I Have A Leak In My Flat Roof

A common cause of leaks on flat roofs is often flashing.

I have a leak in my flat roof.

There can be several reasons your flat roof leaks and each of them can strike in almost any situation. Begin this project when the roof has been. Knowing what to look for can help you locate a flat roof leak although it may still take a bit of patience to track the hole down so you can repair it. They can be several feet above the leak or to the right or left of it.

Careful inspection of the roof drainage system for blockages or drain leaks into the building see flat roof drainage. How to find a leak on a flat roof the best time to look for a leak is when the roof has been dry for at least three days and in the evening night time when after cooling down the flat roof leak hot spot will release heat that has stored underneath the hole during the day. The goal is to find the leak before the entire roof goes bad. Flashings are transitional roofing materials.

You want to look for trouble spots that generally are the primary source of leaks. What causes flat roof leaks. While there are many different causes of leaks there are three that we have identified as the most common and most detrimental to your building s performance. If you have attic access the easiest way to track down a leak is to go up there with a flashlight and look for the evidence.

Use those measurements on the rooftop to create a starting point for your search. Finding the actual spot where the roof leaks is difficult because water can enter the roof in one place and run down to another before it starts soaking into the ceiling. From inside measure the distance from where the leak is visible to the two nearest walls. 1 being located in a harsh environment 2 standing water on the roofing surface and 3 utilizing outdated roofing technology.

Steps in tracking down a flat or low slope roof leak careful visual inspection of the roof surface above for possible leak points such as any anomaly in the roof surface. You know the roof is bad if shingles are missing or obviously damaged or when water stains the ceiling or walls. This flashing is normally installed around pipes and at roof edges but it isn t always that durable. Most flat roofs are very slightly sloped to facilitate runoff so explore from the point of the water s entrance up the.

If you have a flat roof that leaks get up on it when it is dry and cool. Just like any roof a flat roof will develop leaks but since it s flat the water doesn t have anywhere to go but straight down. Thin pieces of material sometimes metal that have been installed to weatherproof the roof and stop water entering at angles or joint. I always start at flashings.