Flexible materials, used for arranging the roofs of private houses, are distinguished by their high maintainability. This is very important for those who are planning to repair soft tiles. In this article we will talk about what methods there are to repair soft tiles with your own hands, and what the sequence of work will be in a given case.
Most often, the roof needs repair after leaks are detected, which can occur in the following cases:
- Due to violations during the design of the structure.
- Due to errors made during the installation of the roofing.
- Damage caused during the operation of the roof.
Only the first point can cause difficulty - special skills may be required. In all other cases, there will be no need to completely disassemble the roof; there will be little work, so even an inexperienced person can handle it.
Finding defective areas on the roof
In order for the roof to last as long as possible, visual inspections must be carried out systematically, every three months. Such an audit will help to timely find emerging and emerging breakthroughs. Even small punctures, cracks and swelling can cause an emergency.
The roof inspection is carried out in two stages:
- Assessing the condition of the roof from the outside attic space for damage to structural components.
- External inspection roofing material in places where there is the greatest likelihood of water ingress.
Roof repair methods
After the audit it will become clear whether we can home handyman carry out repairs of flexible tiles. The owner will only need the ability to operate with familiar construction tools necessary to repair the roof.
Replacement of soft tile shingles
Minimal leaks of flexible tiles are eliminated by replacing damaged areas. The element should be replaced, even if it affects the aesthetic appearance of the roof. Defects tend to grow larger, which can cause a piece or entire shingle to come off over time.
There is no need to install new shingles. Sometimes you can get by with replacing only one petal. There should be several pieces of such covering left on the farm so that damaged roof elements can be replaced at any time.
Below is an example of work to replace the third part of a shingle (one torn blade). It is worth noting that it is impossible to fix a bitumen element over a damaged shingle, since such an overlay will lead to the appearance of a new leak in the future.
The sequence of roof repairs made from flexible tiles will be as follows:
- We find the location of the damage and the points of the roofing nails that will need to be removed. It is better to mark them with chalk so that in a hurry you do not have to detach the wrong part of the covering for repair.
- Slowly lift the two rows of tiles running above the area to be repaired.
- Use a small flat pry bar to wedge the top tile.
- Using a pry bar, remove the nail from the torn petal.
- In the same way, we remove all the nails with which the removed element was secured.
- Using metal scissors, cut off the damaged area of the tiles.
- We discard the cut piece, taking care not to damage adjacent elements.
- We take a spare shingle and cut off a third part from it to replace it, cover the back side bitumen mastic.
- We mount the prepared element in a prepared place, level it with adjacent elements, hammer in nails, and it is worth moving 3-5 mm from the previous location in any direction.
- We fix the patch at four points.
- We open the heads of new nails with bitumen-polymer resin or mastic.
- We cover the back side of all the tiles that were lifted with mastic.
- Press the repair area firmly against the sheathing - this will the last stage repair of flexible tile roofing.
The repair sequence will be the same whether there are many single damages or it is an entire shingle replacement.
If a roof with flexible tiles has a leak at the joints, the cause may be cracking of the sealant, peeling of the waterproofing carpets attached to the penetration, or the same non-compliance with the rules when creating penetrations. In these cases, tiles in damaged areas are usually removed, and after repair work they are installed in their original place.
We restore membrane roofing using technology
Holes in the roofing membrane are caused by improper use. Move on the roof with polymer coating It is possible only along established special paths. Maintenance paths are made from an elastomeric strip with a non-slip coating. To remove snow from such a membrane, it is better to use a shovel made of wood or plastic.
The largest damages can be repaired by installing patches:
- First, a patch is prepared according to the dimensions taken from the damaged areas. It should be enough to cover the defective area by at least 5 cm around the entire perimeter. The edges need to be rounded.
- Now thoroughly wipe the area to be restored with a cloth soaked in water, remove all dirt, and dry it construction hairdryer.
- At the end, we weld the salary to the prepared base in one go. nozzle welding machine Place it diagonally to the seam. After installation, softened surfaces should be immediately rolled with a silicone roller, with all movements directed from the center.
If the base around is very dirty, the patch can be installed under the coating and then welded in the same way. If you do not have a welding machine, the defective area can be sealed with butyl rubber tape.
In this case, the work must be performed in the following sequence:
- The damaged material is cut so that all flaps and cut edges are removed.
- If the waterproofing under the membrane is also damaged, then it also needs to be cut.
- We remove all dirt from the problem area and the moisture-proofing carpet and dry it. Make sure that no soapy or greasy stains remain on the membrane.
- We apply a patch with rounded edges to a moisture-repellent canvas previously covered with bitumen-polymer mastic.
- Remove from reverse side butyl tape protective film and glue it.
- We roll the patch with force with a silicone roller or smooth it by hand with a rag.
- We seal the edges of the patch with polyurethane sealant.
In addition to cracks and other minor damage, defects in the installation of the membrane may occur during operation. Most often, the strip peels off in places where the seam is welded. In this case, the coating cannot be repaired - it is removed and a new strip is laid in its place. On the new seam in the upper part, it is advisable to weld an additional metal strip 10 cm wide.
How to repair damage to flexible tiles
Damage to bitumen and bitumen-polymer materials can occur anywhere in gables, and specific repair methods will be used in each case.
The most common defects that occur are:
- Cracks, punctures, holes formed due to improper use of the roof.
- The appearance of cracks at junctions due to the designer’s neglect of the movements of the structure being erected.
