Top 10 Roof Problems

Obvious or unforeseen, roof leaks are always a painful and significant expense.

This is not a self diagnosis, but mostly a informative list of the problems most building occupants find themselves fighting.                                                          

Roof Leaks - Moisture Peaks

With any type of roof, no matter what type, it is going to leak someday. Leaks occur for a number of reasons. Interrupting the continuous membrane of the roof, metal flashings, usually results in the ability of water to penetrate the structure. 95% of roof leaks are found to originate in these areas..                                                          

Blow offs and the uplift resistance

Leaks are not the only thing that can happen from improperly installed flashings. Hot Roofs cause blow offs and other issues. Seams made with a cold adhesives do not have the same integrity that a cured adhesive. If the roof experiences adverse weather conditions before the adhesive cures, then uplift can damage the roof membrane.                                                           

Poor Installation and unsatisfactory workmanship

A faulty installation can dramatically decrease the ability of a roof to shed water. These common problems will crop up at some point in the life of the roof. Life expectancy can be a overall result of clean, dry and primed areas during installation. Torch applied roof rarely have the materials relaxed before installation causing tension and system performance failures over time. This will result in wrinkles, leaks, fish mouths, and blisters.                                                           

Lack of Maintenance

Many reasons can be cited why not to neglect your roof. By ignoring a series of easy and preventative steps you put yourself and your family in harms way. Perform routine inspections on you home. You do not have to be a professional to inspect a roof. If you notice ponding water, clumped debris, of improper pitching, then you may be in at the cross roads of minor home repair and increasing the life expectancy of your roof.                                                           

Ponding Water

A problem associated with the improper drainage of water on a roof top, known as ponding water. This 'incidental ponding water' can occur to all types of roofs. Pro-active steps should be taken when roof installation occurs. Ponding water mainly affects hot mop roofs that have an additional membrane(s) applied. If inconsistent application occurs, then ponding will occur as well as a voided warranty. HVAC units installed without condensation drain lines could be the culprit of ponding water. Always inspect thoroughly. Check drains, rain gutters, and run off making sure that they are free of debris.      

Punctures - Post Installation

For all building owners, but especially poly-urethane foam and single ply, foot traffic is damaging and problematic. Heavy foot traffic can cause scrapes or tears in the membrane and damage the substrate below. In addition to leaks, this can cause premature aging of the entire roof. Limit traffic on the roof and always perform cursory inspection after work or maintenance have been completed. Roof system performance is always compromised when adding new components to an existing roof. Eventual problems will occur if scheduled maintenance issues are ignored.      

Safety

Application of a hot mop roof requires strict adherence to safety procedures. Over heating the asphalt can result in burns and fires in the kettle and on the roof top. Fire extinguishers should be present.      

Improper Repair

Using materials that are not intended for roof repairs can cause long term and or permanent damage to the roof. On of the most common improper roof repairs is associated with metal roofs. People go to the roof with caulking and plastic roof cement, not knowing that the materials are intended for a different purpose. You have the small problem made worse by improper repair. Follow the manufacturers repair guidelines to extend the life of your roof top.      

Shrinkage

Single ply roof types are all unique. Chances are if you walk up on to a single ply roof top you will find evidence of shrinkage. Two highly observed occurrences on single ply roof tops are the pulling of flashings due to the shrinking membrane and the surface cracking and associated with the perimeter and perimeter flashing.      

Blistering

Blistering, ridging, splitting and surface erosion can eventually lead to bigger problems. Hot Mop Roof tops can be over heated and cause blistering along with the slipping of felts and accelerated aging. If the membrane is not attached properly then the delamination of the building materials will occur. During the installation of spray poly-urethane foam systems, application over a wet substrate can cause severe blistering.

Blistering