Roof Repairs

Sooner or later, every owner of every home is faced with the need to repair the roof. Time and adverse weather conditions lead to roofing materials depreciation. Most often, the need to repair the roof appears due to the following reasons:

Occurrence of leaks.
Wear of roofing materials.
Deterioration in appearance.

Depending on the degree of damage, restoration works or major repairs are to be carried out. But prior to begin any repair, a mandatory assessment of the condition is carried out. At this time, the roof is assessed from the inside, revealing the degree of wear of the load-bearing structure, and from the outside, assessing the condition of the roofing materials.

In our company you can order:

Reinforcement or replacement of the load-bearing elements.
New roof design.
Replacement of corrugated boards and metal tile roofing.
Built-in bituminous roofing repair and replacement.
Dismantling of the old roof coverage.
Sealing of leaky areas.
Roof renovation.

The final cost depends on the type of materials used, the design features of the roof, the remoteness of the construction site, the amount of works. You can clarify all the necessary information from our managers by phone, sending us your request.

Roof repairs

Currently, there are many materials for built-in bituminous roofing materials in the market, having different properties, appearance and application domain. However, the most common are the following types of built-in bituminous roofing:

— from roll materials made on the basis of cellulose, fiberglass and foil. This is a sheet material of various textures and colours. It has high mechanical performance, long service life (more than 30 years);

— from bitumen roof tiles – differs from rolled-strip roofing in greater thickness and surface, which is usually stylized as elements of roofing tile. Due to the fact that soft roofing tiles are manufactured in the widest range of colours possible and a huge variety of shapes (hexagons, rectangles, etc.), this type of roofing is the most popular one and is widely used today;

— onduline represents bitumen-cellulose sheets with a corrugated profile. This material has all the properties of the bitumen roof tiles, and is mounted in the same way as metal tile roofing and slate. Ondulin sheets have a fairly high stiffness, therefore, during the installation process, they do not require a solid plywood base, like other roofing made of similar materials.

One of the main reasons for wear and tear of the bitumen roof tiles and need for repairmen is bitumen damage. Bitumen is subject to wear and tear over time and is destroyed by the adverse weather conditions. Bitumen roofs should be checked for invisible damage and defects at least once every 2 years in order to avoid big investments in repairs in the future. The following signs should be checked in spring, when the snow begins to melt: the appearance of wet spots on the ceilings of rooms located on the upper floors of the building, blistering of coating, proper fixing of the drop aprons, as well as the condition of the waterproofing.

In summer, the roofs of the premises are examined for the presence of cracking and bulges in the coating. In the autumn, it should be determined whether the walls get wet in the presence of a drain outside, to find areas where water stagnates if there is a drain inside, as well as the degree of clogging of the funnels.

In winter, usually the following problems should be checked for: the thickness of the snow cover and the presence of icing on the roof, whether there are plugs in the drainpipes and the likelihood of icicles on the roof.

The main defects are: damage caused by television antennas, tree branches, presence of mosses, fungi, small cracks and plants, as well as delamination of bitumen sheets and violation of the roof waterproofing materials. All this can eventually lead to the formation of leaks, which usually appear after rain or when the snow begins to melt, or cause so-called “flickering leaks”.

Usually, the cause of leakage after rain is either mechanical damage and deformation, which, as a rule, are associated with unskilled installation of the heat fusing membrane roofing or the use of low-quality materials during the installation of the rolled-strip roofing materials.

If the roof began to leak just after the snow began to melt, this is due to the formation of small cracks in places where the rolled materials are adjacent to the ventilation shafts and drains.

To carry out high-quality roof repairs, first of all, it is necessary to use only high-quality materials – usually bitumen or fiberglass.
With the “flickering” nature of leaks, as a rule, there are microcracks that are caused by poor-quality installation of the heat fusing membrane roofing, that is incorrect installation.

ROLLED-STRIP ROOFING REPAIR WORKS ARE DIVIDED INTO:

— current repairs, carried out if there is less than 40 % damage of the roofing of its total area;

— overhaul works of the heat fusing membrane roofing, carried out if there is more than 40 % damage of the heat fusing membrane roofing materials of the total area of the roof.

The current repair of the roofing of apartment buildings or other buildings is carried out in case of minor split joints, cracks, holes and bulges. Small cracks are eliminated by filling them up with hot bitumen or resin, than a piece of roofing felt is glued on top.
If it is necessary to eliminate the split joints, the roofing felt should be raised and the surface should be dried with a gas-burner. Next, the joint should be covered with bitumen, the roofing felt should be placed and again coated with bitumen or resin on top.
To eliminate bulges, the roofing material is to be cut crosswise, the edges are to be wrapped and thoroughly dried with a gas-burner. Next, the place with bulges is filled in with hot mastic and the cut edges are laid in place, pressing them down hard. The cuts are coated with bitumen, a new piece of roofing felt is placed on top, which is also pressed down hard. Usually the patch overlaps the seams by at least 10-15 cm.