- Bloating. They appear where the thermal insulation begins to become moistened over time. This problem usually occurs due to laying the coating on wet insulation or due to the appearance of internal punctures in the vapor barrier.
- Minor depressions in roofing material caused by its attachment to an unprepared concrete base that contains potholes.
- Leaks around the perimeter of roof penetrations. Occurs due to poor coverage of adjacent areas with an insulating carpet or due to mechanical damage.
- Convergence of rolled roofing material from the vertical plane of adjacent walls, pipes, parapet.
- The lag of the roofing carpet from the base due to poor grip. This deficiency may occur due to the lack of a primer layer or insufficient heating of the back side of the rolled material.
Defects in the roofing carpet caused by improper use are the most common.
Such defects can be eliminated using one of the proposed methods:
- For minor tears and punctures, there is no need to replace the entire coating element, since it is enough to simply install a patch. Its dimensions should be 10 cm in all directions greater than the size of the damaged area, and its edges should be rounded. Fixing the patch on concrete base should be done only after it has been cleaned and primed. If the patch is laid on any wood flooring, then it is placed under the trimmed part of the material. Large cracks can be repaired in the same way.
- Small cracks are removed by filling the defective areas in two layers with bitumen-polymer mastic. The top layer is sprinkled with coarse powder.
- Small swellings are first cut in the center, after which this area is dried with a hair dryer. Petals that were formed as a result of cross-shaped cuts should be turned outward to allow thorough cleaning of dirt. The dried bases of the petals are heated with a burner, placed in place, and rolled with a roller. After this, a patch made of the same rolled material is mounted over the cut.
In case of large-area swellings and ruptures, there is a need for major repairs of the roof made of soft tiles. In order not to bring the roof to such a state, it will be necessary to systematically inspect it. It is best if the entire list of work is carried out at a temperature environment from 5 to 18 o C. Other temperature indicators may affect the elasticity and strength of the material.
Sometimes on roll roofing depressions of up to one and a half centimeters may occur.
In this case, the repair will consist of removing bubbles according to the following principle:
- The damaged area of the material is cut with an envelope, after which the bent ends are dried.
- They pour into the cavity cement mortar and wait until it hardens. It is prohibited to use mastic as a leveling layer.
- Mastic is applied over the dried fill.
- The tidied petals are returned to their original place and glued.
- Next, a patch is installed on top. Remember that its dimensions must exceed the area of the damaged area by 10 cm.
If a small leak occurs along the roof penetrations, they are eliminated by opening finishing coating and subsequent replacement of waterproofing pasting. Quite often it turns out that only the sealant layer is damaged - in this case it simply needs to be replaced.
It is much more difficult to get rid of leaks at roof junctions and passages.
These defects can be eliminated in the following way:
- Remove the protective apron from the junction.
- We get rid of the old waterproofing carpet, and then dry the base.
- We take a new waterproofing carpet and glue it onto the mastic so that a 30 cm piece of it lies on a vertical surface.
- Using a metal strip or apron, we fix the edge of the new carpet.
- At the final stage, the seams should be sealed.
Repair technology soft roof in case of peeling of the roof covering also implies carrying out some work. In such places, you should try to tear off as much of the covering area and adjacent strips as possible from the base. After this, the base and the separated part of the material should be thoroughly cleaned, dried and coated with primer. At the end, the lower part of the removed coating is again heated with a gas burner and it is laid with fusing on the base.
How to repair roof penetrations
Leaks on a soft roof can also occur due to the installation of low-quality casings, with the help of which the intersections of the roof with communications were installed. Elements made of rubber or plastic may simply burst.
Damaged structural elements in mandatory are replaced this way:
- We remove the material around the perimeter of the penetration from the base.
- We dismantle the waterproofing collar.
- Remove the casing.
- We are installing a new structural element.
- We make a new collar from the waterproofing carpet, cutting it according to a template from the old collar.
- We clean the base around the perimeter of the penetration and cover it with mastic.
- We place the collar on the casing.
- Again we cover the area to be repaired with mastic.
- Separated at the beginning roof covering put it back in place again.
Simply put, replacement of communication elements is carried out in the same way as the original installation.
The examples of repair of soft roofing coverings indicated in the material will help you solve most of the problems associated with the appearance of defects that so prevent the owners of private houses from living comfortably. By following roof restoration technologies, you will achieve a positive result. Most importantly, the owner is able to perform the entire list of repair work with his own hands.
A properly installed soft roof will last 15 years. However, it is necessary to constantly take care of its ideal condition. After a certain period of operation, the soft coating may require emergency or routine repairs, and a little later - major repairs. You can understand whether it’s time to restore the roof only after a thorough visual inspection.
Diagnostics of roofing carpet
Climbing onto the roof and assessing the damage to the coating will help you clearly understand how much work is expected. When examining a soft roof, you need to investigate the occurrence of problems such as:
- material coming off in the area where the panels combine;
You can verify that the soft covering is peeling off at the junction of the panels by carefully lifting the material
- the formation of holes that fill with water;
- swelling of the coating in some places due to water penetration;
Bubbles or folds in the soft surface indicate that the material was not pressed tightly to the base when laying
- rotting of the material, accompanied by the appearance of mold and mildew, which are always the result of long-term exposure to moisture;
- mechanical damage to the coating (cracks, abrasions, holes).
Cracks in soft roofing often appear due to exposure to atmospheric agents.
