Welcome to Family Roofing

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At Family Roofing, we take great pride in our experience, expertise, quality and customer service. It is our mission to provide excellent workmanship and complete customer satisfaction from start to completion of a project. Our reputation is based on service, safety and quality, regardless of how large or small the job.

 

FLAT ROOF MAINTENANCE

Flat roofs last approximately between 10 to 20 years before they need to be replaced.  To get your flat roof to last longer, regular maintenance is necessary.  Your flat roof can have a much longer life span provided you perform regular roof maintenance (removing debris, fixing leaks and ponding).   Maintaining a roof will involve some costs, but it will save a lot of money in the long run.

What Is Roof Maintenance?

It refers to any kind of work done on a residential roof in order to prevent wear and tear.  Flat roof inspections need to occur twice a year, or after a big storm, to determine if anything needs to be fixed or replaced.

A general flat roof inspection and maintenance should include the following:

Look for Debris

Some debris can be found on a roof usually after a storm.  Debris can scratch, puncture or cause serious damage to your roof so it needs to be removed immediately. You should inspect for any visible damage when removing debris.

Repairing Seams & Membranes

Seams are where 2 pieces of roofing material are adjoined.  Both seams and membranes can be vulnerable to leaks, specifically in places on the roof that have accessories built into it such as air vents, skylights and air conditioner units.  The sun’s harsh UV rays can also break down the membrane overtime, causing cracks to form.  Any seam or membrane that is damaged or rendered ineffective needs to be repaired immediately to prevent further problems.

Because flat roofs have more pressure and stress than slanted roofs they’re more prone to cracking when the pressure is excessive.  Blistering and alligatoring can lead to cracks.  This will eventually compromise the roof.

Cracks in your roof should always be dealt with by a professional.

Replacing the Flashings

Flashings are installed into areas of the roof where two opposing surfaces meet such as parapet walls.   These areas require the extra protection that flashing provides. They help prevent water from leaking through the vulnerable areas.  Over time, flashings can become loose or deteriorated from excess exposure to moisture and will need to be replaced.

Clearing Clogging

Clogging may occur in drains, vents and scuppers especially after storms.  Scuppers allow water to run off the roof, directing water to flow from the side of the roof down into a drainage system.  All drains, scuppers or gutters need to be kept clear.  These roofs typically have inner roof drainage systems, which includeroof drains strategically placed throughout the roof deck to quickly drain away water. Well, as the water flows towards these drains, so goes all the debris.

Drains and debris don’t mix. A drain’s dome lets water flow through while catching debris, which would otherwise clog the plumbing. Unfortunately, this debris builds up around the drain dome, slowing or eventually stopping the water.

What Can Happen If a Drain Clogs?

If water can’t drain away quick enough, you’ll be stuck with a series of pools around your roof. Pooling water can:

• Deteriorate caulking, tar and roofing cement.

• Seep into spots where HVAC units, skylights, vents, chimney’s and other features connect to the roof.

• Weaken roofing material seams as water gets into gaps, and expands and contracts with the changing temperature.

• Strain the roof’s structural supports with the additional water weight.

• Freeze and create safety hazards in the last place you want safety hazards.

• Lead to unwanted plants, moss and slime growing on the roof deck or around drains.

• Create the world’s largest mosquito factory.

How to Avoid Clogged Flat Roof Drains

1. Regularly Clean the Drains

The most obvious recommendation is to regularly inspect and clean your roof drains. At minimum, you should do this once a month.  Brush or pull away debris built up around the roof drain dome (or cover) and in the drain bowl.  If you notice build up in the outlet or connected pipe, get a plumber to snake it out.  Avoid using drain cleaner which can eat into the pipes, leading to larger and more expensive problems.

2. Keep the Roof Deck Clean

Regularly clean away any debris that may be on the roof deck itself.  This is especially important to do after storms, windy days and in the fall if the roof is near any trees.

3. Buy the Right Roof Drain Dome

Drain dome slots come in different thicknesses based on the manufacturer, drain type and size.  With larger drain domes, more debris can flow in, but they typically connect to wider piping, so this won’t lead to any significant clogs.  Talk to your roof drain sales rep about the roof size, average rainfall and exposure to debris to help find the right sized drain for your roof.