MAJOR REPAIRS OF THE SOFT HEAT FUSING MEMBRANE ROOFING OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING

Roof repairs are carried out in several stages:

1) Dismantling of the old heat fusing membrane roofing using special equipment, with the help of which the rolled-strip roofing is dismantled and immediately rolled up creating rolls. The surface cleared of rolled materials is assessed with the aim to find small or large cracks, as well as other damage. If these are no cracks or damage found, then the second stage of the major repairs of a flat roof is not carried out, but, as a rule, this is a very rare case.

2) Restoration of cement screeds and installation of heat-, hydro- and vapour insulation After cleaning of the surface of the soft heat fusing membrane roofing, a cement screed is poured, which is sometimes covered with a layer of thermal insulation, usually gravel or foam plastic. Then the screed is primed with bituminous resin to form a film on it that will not prevent moisture from evaporating.

3) Laying of heat fusing membrane roofing made of new roofing materials.

When the cement on the screed hardens, the works for covering the roof with new roll materials are started. Usually these are materials based on fiberglass, which is more resistant to various types of damage. Installation of heat fusing membrane roofing usually starts from the bottom of the roof, and the remaining rows of material are placed in the overlapping manner. The size of the overlap directly depends on the angle of the roof slope. Typically, the layers are placed in such a way that there is no coincidence of two adjacent seams of “neighbouring” coatings. If roofing felt is used to cover the roof with rolled materials, then it is obligatory to use a protective layer made of fine-grained stone chippings. Modern materials that are used in the installation of rolled roofing already contain stone chippings and do not require one more layer for additional protection.

So, summing up all of the information provided above, we can conclude that both dismantling of the heat fusing membrane roofing and installation of the rolled roofing are not particularly difficult tasks. First, it is necessary to conduct an inspection in order to detect damage to the roofing and individual minor defects. If, after inspection of the rolled roofing, some minor damage is found, it is enough to carry out minor repairs, sealing the damaged areas of the roofing. However if the damage of the roofing is more significant, it already requires some major repairs, it is necessary to dismantle the old coating and, accordingly, install a new rolled covering.

METAL TILE ROOFING REPAIR

With poor-quality roofing works in case of metal tiles installation, when there is a mechanical impact on the roof, the roof becomes unfit for use and its service life and useful lifespan are reduced.
When leaks appear on the roofing after regular rainfall, urgent emergency roof repair is required. It is carried out on an emergency basis in case of damage to the roof as a result of natural disasters and other natural factors, as well as due to improper use. Stagnation of water in the space under the roof can lead to the appearance of mold fungus, and sometimes to short circuits in the wiring and roof caving.
During this repair, worn or damaged parts of the roof are replaced. As a rule, valley strips or wall and pipe junction strips, which are most sensitive to corrosion, are to be replaced in most of the cases. Next, the roof is inspected in order to detect mechanical damage of the roofing (holes). Such holes are repaired with the use of patches made from packing cloth or tarpaulin. Repair with the use of patches is usually made for holes ranging in size from 30 mm to 200 mm, smaller holes are repaired with the help of roofing sealant. Boiled oil paint is applied to the joints of the roofing, and sheets of metal tiles are painted with weatherproof paint. If it is impossible to repair the roof by patching, then the metal sheet is completely replaced.
Repair of a metal roofing is carried out in order to extend its life. It is obligatory to inspect the roofing annually, as it is necessary to assess its condition. If some roofing sheets are rusted, paint has peeled off them, they have deflections or other damage, then scheduled repairs are carried out. If there are holes, the major repairs of the roof are to be carried out. The roof coating sheets are either replaced or repaired and painted.
A major repair of a roof made of metal tiles is performed when the damage to the roof is more than 40 % of its total area. In case of such a repair, the complete replacement, reconstruction and processing of the load-bearing elements of the roof is conducted, as well as complete change of the metal tiles, waterproofing film, vapor barrier film, thermal insulation (heat retainer) and wood components: rafter system of the roof, counter batten and the step-type wood furring. As a rule, this type of repair is performed after fires, natural disasters, falling trees.

SHINGLE ROOFING REPAIR

Bitumen is one of the most versatile materials; replacement and repair of roofing from this material is quite simple. However, it should be taken into account that it is impossible to work with it at sub-zero temperatures, since in the cold it becomes very fragile, and it is not possible to replace damaged roofing shingles in this conditions. Small roofing cracks that have appeared in the coating are sealed by lifting the roofing shingle and covering it with glue (roofing sealant), and then placing it back, pressing it for a couple of minutes, so that the shingles stick together. But if the roofing damage and cracks are large and there are many of them, it is necessary to make a complete replacement of the roofing shingles. In this case the damaged tiles are cut out and a new roofing shingle is placed. Summing up the information provided above, we can make a conclusion that shingles have an advantage over other roofing materials in terms of repair and replacement of roofing, as well as it is not a labour intensive process.