After a critical inspection of the soft roof, you can make a decision regarding the type of repair - emergency, routine or major.
Emergency restoration of a soft roof is considered when they see that from 5 to 20% of the roofing area needs emergency assistance to normalize operational characteristics. To return the carpet to perfect condition, patches are installed in places where leaks have been detected or may soon appear.
Patches will help restore a soft roof if it has deteriorated by a maximum of 40%
Maintenance necessary if 10–40% of the coating has been damaged. It is expressed in partial replacement of the roofing carpet or installation of patches.
Major restoration of the soft surface is a last resort. They resort to it, being sure that more than 40% of the roofing carpet has been severely damaged.
Patches will not help a significantly damaged roof. Significant destruction of the bitumen layer, deterioration of waterproofing and vapor barrier properties is dealt with by complete or at least extensive replacement of the material.
A roof with serious damage needs major repairs.
Repair tools and materials
The set of tools for repairing soft roofs includes:
Technoelast, bireplast and fiberglass are well suited for restoring the bottom layer of a soft coating. These materials are elastic and act as an additional barrier against the cold.
It is better to create the top layer of coating when repairing a soft roof from uniflex, isoplast, isoelast or linocrom. With any of the listed materials, the roofing carpet will acquire special strength and last more than 10 years.
Different materials are used as the first and second layers of soft roofing
It is better to treat the finishing layer of the roofing with hot bitumen-polymer mastic.
Hot mastic is prepared in a cauldron. Bitumen is used as the main ingredient. As soon as it heats up to 200 degrees, filler is slowly poured into it. The main thing is that when mixing the components, the temperature of the composition does not drop below 160 degrees, otherwise the mastic will turn out to be of low quality. The heated bitumen is poured into gasoline, then thoroughly mixed with a wooden stick and used immediately.
Cold mastic is used to repair the internal layers of the roof.
The cold composition is prepared by mixing one part of the filler with two parts of bitumen heated to 180 degrees, and gasoline in the same volume. The components are connected to each other after waiting until all the water comes out of the bitumen in the form of steam. The finished mass is not used until it has cooled.
For processing finishing layers soft roofing uses bitumen mastic, which can be bought in finished form or do it yourself
Emergency and current repairs of soft roofs
In order to efficiently eliminate defects on soft roofing carpet, you must act strictly according to the instructions.
How to repair holes and cracks
When the roofing carpet is torn, proceed as follows:
Video: what to do with holes in a soft roof
How to re-glue broken joints
It will be possible to make a good joint again between two panels of soft covering if you take the following measures:
How to eliminate bulges on the roof
It is preferable to deal with swelling on a soft roof like this:
How to remove a rotten section of coating
When rotting a soft roof, perform the following work:
What to do if the material peels off
If the soft covering lags behind the base, which usually occurs due to insufficient heating of the lower layer of the roof or laying the material on a dirty surface, proceed as follows:
Major renovation
Measures for major repairs of roofing carpet are determined by the type of material that is planned to be used.
Major repairs with laying roofing felt
Taking advantage of full recovery soft roofing with roofing felt, do the following:
The author of the article strongly recommends laying roofing felt using four hands. One person should be assigned the responsibility of operating the torch on inner side material, and on another - roll out and press the panels to the base. If you are alone, it will be difficult to perform two complex actions at the same time. In this situation, there is a big risk of moving from a flat line.
Video: overhaul of a soft roof with installation of roofing felt
Major repairs using bicrost
If it is necessary to completely replace the soft roof covering with bikrost, the procedure is the same as when laying roofing felt. The only difference: during work they do not use mastic - thanks to the special composition, bikrost, heated by a gas burner, sticks on its own.
Bikrost is glued to the base of the roof without using mastic
To properly cover a roof with bicrost, you need to know the following:
- the material is laid on the roof from bottom to top;
- the roll is rolled out, carefully heating and paying special attention to the corners and edges of the panel;
- strips of material are glued to the base quickly, while making overlaps of 7–8 cm;
- A soft bicrost roof is created in 2 layers.
Major repairs using corrugated sheets
Restoring the roof with profiled sheets is carried out in stages:
Features of soft roof repair in winter
Trying to do anything with a soft roof in the cold season is almost a crime. You should not refuse to repair the roofing carpet in winter only if there are serious reasons for this.
Emergency repairs of a soft roof, regardless of air temperature, are undertaken when the roof begins to leak heavily, having been damaged by a heavy object falling on it. The reason for urgent restoration of the roofing carpet may also be the deflection of the covering as a result of the pressure of a large layer of snow or the formation of leaks due to a thaw.
When repairing a soft roof in winter, you must follow the following rules:
Video: soft roof repair in winter
Preventive measures and operating features
To insure a soft roof against deformation and other damage, the following measures must be taken:
Caring for a soft roof in winter is very specific, as it involves performing tasks such as:
- removing snow until a 5 cm thick layer remains on the surface of the coating, which will serve as additional protection against negative influence weather;
- use only a wooden or plastic shovel for cleaning, which is unable to scratch soft material, unlike a metal tool.
In summer, the requirements for the operation of a soft roof are significantly simplified. In order to preserve the original appearance of the coating, it is enough to do only two things:
- periodically remove debris using a brush or brush with soft bristles, otherwise cracks will appear on the material;
- wash the roof once every 2 months and wipe it dry with a rag.