Plumbing Stacks

Plumbing stacks are pipes on the roof that direct air flow into the building’s plumbing system.  Check that they are clear of obstructions and properly sealed.

Look for Blistering

Check for leaks and blistering – blistering is roofing spots that are raised and spongy/soft looking.  They happen when air is trapped between the layers of felt or the felt substrate.  If a blister ‘pops’, then water can enter through and damage roofing material.

Check for Ponding

Ponding is standing pools of water that sit on your flat roof and are unable to drain or dry out.  Some ponding that has eventually dried out will leave a concave area with a water mark or dirt ring surrounding it.  If you notice these marks, then it means that your flat roof ponds regularly, and a proper drainage system may need to be installed to prevent further damage.

Check For Splits & Cracks

Splitting and cracking of roofing material can be caused by weather changes, added stress or pressure, ponding or simply poor workmanship. Any area that is cracking or splitting needs to be filled.

Fill Pitch Pans

Pitch pans protect and encase supporting connections roof penetrations.  They are filled with “pourable sealer,” a more environmetally friendly material and easier to work with than the previously used “pitch”.  Though they are simple to build and fix, pitch pans play a key role in maintaining the overall health of the roof because they seal out water in vulnerable areas.  So they must be kept cleaned and filled.

Prune overhanging branches

Branches that touch the roof can scratch and damage the covering.  Those that aren’t actually touching the roof can break off and fall during a storm, also causing damage.  Branches are also sources of leaves, seeds and small twigs that can block the drains.

Inspect the roofing

Most flat roofing systems have seams.  While you’re cleaning debris, check the seams for signs of lifting or separating. Even small cracks can cause leaks and should be repaired promptly. Check also for blisters that occur when air is trapped underneath the membrane.  They need to be “popped” to let the air out, then patched with roofing cement or overlaid with a patch of the same roofing material. If you have a spray polyurethane foam (SPF) roof, which is usually white, check for areas of discoloration. That means the material has deteriorated. These areas need to be cut out and filled with caulk.

Inspect the flashing

Flashing protects plumbing stacks, roof vents and other protrusions to prevent leaks.  Look for cracks or gaps that could allow water to seep in. Repair and cracks with roofing caulk.

Flat Roof Repair

There are several flat roofing systems in common use.  When leaks occur, you can repair most with a patch of the same material as the roofing.  For materials like modified bitumen (similar to asphalt roll roofing), apply the patch with roofing tar.  Other materials, like EPDM rubber, TPO (a type of plastic) and PVC (another plastic), need to be heat-sealed.

EPDM roofs tend to be the most DIY-friendly to repair using a heat gun and/or adhesives. But TPO and PVC roofs are trickier and best left to pros. Pinpointing a leak can be challenging because water may seep under the membrane for a considerable distance before finding a path through a seam. Here’s a savvy way to go about it:

Go indoors, note where water is dripping or the roof decking or drywall is discolored, and measure the distances from that spot to the walls on either side.  Use those measurements to pinpoint the same spot on top of the roof.  Then proceed sideways or along the upward slope until you find the damaged seam or deteriorated section.

If that doesn’t identify the spot of the leak, you may need an oversized patch that covers all the likely spots where water could enter.  Or, on the advice of a contractor, you could apply a liquid elastomeric membrane over the affected area or the entire roof with a paint roller.

Leaks are easier to spot on an SPF roof because the foam and its elastomeric coating are usually deteriorating and discolored around where water gets in.  To repair, cut out all the discolored material in a V-shaped depression, then fill it with elastomeric caulk.

Flat Roof Replacement

When the roof covering exceeds its warranty period, it’s time to think about replacement.  But if you notice any of the following conditions, replacement should happen sooner than later:

• Damage to the membrane, seams or flashing in several places;

• Multiple leaks;

• Water habitually pools in certain areas;

• There’s impact damage from a fallen tree branch or other debris.

Leave roof replacement to the pros. They’ll remove the old membrane, rotted plywood and fascia, damaged roof vents and plumbing stacks.  They may also replace insulation.  After cleaning up, they’ll lay a new membrane, re-flash all the vents and install new perimeter flashing and fascia.