SLATE ROOF REPAIR

Slate is one of the cheapest and most affordable materials. Its service life is 25-30 years. During operation, mechanical damage and natural aging of the slate roof, a leak may occur. To repair small cracks, it is enough to apply a fabric patch to them, which is impregnated with oil-base paint. After that, the roof must be painted. Also, the cracks can be filled with epoxy glue and glued on top with a self-adhesive diffuse tape. However, such repair is short-lived (it lasts for 3-4 years, after which the procedure is to be repeated). If there are large cracks, a special putty is used for repair, which consists of three parts of asbestos and one part of cement, which are diluted with PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue and water. After applying the putty, this area of the roof is covered with bitumen mastic and then boiled oil paint. After such a repair, the roof will last 5-7 years, however, provided that the technology of the works performed has been observed and the putty is reliably protected from external influence, precipitation and ultraviolet radiation. Slate sheets that are severely damaged should be completely replaced. After replacement, the roof is assessed for free movement of slate sheets, loose steel nails. If such defects are found, then the fasteners should be replaced with more reliable ones, and there must be rubber gaskets used under the nail heads to prevent moisture from entering inside. A major repair of a slate roof is performed when the damage to the roof is more than 40 % of its total area. In case of such a repair, a complete replacement of slate sheets, reconstruction and processing of the load-bearing elements of the roof are made. If required, after the corresponding inspection, the wooden elements of the roof are replaced: the rafter system, the lathing. As a rule, this type of repair is performed after fires, natural disasters, falling trees.

CORRUGATED BOARD ROOF REPAIR

The main cause of a corrugated board roof leakage is the wear of gasket elements or the destruction of the sealant layer. If a leak occurs, the entire sheet is to be unscrewed, roofing mastic (sealant) is applied and the sealing is replaced. Also, moisture can appear and penetrate through the points where the corrugated board is attached, due to deformation of the ring seal and loss of tightness of such seal. To eliminate leaks of this type, the fasteners are replaced and the holes are treated with a waterproof sealant (mastic). The corrugated board sheets are sealed in case of minor mechanical damage. If larger holes appear, then the entire corrugated board sheet is removed and replaced with a new one.

MEMBRANE ROOF REPAIR

Membrane roof repair depends on the amount of damage and its nature. It is divided into two types: cosmetic and capital repair. This type of roofing, if properly installed, provides a service life of 20 to 40 years. Membrane roofs are considered out-of-operation, therefore they are sensitive to various mechanical impacts. It is forbidden to place sharp objects on the roof or drag large materials over the roofing. Usually, problems with the violation of the membrane covering appear after the winter, when the roof is not properly cleaned (use of crowbars, metal shovels). If a small area on the roof is damaged, the membrane roof is repaired using a single-point method. A patch of PVC-membrane is cut out, corresponding to the damaged section of the roofing. A patch attached to the damaged area with the help of a hot air gun is melted along the edges of the patch. If significant damage to the membrane surface cannot be corrected with simple patches, then other methods are used for repair: it is not necessary to dismantle the old coverage of the roof. The surface is pre-cleaned of debris, then a primer is applied to it and a layer of a new coating is mounted. This method is used if there are a lot of small cracks and damage on the roof surface. The second method is used for large and profound damage to the membrane. The damaged old coating is removed, then everything is thoroughly cleaned and dried. Then a primer is applied to the waterproofing layer. More than two primer coats are necessary for the best results. If the installation of the membrane roof was made incorrectly and with errors during installation, then a complete replacement of the membrane roof covering is carried out.

ONDULIN ROOF REPAIR

To repair small cracks on an ondulin roof, it is not necessary to replace the entire roofing, you just need to eliminate the defect using bituminous mastic, tape or sealant. Prior to using these materials, the roof surface must be cleaned and degreased. If the ondulin sheet cannot be partially repaired and its restoration is not possible, then a complete replacement of the old ondulin sheet with a new one is necessary. Prior to installation of a new sheet, it is necessary to clean the surface of the roof. When a partial roof repair is not possible, it is necessary to make a complete replacement of the old coverage. Ondulin is one of the most inexpensive materials compared to other roofing materials. Major roof repairs can be done in two ways. In the first case, all damaged and old roofing sheets are removed, after which the base roofing is checked and then new ondulin sheets are placed. In the second case, a new roofing is mounted on top of the old one. This is possible due to the fact that the weight of the ondulin is insignificant and there will be no significant load on the floors.