If you are not late with repairs and adhere to operating requirements, the soft roof will last no less than what its manufacturer indicated. In this matter, it is important to make it a rule that the rolled coating must be inspected as often as possible.
Soft type roofing is widely in demand due to its convenience, practicality, ease of installation and low cost. This coating is quite resistant to aggressive environmental influences, but does not have outstanding durability. Therefore, repairs of soft roofs, the technology of which may be different, have to be carried out every few seasons.
How to determine the need for repair work
The waterproofing properties of a soft roof are ensured by the layer of bitumen with which it is covered. If, over time, under the influence external factors If there is a violation of its integrity, then this is a clear sign of the need for repair, the technology of which may differ depending on the criticality of the damage.
Advice! The soft roof should not be brought to a state where it is no longer able to contain moisture from entering the room. It is best to carry out a preventive examination at least once every two years.
You need to pay attention to the following signs indicating that it is time for repairs:
- Delamination of soft roofing in places where the panels overlap and connect;
- Visible pits and depressions in which water can be retained;
- Moss or fungus in places where water stagnates after precipitation;
- Blisters on the surface, indicating moisture penetration under the roofing;
- Noticeable mechanical damage, cracks, tears.
Types of repair work
Depending on the condition of the coating, how worn it is, and what damage it has, restoration measures are divided into two types:
- Preventive (current) repair of soft roofing. It is used, according to technology, for minor damage to the canvas that does not provoke a global violation of the roof’s tightness. Characteristic signs the need for such repairs is local peeling, microcracks and small tears, which can be easily eliminated without dismantling the entire soft covering. Moreover, such defects should occupy less than 40 percent of the total roof area;
- Major repairs of soft roofing. The need for large-scale repairs and the use of more complex technologies is evidenced by the presence of multiple damage in the form of swelling, deep cracks, severe peeling, leaks, and ruptures. Moreover, they should affect over 40 percent of the entire soft roof area.
Current repairs of soft roofs
If during the inspection no critical damage was identified indicating the impossibility of further use of the old roofing covering, then work is usually carried out to eliminate existing defects and restore the integrity of the sheet. This is the so-called current repair of a soft roof, the technology of which allows you to quickly restore all affected areas of the roof. In this case, as a rule, the swollen areas are cut off, water inlets and eaves overhangs are replaced, a layer of primer is applied and, where necessary, new rolled material is fused.
The repair technology provides for the following work algorithm:
- The roof surface is thoroughly cleaned of accumulated debris, moss and any foreign objects;
- The roof covering is checked for rotten areas. If the latter are detected, they are removed. In this case, several centimeters of undamaged coating are also captured;
- The swollen areas are cut off, capturing a small amount of intact material;
- The areas where the roofing was removed are cleaned of dust and dirt, primed and filled with cement-based mortar;
- After drying, patches are applied to these areas, which are generously watered with bitumen mastic on top. In this case, the territory of the entire coverage is certainly captured;
- Finally, new roofing material is fused.
Attention! The old technology is less labor-intensive, however, it has one significant drawback - an increase in the weight of the roof. Therefore, it should be used only after calculating all the risks and a comprehensive assessment of the strength of the floor structures. This technology is used primarily to reduce repair costs. By ignoring the operation to remove the old coating, it is possible to reduce the budget by about 30 percent.
Major repairs of soft roofing
If the old coating is not suitable for further use due to critical damage, it is replaced with a new one. Major repairs of a soft roof, the technology of which is more labor-intensive than the current one, provides for the following procedure:
- The damaged covering is dismantled. This is a rather labor-intensive procedure that is very difficult to perform manually. It is convenient to use a special machine for this, which cuts the canvas and immediately rolls it into a roll. If this is not available, the technology makes work easier by using an ax with a long metal ax;
- After cleaning the surface from worn-out roofing material, the condition of the base is assessed. If there are cracks, dents, potholes and other defects, it is carried out partial renovation or complete replacement roof screed. If thermal and waterproofing layers are present, then at this stage the technology also involves their thorough inspection and, if necessary, repair. To increase the service life of the insulation, it is recommended to then cover it with polyethylene film or a membrane with a vapor barrier function;
- The surface is primed with bitumen mastic, which protects the steam and heat insulation layers, as well as concrete screed from getting wet, and promoting higher adhesion of the base to the soft roofing material;
- A new sheet is laid starting from the lower edge of the roof. The material sections are installed one at a time, overlapping each other by no more than 15 centimeters. In this case, the angle of inclination of the roof should be taken into account: the smaller it is, the greater the overlap should be, since with a more sloping slope the water drains quickly, and with a flat slope it is retained, which increases the risk of moisture seeping inside;
- When the laying of all parts of the roofing material is completed, all seams between them, according to technology, are well coated with bitumen mastic;
- If necessary, after the bitumen has dried, the technology allows the installation of a second layer of coating. It is important to lay the sheets in such a way that the joints are located as far as possible from the joints on the bottom sheet;
- If the repair involves materials such as roofing felt or roofing felt, then it is advisable to additionally apply protective layer, using the same bitumen mastic. Finally, it should be sprinkled with crushed granite crumbs and compacted with a roller. New generation materials already contain shale powder, so additional protection they don't need it. The advantage of using the latter is also that there is no need to use mastic to coat the seams: small overlaps of cuts are efficiently and reliably fused to each other;
- The final stage, carried out after the completion of repair work, is the identification of places where water accumulates, which will be the most vulnerable in the future. The technology involves carrying out such a check after the first rain, although you can water the roof yourself. If such places are identified, they should be thoroughly dried, and then an additional layer of material should be applied to them. If necessary, you can also generously water them with bitumen mastic, which will serve as reliable protection for the coating from leakage.
