this means is that water stains on your ceiling can reach 11 feet from the actual leakage site. Now it’s 11 feet clear at the extreme end, but all the same, you can expect to find a leak on a flat roof at least a few feet away from where water enters the building.
Air Pooling Definitely Not Good
Another place to look for trouble is a low flat roof area, where water stagnates after rain. Often the roof beams, or even curved or curved coils cause dips on the flat roof, and the stagnant water will eventually find its way in, unless it dries.
Old Stand-By Roof Patching Compounds
So after you find the source of your leak, the next step is of course patching it, and today there are a large number of products available for the task. Now there is an old stand-by plastic roofing compound compound, and no doubt, but it is effective. This is even more effective if roofing patches are applied with fiberglass mesh in a three-layer system called “three-coursing”.
Amazing EPDM Liquid Rubber
However, if the building owner has a little more money to spend, there are several EPDM products available that not only do a much better job of repairing roof leaks, but they also last longer. EPDM liquid rubber for example can be literally poured and rolled into low-lying areas to form a waterproof seal that will contain water for up to one year.
