Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Austin Roofing: Fixing a Flatroof That is Leaking

By Charles Richards


A leaky roof is the last thing you want on your to do list. And unlike many household issues, this one cannot be ignored. So, you might as well face up to it and get the job done right. This is the debut article in a new series of Austin roofing entries designed to help you get the job done correctly and effectively with the best Austin roofing contractor.

The first article in the Austin roofing series is on the topic of repairing a flat roof that is leaking. And when a flat roof has yielded to forces of nature, you'll want to get it repaired quickly.

Before you begin repairing your roof, you'll need to be sure you have the right tools for the job. So you should be sure you have the following on hand: a hammer, asphalt roof cement, propane torch, a utility knife, goggles, trowel, 6d galvanized roofing nails and clean rags.

Got the right tools for the job? Good. Let's proceed. Our first priority is simple to guess. We have to find out where the leak is coming from. With the Austin roofing jobs we undertake, the source of the leak is typically a cracked or blistered surface. And this simply means that the roof is tuckered out.

Different layers of felt and tar paper make up the construction of a flat roof. And it is usually the case that the leak is created when the felt has a tear in it. Usually easy to see, the first thing you'll want to do is to wipe the area dry using one of the clean rags and then get rid of any loose dirt or gravel. You'll want to next look to see if the paper has any faults or blisters.

Step one in repairing the damaged are is to take the knife, open up the blistered spot and go down as far as you can go without damaging remaining good felt.

At Austin roofing, we think the next best step is to prop up the blistered layers, and if there is water underneath it, to press down the edges to squeeze water out until it is completely dry.

In step 3, you will apply a generous bit of roof cement underneath the blistered area and set it down with a very firm hand. Take the corners and tightly press across the area with the blistered layer.

Last step. Grab your roofing nails and nail down the edges of the blistered paper. Then, you'll want to provide a coating of roof cement to make sure exposed nail heads don't become your next roofing problem.

That's it. A job well done. We hope this Austin roofing article is helpful in tackling your next roofing job.




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