There is another technology for repairing soft roofs, which is not so popular today, however, in the old days it was used very actively. Its essence is that a new layer is simply fused on top of the old coating. To do this, all contaminants are carefully removed from the surface being used, after which it is well warmed up with a heating pad and coated with bitumen mastic. At the final stage of repair, a new layer of roofing material is fused.
Due to its low cost and ease of installation, soft roofing remains quite popular today. However, it also has to be repaired more often than others. Let's figure out how the repair takes place and what materials are used.
When repairs are needed
The most obvious and indisputable evidence that it is time to repair the roof is the appearance of water on the walls and ceiling. But this is an extreme case, which can be accompanied by a number of unpleasant events, including short circuit in the electrical network. It is clear that it is better not to let the roof reach such a state, and for this it needs to be inspected twice a year. If this is not possible, you can reduce the frequency of inspections to once a year, but not less often. The following signs should cause concern:
It is extremely important to promptly clean the soft roof from branches, other heavy debris, and materials remaining after construction or repair work. All this, under the influence of its own weight, eventually begins to “sink” into the roofing covering, deforming it and compromising its integrity.
Particular attention should be paid to the junction of the roof and skylights, skylights, chimneys and ventilation pipes passing through it.
If the roof is already leaking, you should not immediately begin repairing the area directly above the leak: the roof must be carefully inspected, since the defect can be located up to several meters from the place where water appeared on the ceiling.
Types of soft roof repairs
Work to restore the roofing “pie” is divided into the following types:
- Emergency repairs. It is carried out unscheduled on an emergency basis when the defects present can clearly soon lead or have already led to leaks. In the vast majority of cases, only the top coating is concerned, the damaged fragment of which is replaced with a new one or, more often, covered with a patch. Typically, the area of the reconstructed area does not exceed 20% of the total roof area.
- Maintenance. Consists of eliminating potentially dangerous defects identified during a routine inspection. Usually the matter is also limited to manipulations with the top coating, which is either patched or partially replaced. The area of repaired areas rarely exceeds 40% of the roof area. It is recommended to carry out routine repairs annually, since eliminating defects at an early stage in the case of a soft roof allows significant savings.
- Major renovation. It is performed when the proportion of problem areas on the roof surface exceeds 40%. The work covers the entire roofing “pie” as a whole, including restoration of the vapor barrier. The top coating is mostly replaced with a new one.
Major repairs are a rather expensive undertaking, which may well exceed the cost of installing a new roof (the difference in price is due to dismantling work and garbage removal).
Preparing for soft roof repair
While the roof is being repaired, the building becomes vulnerable to precipitation, so it is extremely important to prepare so that the work is completed quickly and, as they say, without a hitch. At this stage, a number of issues should be addressed.
Budgeting
If you have a detailed estimate during the repair process, you will not have to waste time on additional purchases of anything absolutely necessary that was overlooked. When drawing up this document, you should think everything over very carefully, so that it covers absolutely all types of work and materials, down to the most insignificant. Along the way, the estimate will allow you to objectively assess upcoming costs and compare them with real financial capabilities.
If you decide to entrust the roof repair to a third party, then in order to draw up an estimate, they will need to provide the following information:
- roof plan with dimensions, which shows all the pipes, shafts, parapets on the roof (thickness and height must be indicated), eaves overhangs (junction areas must be shown);
- description or photographic images of defects;
- desired list of works;
- the name of the material that was decided to be used as a roofing covering.
Selection and procurement of materials
Nowadays, you can purchase any material and in any quantity without any problems. But the master should take into account that in the field of development of roofing coverings, as in all other areas of human life, there is rapid development, and in order to spend money wisely, this issue should be more or less understood. Let's start with the fact that the familiar roofing felt with a cardboard frame has long been recognized as obsolete. It was surpassed by analogues with a foil base - folgoizol and metalloizol.
Folgoizol is a multilayer material
But these materials are far from ideal: bitumen in pure form does not tolerate frosts and temperature changes well, and is not friendly with ultraviolet radiation. The mastics used for gluing bitumen roll materials are also short-lived: sunlight quickly makes them brittle. As a result, the only advantage of such coatings - low cost - is completely erased by the costs of major repairs, which have to be carried out every 5-7 years.
Those wishing to have a roof with more long term services should pay attention to modern materials.
Bitumen-polymer roll coatings
Thanks to polymer additives, the volume fraction of which varies up to 12%, bitumen becomes more plastic and does not crack for much longer: the service life is 15–20 years. Fiberglass, fiberglass or polyester film is used as a frame. This group of materials includes:
A separate subgroup should include materials with additives of thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, crumb rubber and elastomers, which are considered very promising. These include:
- Dnepromast;
- filizol;
- thermoflex;
- dneproflex;
- loves;
- elabit;
- steklomast T;
- atactone;
- mastoplast;
- isoplast;
- bicroelast;
- bikroplast, etc.
Due to their durability, bitumen-polymer materials reduce the cost of maintaining a soft roof by 2 times. At the same time, they inherited some disadvantages from bituminous materials:
- the coating must be laid in several layers (3–5);
- a protective powder of stone chips is required;
- V hot weather the coating softens greatly and can slide off if the roof slope is more than 25 degrees.
