24 Jan What To Do If Your Roof Is Leaking?
Water leakages is the most common reason behind building damage in tropical regions of the world. The quantity and frequency of downpours test a building’s waterproofing capabilities throughout the year.
Roofs are a common source of water leakages within a building as they are highly exposed to rain and debris. This makes their initial workmanship and subsequent maintenance of strong importance to building owners.
As a building owner, you should be wary of roof leakages and the potential damage it may cause to your office or home. In this article, we will cover how a roof is susceptible to water leakages as well as the measures that you can take to prevent it.
Why Is Your Roof Leaking And How To Protect Against Them
Obstruction at Drainage Points or Paths
Possibly the top cause of water penetration through your roof is that of blocked drainage systems. All roofs have drainage paths that direct water to an exit point from the roof. However, both the paths and the actual drain exit are prone to becoming choked with debris.
It is not unheard of for roofs whose drainage points have been choked to end up with ponding in multiple areas. A typical debris that falls onto drainage paths is that of leaves or twigs that fall from nearby trees. If your roof is accessible by the public, then human litter may also cause drain choking.
As such, you will need to perform regular checks on both paths and drains to ensure that no debris are existent. Moreover, you should purchase and install leaf guards to reduce the rate at which drainage points become choked.
Mini Ponds Build Up
Within the industry, we define ponding as a body of water that remains on your roof for longer than a period of 48 hours from the period of precipitation. As covered before, choked drainage is a big culprit for ponding as water is unable to escape from the roof.
In addition to choked drainage, poor workmanship also contributes ponding. During the construction phase, if workmanship of the drainage paths is not done well, water will not travel as intended. For example, poor angle calculation or incorrect path construction will allow water to build up at select points on your roof.
To prevent ponding, we recommend that you conduct an inspection of your roof after each rainfall. You should look for any signs of standing water even if no leaks are observed. Any standing water on your roof will stress its existing waterproofing system and lead to penetration over time.
Damaged Waterproofing Systems
At the time of construction, your contractors would have likely installed a form of waterproofing system in order to offer resistance to penetration. Unfortunately, these systems are subject to stress, wear and tear as time goes on.
In particular, ponding places pressure on the waterproofing systems with penetration beyond the surface waterproofing layer occurring. This leads to splits, cracks, blisters and punctures depending on the waterproofing material.
Once the layer is compromised, evaporating vapours will cause larger holes for leakages. The cycle of penetration and enlarging occurs repeatedly until water starts to penetrate into your building at a high rate.
Protruding Structures on Your Roof Are Vulnerable to Water Penetration
Protruding structures such as vents and pipes are prime areas for water penetration on your roof. The point at which such structures protrude from your roof is likely to contain gaps through which water can penetrate.
To protect these areas, we recommend the usage of flashing, filed wraps, pope boots and rain collars. However, it should be noted that these installations only help to limit exposure to water and not waterproof the area.
Inspecting Your Roof For Leakages
To find out if your roof has water seepage, we recommend using the following steps as a guide:
- Check for droplets of water forming on your ceiling or walls. Alternatively, peeling paint or dulling of your wall colours are other indications of advance water leakage problems.
- Stick a strip of aluminium foil to your ceiling for 24 hours. After this duration, check it for condensation. If the aluminium foil has condensation on the wall facing side, then your building may be housing water behind its walls.
- Conduct a visual inspection of your roof. Look out for any cracks that may have formed. If found, you may apply a layer of epoxy to temporary seal up the crack and to slow down water seepage.
- Check the gutters on your roof if you have previously set them up. Ensure that they are clear of debris and that all drainage paths are working as intended.
- Engage a professional roof repair Singapore company to conduct a thorough inspection. This includes moisture screening based on moisture meters, infrared imaging and thermography. Such professional equipment allows them to determine probable leaking points by scanning for wet areas beneath the surface.
How Professionals Waterproof Your Roof
A variety of waterproofing tools, materials and techniques exist on the market. This include traditional paints, coatings and sealants that provide good resistance to water penetration. However, by themselves, these traditional solutions do not last in the long run.
For example, sealants are vulnerable to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, oxidation and cracking. As such, they require you to engage in high maintenance and frequent reapplications.
Instead, we recommend that you engage a waterproofing specialist contractor to apply a waterproofing membrane to your roof. A waterproofing membrane is a fully waterproof layer that is resistant to UV, pollution, salt and chemicals. Since it is highly robust and water tight, it provides a great long term waterproofing solution to your roof.
Choose ProSeal Contracts for Your Roof Waterproofing Needs
ProSeal Contracts is a waterproofing company in Singapore with more than 20 years’ experience. As one of the leading waterproofing contractor companies, we use the highest quality of materials to ensure long lasting results. Trust us to assess, choose and apply the right waterproofing procedures for your building’s needs.
Our waterproofing methodology for a roofs is a 5 coats technique that ensures years of protection against water leakages. Additionally, it insulates against deterioration from carbonation, acid or chemical attack.
If you suspect that your roof is leaking, contact us to find out about our roof leak repair services.
Have a metal or flat roof? Find out more about the leakages that can happen to them here:
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