How To Repair a Flat Roof

A flat roof looks amazing for homes. For commercial businesses, this type of roofing is often the best solution. Whether you are a homeowner or business owner, however, taking steps to protect flat roofs is essential if you want them to last a long time. Protecting your home or business means making sure the roof’s moisture protection is intact and strong.

Why Damage Happens

Aren’t roofs designed to stand up to the elements? Absolutely. Unfortunately, things such as hail or debris can cause small tears or holes over time.

If your home has a large oak tree, for example, acorns, twigs and branches can start to damage the roof if they fall. As water makes its way through the protective layer, surrounding areas get weaker and may tear.

The good news is that these tiny problems can be fixed relatively easily when they’re still small. Repairs are fast and easy, and your roof stays in tip-top condition for decades.

How To Fix a Flat Roof

With roll-type flat roofs, patching can be a good option. This is one technique that pros are experienced with. They may cut out a rectangular area around the damaged section. Using a patch of the same material, they fill in the missing area and seal it with roofing cement underneath and galvanized roofing repair nails on top.

Every patch should have a second patch placed over it, overlapping at least two inches on all sides. After applying roofing cement above the first patch, the second patch is applied and nailed down. Clean gravel can help provide additional ballast for the repair.

The methods used to fix a flat roof depend on where the damage is located and how big the tear is. Also, the type of material used for the roof makes a difference. Some materials allow for repairs with a simple roofing repair cement and moisture seal. Others require heat welding. In any case, you should always let a pro handle repairs.