Rolled materials made from petroleum-polymer resins or rubber
The most progressive option has the following advantages:
- laying is done in one layer (the second name is single-layer membranes);
- does not soften in the heat, so it can be laid on roofs with any slope;
- the roll width can reach 15 m, so the coating has very few seams;
- can be installed in winter;
- the material is elastic and very durable;
- resistant to frost and ultraviolet radiation, does not oxidize;
- has been serving for more than 25 years.
The material can be glued using special glue or bitumen (some brands are available in a self-adhesive version), fixed with threaded fasteners, or simply sprinkled with a layer of crushed stone.
The roofing membrane is made from ethylene propylene rubber and polypropylene (approximately 30% of the total composition)
Due to single-layer installation and the significant service life of the membrane, the costs of installing and maintaining a roof are reduced by 4 times in comparison with bitumen.
Rubber and polymer membranes successfully released in Russia. As an example, we can cite materials from Cromel (JSC Kirov Artificial Leather Plant) and Rukril (JSC Chemical Plant in Rezha near Yekaterinburg), as well as products from JSC Nizhnekamskneftekhim.
Liquid materials (mastics)
IN in this case We are not talking about adhesive mastics, but about bitumen-polymer and polymer compositions with which self-leveling roofs are made. In everyday life they are often called “ liquid rubber" The base material is mixed with a hardener and in this form is applied to a flat surface. After some time, the liquid turns into a durable, elastic, rubber-like coating, which does not have a single seam.
The maximum elongation of the material is 1000%, so it maintains its integrity even when the roof is deformed.
Liquid rubber is based on bitumen, and the material can be applied with a brush, which makes it convenient to use
Mastics are resistant to weather factors, including low temperatures and UV radiation, and their service life depends on the composition:
- bitumen-rubber - 15 years (for example, Venta-U, Gekopren, Elamast);
- bitumen-latex - 20 years (“Blam-20”, etc.);
- butyl rubber and chlorosulfopolyethylene - 25 years (“Polikrov-L”, “Polikrov M-120”, “Polikrov M-140”, etc.)
Liquid roofing materials tolerate deformation, temperature changes and ultraviolet radiation well
An important advantage of self-leveling roofing coverings is their low weight - from 2 to 10 kg/m2.
If installation is carried out on a roof with a large slope and at temperatures above +25 0 C, cement or another thickener must be added to the mastic.
Mastics are safe for health, as they do not emit harmful volatile substances. For application, the cold spray method is used, eliminating the possibility of fire.
Preparing tools
You cannot repair a soft roof with your bare hands, so you need to arm yourself with the following tools:
You need to wear safety glasses when working with a gas burner.
Soft roof repair technology
The method of roof restoration depends on what defects were identified.
Gluing the peeled panel
The operation is carried out in stages:
- The detached fragment rises. The base or roll material underneath is cleared of debris and thoroughly dried with a construction hairdryer.
- The base is coated with bitumen mastic and the peeled panel is glued.
- The top of the restored seam is also coated with mastic.
You can make bitumen mastic yourself. It is used in two forms:
- cold: for repairing internal layers;
- when hot: as an outer covering.
For cooking cold mastic You will need the following ingredients in a 1:2:2 ratio, respectively:
- dusty filler (lime, gypsum, ash);
- bitumen;
- petrol.
First of all, you need to heat the bitumen to 180 º C and keep it there until all the water contained in it has evaporated. After this, the components are mixed, the mastic is cooled and used for its intended purpose.
You can prepare a small amount of bitumen mastic yourself
Gasoline cannot be poured into heated bitumen, but vice versa - bitumen into gasoline.
To prepare hot mastic, bitumen is heated in a boiler to 200 º C and boiled, gradually adding filler. Mixing can be done with a stick. It is important that the temperature of the bitumen when mixing does not fall below 160 º C, otherwise the quality of the material will be extremely low.
The mastic must be used immediately after preparation; it cannot be stored.
The patch is installed in the following order:
- The damaged area is cut down with an ax. If the defect looks like a bubble, it needs to be cut crosswise and dried, bending the resulting “petals”. After drying, they are returned to their place, gluing them with bitumen or nailing them.
- Next, all debris is removed from the coating area adjacent to the defect, after which it is cleaned of dirt and dust.
- The defect, together with the adjacent area, is filled with bitumen mastic or sealant.
- A fragment of rolled material is glued on top, which should cover the damaged area with a good margin.
- The patch is filled with bitumen mastic or sealant, which must be rolled over it using a roller. The distribution is carried out so that greatest thickness the fill had patches on the edges.
The order of operations when installing a patch on euroroofing felt
Patching a roof is not the best reliable way repairs, since it does not cover hidden defects. Experienced craftsmen try to use a method that, although more expensive, is 100% effective - “repair the old way.”
Video: minor roof repairs
"Old renovation"
The worn-out roof is completely covered with a new covering without dismantling the old one. Before this, it needs to be put in order - cleaned of debris and dirt, sweep away dust.
Before such repairs, it is necessary to assess whether the structures can support the weight of the old and new coating. In any case, the number of layers on the roof should not exceed eight.
Video: roof repair “the old way”
Major renovation
If there is significant damage to the roof, even “repairing it the old way” becomes impossible. In such a situation, you should resort to major repairs. In the most advanced case, it will consist of the following stages:
- Removing old roofing.
- Knocking down the screed.
