Flat Roofing: Notes on Proper Maintenance

Dec 16
08:55

2010

Aaliyah Arthur

Aaliyah Arthur

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While there are many parts of owning a home that can require a great deal of maintenance, perhaps none is so needy and important as the elementary roofing required by just about everyone. If you have a flat roof, you may have already noticed that it requires more than a little maintenance.

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While there are many parts of owning a home that can require a great deal of maintenance,Flat Roofing: Notes on Proper Maintenance Articles perhaps none is so needy and important as the elementary flat roofing required by just about everyone. If you have a flat roof, you may have already noticed that it requires more than a little maintenance. If you live in an area of the country known for having quite a bit of inclement weather, this is even more true. But even in areas where the sun shines and there are few storms, the average homeowner will still find themselves in need of regular maintenance.

It helps to look for a leak when it is raining. However, if you want to do it at some other time, you can use a hose and a partner to help you ferret out the location of the hole. Get on top of the house with a hose and spray the roof methodically with the water.

Have a friend monitor on the inside, looking for any breaches. It may help to communicate through walkie-talkie or cell phone during this time. Even doing it in this way can make discovering the very point of the leak difficult. It will be easier on a flat surface, however, than it would have been on a sloping surface.

One of the most important aspects of flat roofing leaks and the search for them is to make sure the surface is clean and free of any extra debris. This debris, such as leaves or gravel, can cover up possible damage and make it much more difficult to find what you need. Besides that, cleaning off your flat roof of debris is an important part of regular maintenance. Too many leaves can create a problem, particularly when they get wet during a storm. It may not seem like something as light and innocuous as leaves could cause a structural problem, but it has happened many times.

If you find you have any structural problems with your flat roofing, you need to call a professional and have them take a look at it. Unless you have a great deal of experience working with the roof, you don’t want to take the chances inherent with fixing it yourself.

Only experience and training can tell you whether you are looking at a big problem or a small one. Yes, you could wind up spending more money than is necessary, but at least you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with putting it in the hands of a competent contractor.