Repairing Or Replacing A Flat Metal Roof
A roof leak from a flat roof can be next to impossible to find. Water travels the path of least resistance. Flat roofs can create special difficulties when locating a leak. They do have a slight pitch but in some cases, water will travel up hill. That is to say sometimes the material itself will create a wicking behavior, sucking water up pitch from where the leak appears in your house.
Try these five steps for repairing a roof before doing a complete tear down.
1. Start with a thorough sweeping of the roof, check gutters to be sure they are clear and not creating a damn.
2. Inspect all nail heads and seams for gaps and lifting nail heads. Re-set all nails and caulk nail heads and seams with roofing caulk.
3. Let the caulk dry thoroughly and get out the garden hose, saturate the roof for several minutes from all angles in the areas where you found problems. This is a great time to check gutter flow too.
4. Check for further leaks in the interior of the home or attic.
5. Repeat this process several times until all leaks have been resolved. Coat the entire roof area with the proper material for your roof and area.
If these five steps fail it is time to replace the roof.