- Dismantling the insulation.
- Restoring or replacing the vapor barrier.
- Repair of the internal drainage system.
- Laying insulation.
- Giving the surface the required slope using sand backfill.
- Installation of funnels for internal drainage systems.
- Laying cement-sand screed. To prevent water from evaporating from the solution, it can be covered with bitumen after installation.
- Installation of the roof covering (the screed is treated with a primer before this).
The rolls are rolled out parallel to the bottom edge of the roof, starting from the bottom. Each subsequent strip overlaps the previous one with an overlap of 10 cm. For significant slopes, the amount of overlap must be increased. The edges of the strips are treated with bitumen mastic.
The next layer is laid with the seams bandaged, that is, so that the new strips cover the edges of the strips of the underlying layer.
Before laying the last, top layer, it is recommended to fill the roof with water and see if there are any puddles left somewhere. If there are any, they are marked with chalk, after which the water is driven off and the roof is dried. Next, the marked areas are filled hot mastic or an additional piece of rolled material no more than 1 mm thick is placed on them.
The work is completed by applying a reflective or fire retardant coating. Traditional materials - roofing felt, glassine or roofing felt - need to be covered with hot bitumen mastic on top and then sprinkled with stone chips. It is pressed into the bitumen with a roller. New materials usually already have a protective powder.
It is clear that if the condition of some elements or layers of the roof is satisfactory, the work associated with them may not be performed. In a good situation, major repairs may be limited to replacing the roofing with minor local repairs to the base and minor repairs of some elements.
If the roof repair was carried out by a third-party organization, then another stage is added to the list - checking the quality of the work. Here's what a homeowner needs to pay attention to:
- Correct installation of panels. They should lie flat, with an even overlap along the entire length and not too much overlap.
- The tightness of the edges of the coating to the base. Strong winds undermine the roof just at the edges, so it is extremely important that they are glued or melted very carefully and securely.
- Presence of leaks during rain. At first the ceilings top floor After each rain, you should carefully inspect for water leaks. Conscientious companies and teams involved in roof repairs usually provide a guarantee for their work, so if a leak is detected, the customer has every right to demand that the defects be corrected.
Before contacting a third-party organization, it would be useful to study regulations regulating the installation of soft roofs. First of all - SNiP II-26–76 “Roofs” (section “Roofs made of roll and mastic materials”). Of course, in some small details they lag behind life, in particular, they do not take into account the appearance of new materials on the market, but the bulk of the recommendations presented are quite relevant.
Video: major renovation
Emergency repairs in winter
Most materials used for soft roofing are installed when low temperatures not calculated. But an emergency situation may well occur in winter: the roof may be damaged a large number of snow, heavy snowstorm or ice movement. The following recommendations will help you carry out emergency repairs:
- First of all, the roof must be freed from snow, but in such a way as not to damage it even more. It is best to use a rubber-coated scraper for this purpose.
- To temporarily patch a hole, you should use materials that do not become brittle in the cold. Of these, the most affordable are corrugated sheets and metal tiles. If you decide to make a patch from bitumen material, it must be kept in a heated room until the last moment. When frozen, it will crack when unwrapped.
- There are varieties of sealants designed for use at low temperatures - they should be used.
- We must not forget that it gets dark early in winter, so you should take care of lighting the work area.
- The equipment should provide for the possibility of a sharp deterioration in the weather, and it is also advisable to have an assistant.
In winter, before starting repairs, it is necessary to clear the roof surface of snow.
Video: soft roof repair technology
Due to its low strength, soft roofing has to be repaired quite often, but today the situation can be significantly improved by using the latest materials. The main thing is to follow the safety rules governing work at height. The place where dismantled materials will be dumped must be fenced and marked with warning signs.
The service life of a roof covered with soft roofing materials is 15 years. But the roof will only withstand this period if it is properly maintained and sometimes repaired. Therefore, today we will talk about how to properly repair a soft roof. What nuances should you pay attention to in order to increase the quality of the final result? Accordingly, the roof will last longer.
Soft roof repair
Defects in soft roofing
It is not difficult to understand that the roof requires repair. It will just start leaking. Therefore, first of all, you need to climb onto the roof and determine its possible defects. True, you should not allow situations with leaks. It is recommended to inspect the soft roof periodically. Experts advise doing this twice a year.
So, what defects can be detected:
cracks and tears in roofing material;
its swelling due to penetration of moisture under the canvas;
peeling of material at the joints of strips;
the appearance of mold, mildew or moss, which indicates moisture collection in these areas;
depressions or grooves from mechanical pressure where moisture collects.
Defects in soft roofing
Selection of repair material
To cope with all of the above flaws, it is necessary to prepare material for repairing the soft roof, as well as a fastening composition. Since the structure of a soft roof consists of two applied layers: internal and external, respectively, the repair material for each of them must be selected separately, taking into account the characteristics of the products.
For the bottom layer, roll coatings with high thermal properties and increased elasticity are usually used. This group includes materials such as technoelast, fiberglass and bireplast. They are smooth with a thickness of 3-3.5 mm. For the top layer, they try to use a material with high waterproofing qualities. For example, uniflex, isoplast or isoelast with a thickness of 4-4.5 mm.
It should be noted right away that the top coating requires products sprinkled with stone chips on top. It protects the roof from sunlight. In principle, this is what it is distinguishing feature, which becomes the basis for the choice of materials for the bottom layer and outer cover.
