Emergency Roof Repairs On Flat Roofs

There is nothing worse than watching water come into your home through a roof leak and needing an emergency roof repair on your flat roof. In the Tucson area, there are many flat roofs, or elastomeric coated roofs. These roofs are rather flat and sometimes spring leaks around the scuppers, penetrations, and corners. Here is a short article on how to do emergency repairs on these style roofs. If you are looking for a Tucson roofing company that can assist you in roof repairs, call Desert Sky Roofing. We will be glad to help.

Emergency Roof Repairs When The Roof Is Wet

Elastomeric cool coated roofs should be properly patched when the roof is completely dry. The photo above shows a polyester patch being applied in dry weather. Unfortunately, the roof may be wet when the repairs are needed. If this is the case, here are the steps to take to path the holes.

1. Find the roof leak.

To find the roof leak, note exactly where in the home the water is coming through the ceiling. Almost 90% of the time the roof leak will be near ceiling where the wall meets the ceiling. If this is the case, check outside to see if there is a scupper. Most often than not, the roof leak will be found in a crack or hole in the coating near the scupper. Check the roof area until you are certain you have located the place where the water is coming in. Remember, it can be as small as a pin hole!

2. Remove excess water from the hole/cracks.

If it has been raining there may be a pond of water where your emergency roof repair is needed. Try your best to remove the excess water from around this area before applying the wet patch. Excess water and dirt will make it hard for the patch to adhere.

3. Apply the wet patch to the hole/cracks.

The best material to use on an emergency roof repairs on a flat roof is Henry’s Wet Patch. This material is an oil-based gooey black tar product that will stick to almost anything. Take a liberal amount of wet patch and apply it in a thin layer over the roof leak. Make sure there is no way the water can move past the wet patch and into the hole. Although, Henry’s wet patch can be applied in the water, but it is always best to move the excess water away first.

4. Return to apply a permanent patch.

Assuming you stopped the leak with Henry’s Wet Patch, it is always best to permanently patch the area that was repaired. Elastomeric roofs are properly repaired using similar materials. Henry’s Wet Patch will only last about a year before it starts to crack and open back up. It is best to take a polymembrane patch and elastomeric and cover the wet patch to make sure it is permanently repaired. This will need to be accomplished when the roof is 100% dry. Never apply elastomeric coating on wet or damp surfaces.

Emergency roof repairs on flat roofs are not difficult, but they can be dangerous if you are working in the wet weather. Be careful when climbing ladders and getting on and off the roof’s surface. The surface can be very slick. A good roofing company will also walk around the roof and look for other areas that need repairing. If you live in the Tucson area (Tucson, Green Valley, Vail, Catalina Foothills, Oro Valley, Marana, Sahuarita), and need an emergency roof repair then give Desert Sky Roofing a call. We are willing to come out in inclement weather and stop the leak for you and your family. Once we get the roof repaired, we can provide an estimate for making sure the rest of the roof is coated properly and patched properly so you don’t have to worry about roof leaks again.