Let’s Talk Roof Leaks: A blog talking about roof leaks and how they can be caused by old roof cement
I had a call this week from a homeowner who spotted what she thought was a roof leak. She had noticed some water on her kitchen floor, and when she looked up, she saw the ceiling was wet. She called the home builder, who sent over the roofer. Sure enough, the roofer found an area of the metal roof that wasn’t sealed properly and needed to be resealed. He told her that he would get back to her with a bid as soon as he could.
But then I got a call from her: “I know you’re not a roofing contractor, so I’m not sure why my home builder told me to call you. But I need to have my roof fixed before it rains again.”
Now we’re getting somewhere! What most people don’t realize is that their roofs are only as good as their weakest link — and one of those links could be a material called “roof cement.” What is it? How does it work? What happens when it fails? Let’s look at these questions in more detail.
There are many reasons why a roof may leak, but one of the biggest culprits is old roof cement. Roof cement is a necessary component in any roof repair and any roofer worth his salt should know this.
If you have been in the business for any amount of time you know that old roof cement can be a major cause of leaks. Over the years I have seen many a flat roof leak because of old, dried out, cracked & brittle roof cement. Roof cement is made to protect your home from water infiltration and if it is not properly maintained or replaced then your home could be at risk for water damage.
Let’s Talk Roof Leaks: A blog talking about roof leaks and how they can be caused by old roof cement
In fact, I have recently come across an interesting article on Slate magazine’s website that points out this very fact. It states that “Most roofs are flat and made of asphalt, with tar paper as their underside sheeting. The tar paper covers up the plywood which comprises the actual roof decking. To prevent water leakage into your home through the seams in the plywood decking, roofers lay a layer of waterproof material over the tar paper.”
So there you have it, if your roof is leaking then it could
Roof Leaks: A blog talking about roof leaks and how they can be caused by old roof cement
If you have a roof leak, you could be facing a lot of problems. The main problem is that water is getting into your home. Water can cause all sorts of damage to your home and it is best to get it fixed as soon as possible. One way that water can enter your home is through old roof cement.
Roof cement can be used for many different purposes on your roof such as flashing, and sealing around vent pipes. One of the most common uses for it though is at the end of shingles in a valley or around chimneys and skylights. Over time this sealant will harden and crack causing leaks which will eventually lead to water getting into your home.
When you have a professional come out to do some repairs on your roof, they will often go ahead and replace all the old sealant with new sealant. This will help prevent any new leaks from forming but if you don’t find the source of the current leaks this could become expensive over time because you will continue to have leaks even after replacing the sealant.
The best way to prevent this from happening is to find out
Roof leaks can be caused by many different things, but one of the most common causes is old roof cement. If you have an older home or building, there is a good chance that some of the flashing around vents, chimneys, skylights and other objects mounted on top of your roof has been sealed with roof cement. Roof cement is a rubber based sealant that is used to seal around vents, chimneys and other items mounted on top of the roof. Roof cement works very well on flat roofs but doesn’t work as well on sloped roofs. One of the biggest problems with using roof cement to seal around chimneys and vents is that it shrinks over time. This shrinkage causes cracks in the sealant which will let water leak into your home.
Roof cement can last for many years, but eventually it will fail and will need to be replaced. The only real way to know if your roof has started leaking because of old roof cement is to inspect it from inside the attic. If you have a leaky roof and are not sure why, give us a call at 1-800-670-4454 or visit our website at http://www.rooftopquotes.com/
One of the biggest reasons for roof leaks is old or damaged roof cement. It can be a minor issue if its just a small hole, but it can also be a major issue if the hole is large. If your roof has a lot of old or damaged roof cement, then you should seriously consider replacing it with a new type of roof cement.
The first thing you want to do is look at the entire area of your roof that has old or damaged roof cement and make sure that it doesn’t have any holes in it. If there are any holes in it, then you should probably replace it with some new roof cement before you even begin to look at replacing your entire roof.
Next, you will want to remove all of the old roofing material that is on top of the damaged or old roofing. Use a flat head screwdriver and remove all of the nails from the base board of the damaged or old roofing. Once you’ve removed all of the nails from the base board, use a pair of pliers to pull out all of the nails from the base board. You should also use a hammer and some sharp objects such as scissors and a wire cutter to cut away any pieces that may be stuck together.
Once you have removed
This is a big problem. Roof cement is not a flexible repair technique. When the roof flexes, the roof cement cracks and opens up, allowing for water to get in and cause more problems. Sometimes the cracks are so fine that you can barely see them, but they’re still a problem. This is often why you have new leaks on your roof shortly after it’s repaired.
You need to use a product like Henry 208R Rubberized Wet Patch Roof Cement, which is designed to wet patch holes and cracks without drying too fast. It has a high rubber content and will stretch and move with the roof system, preventing future leaks from occurring.
Unfortunately, this also means that you’re going to have to replace your entire old roof cement (assuming it’s been on there for over five years). The good news is that this isn’t as expensive as it sounds.
When removing old roof cement, it’s important that you use a high quality product like Henry 201 Self-Adhering Base Sheet Roll Roofing or Henry 208R Rubberized Wet Patch Roof Cement. High quality products will last longer and perform better than lower quality products. They are also less likely to crack or peel off of the surface when exposed to sunlight or rainwater.
So, what is roof cement? Roof cement is basically a roofing adhesive. It is used to stick roofing materials together. Roof cement can be used in a variety of different ways when installing a roof such as:
-Sticking down felt paper
-Sealing nail heads
-Fixing leaks
-Sealing around chimney’s and pipes
How does it work? Roof cement is simply applied over the area that needs to be sealed. For example, if you notice that your shingles are starting to curl up and you need to stick them back down again, then you would apply a bit of roof cement under the curled up portion of the shingle and then press down. The roof cement will form a watertight bond between the two materials. You can also use roof cement to fix leaks. Many times the cause of a leaky roof actually has nothing to do with your shingles or tiles but instead with your flashing or joints between different materials on your roof. If you have leaking in these areas, then applying some roof cement will usually fix this problem right up. Of course, it is always best to check out every possible cause for a leak before applying any kind of adhesive to your home so this should only be done as a last