Uniflex roll
Choosing a fastening composition
Until recently, ordinary bitumen was used to repair soft roofs. It was heated in a barrel over a fire and served hot to the place where the soft roofing material was laid. We must pay tribute that this technology has not yet become obsolete. There are areas where bitumen is still used to repair roofs.
Modern restoration of soft roofing involves the use of bitumen-based mastics. In this case, mastics can be used both hot and cold.
Bitumen mastic
On our website you can find contacts construction companies, which offer turnkey roof repair services of any complexity. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.
Repair features
The first stage is to identify roofing defects and the scope of upcoming work. Based on complexity and volume, repairs are divided into three categories:
current, when minor flaws are found on the surface;
capital, when it becomes clear that sealing cracks is not enough;
emergency when the roof simply began to leak.
Let's consider each situation separately.
Maintenance
The easiest way is to repair the cracks. They are simply filled with mastic or hot bitumen, and a patch cut from roofing felt is laid on top. After which the repair site is completely filled with a fastening compound. The main thing is that the mastic also covers the joints of the patch with the main roofing material.
If it is necessary to repair a crack on the roof ridge, then to do this, cut out a patch, which is glued to the defect location with mastic and additionally pierced with nails.
How to patch a crack in a skate
Peeled joints are also repaired, but for this they additionally use a hair dryer or gas burner. Both types of equipment are used to dry the space under the outer layer of a soft roof.
The latter is lifted, the inner surface of the upper flooring and the upper plane of the lower layer are dried.
Bitumen mastic is applied between layers.
Stacked upper layer onto the bottom one and press it well, using, for example, a spatula or roller.
The joint must be coated with mastic.
A defect in the form of a depression where water collects is repaired using a special technology.
To do this, the place of the flaw must be cut sharp knife in the form of a cross. It is better to make the slots to a solid base.
Here the hole is filled, for example, with cement mortar.
After drying, the base is treated with a bonding mixture, onto which the cut ends of the lower layer are laid.
The bottom flooring is treated with mastic from above.
Lay the cut ends of the outer covering.
Another layer of mastic is applied, which is immediately sprinkled with stone chips on top.
How to repair a depression on a soft roof
On our website you can get acquainted with the most from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses “Low-Rise Country”.
If soft roofing material has been laid on continuous sheathing made of lumber or wood boards, then the depression is sealed using the mastic itself or hot bitumen by pouring it onto the bottom layer.
Capital
Let's now talk about the technology for repairing soft roofs, where simple operations in the form of patches are not enough. The essence overhaul consists in the fact that the old roofing covering is partially dismantled in those areas where the defects are significant. For example, in the photo below you can see the condition of the roof covered bitumen shingles. This area definitely needs to be completely renovated.
Roof defect requiring major repairs
The essence of the technology is that the soft roofing material is carefully removed from the installation site. The main thing is not to damage areas that are in good condition. If rolled material was used to cover the roof, it is cut along the boundaries of the defective area. It is better to do this in smooth, straight lines, even if you have to dismantle part of a good section.
If you are repairing a roof covered with soft tiles, you will have to remove the shingles that have actually become unusable.
Ideally, cut the coating down to the base. If the roof is insulated, then check what condition it is in thermal insulation material. If it was expanded clay, then it is simply dried with a construction hairdryer. If the slab material is made from mineral wool or polystyrene foam boards, they are dismantled and replaced with new ones. Because the moisture that passed through the roofing probably ruined the insulation.
Be sure to inspect the base. As with the depression, it will have to be cleaned and leveled.
The repair process itself is carried out using soft roof installation technology. That is:
mastic is poured onto the repaired base;
the bottom layer of roofing material is laid;
another layer of mastic on top;
outer covering.
Major repairs of soft roofing
It is important to make sure that the new layers overlap the old ones. And at the joints they must use mastic. It performs the functions of both a fastening composition and a waterproofing material.
It should be noted that repairing a soft roof with insulation is the most difficult process. This especially applies to flat roofs, where slab materials were used for thermal insulation. This requires a special attitude towards connecting the sections (new and old) to each other. Therefore, the gaps between the laid slabs are filled with polyurethane foam. This old technology, which is rarely used today. It is better to fill it with a special sealant, which is also available in foam cans. It’s just that the latter of the sealant does not expand in volume and lasts a long time.
Emergency
There is no point in discussing this for a long time, because emergency roof repair (its technology) is comparable to the technology of covering a roof with a soft roof. That is, the roofing material is completely dismantled, the thermal insulation layer is removed, and the base is checked for technical condition. And based on the results of the research, they decide whether to repair the roof base or not.
All other operations are carried out in the following sequence: repair of the base, laying a thermal insulation cake, installation of roofing material. Essentially, you are getting a new roof.
Let us add that today on the construction market you can purchase special mastics based on bitumen and polymers. They cost more than rolled and piece soft roofing materials, but are better in all respects. And it’s easier to lay them on roofs, because it’s mastic, which is applied using a regular spatula. In this case, on the roof surface it turns out seamless coating with high mechanical strength and heat resistance.
Video description
Modern roofing mastics for repair soft roofs in the video:
Conclusion on the topic
The degree of complexity of repairing a roof covered with soft roofing materials lies in the type and number of defects. Sometimes craftsmen decide to completely re-cover the structure, just so as not to bother with a large number of cracks. In many cases, this is a justified decision, because a cracked surface is a sign that the roofing material is at its limit.