You can say a lot of things about roofs, and most of them might be true. But one thing that nobody can argue with is that roofs are tops. This statement can be taken in several ways. A roof does for the top of your home. It can also act like a "top" or lid for your home, keeping the rain out. Then, there's the third meaning, which is the one we happen to like the most: roofs are the best. (People say things are "tops" when they really like them.) Since we like roofs so much, we've decided to write about them, and you've discovered the blog where we do that.
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Roofs: They're Definitely at the Top!
Roof Repairs That Could Be Needed When Hail Damages The Flat Roof On Your Home
Brian Riley
If your home has a flat roof, it probably has a different roofing material than most homes. Instead of asphalt shingles, it may have a membrane roof. Membrane roofing is common on all types of flat roofs. It's a durable material, especially if you don't walk on it very often. However, membrane roofing can be damaged by hail, so it's a good idea to check your roof after it's been struck by hail or call a roofer to check it for you. Here are some roof repairs it could need.
Patch Up Puncture Holes
Just like any other kind of roofing, the roofer needs to recommend the right action for the type of damage your roof has. If there are many puncture holes or cracks due to hail strikes, they might recommend a roof replacement. The decision may be up to your insurance company if you're depending on them to pay for the repairs. If there are only a few scattered punctures, the roofer can probably just repair them.
Repairing holes and covering cracks involves placing patches over the damaged area. A patch is cut from the same type of membrane to cover the damaged area and allow a few inches of overlap. Then the patch is adhered to your roof. This is done with adhesive or heat welding depending on what type of material the membrane roof is made from. When finished with the roof repair, the patch is fused with the roofing membrane so no rain can get under it and cause a roof leak.
Replace Flashing
Since protrusions stick up above the roof, flashing can sometimes take a beating from hail. The flashing on your flat roof may be made from the same membrane as your roofing. Whatever the flashing is made from, whether it's membrane material, plastic, rubber, or metal, it must be replaced if it is damaged since flashing keeps rain from getting underneath the roofing and dripping in your house.
Repair Damage Along Seams
If hail strikes along the seams, the damage needs to be repaired carefully since leaks through seams are common. If these roof repairs aren't done properly — such as through a DIY attempt — the seam might come apart later and let rain fall on the roof deck. Seams are repaired with seam tape or heat welding. They might also need patches to repair the damage. The important thing the roofer needs to do with this type of roof repair is to make sure the seams are fused tightly together and don't have a gap that could come apart.
Apply A Coating To The Roof
In some cases, hail damage is repaired on flat roofs by applying a coating. The coating is painted on the roof to create a watertight barrier that prevents roof leaks. Some roof coatings are even hail-resistant. The roofer may need to patch holes before putting the coating on, but the coating can act as added protection when your roof has a lot of damage but you don't want to pay for a roof replacement just yet.
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