Repairing membrane seams, drains and edges on flat and low-slope roofs that hold snow and water on Moscow buildings.
Fastest: call (833) 751-2102. Or send this and we call you back.
Flat and low-slope roof repair fixes the membrane, seams, drains and edges on roofs that do not shed water or snow quickly. Those roofs hold snow for longer, so water can stay on them after a thaw. A technician checks the drainage path first, then repairs the seam or patch that the water has found.
A flat or low-slope roof is one with so little slope that water and snow stay on it instead of running off. That is useful for some purposes, and it can be found on additions, rear sections, garages and older commercial buildings in the town.
Most repairs on these roofs come down to where water stands. A low spot holds a puddle after rain, and the puddle can sit against a seam or an edge for days.
A local roofer checks the drainage before the covering. The phone line at (833) 751-2102 is answered around the clock, and a visit the same day is possible when a technician is free.
Do not walk a flat roof in snow or ice, and do not step on a soft or bubbling area of membrane, since it can give way without warning. Keep the edges and the parapet clear of anyone standing on the ground below, because snow and ice can slide off a low roof edge. Never try to clear a blocked drain by reaching over the edge or from a ladder without a second person and a secure footing. Call a roofer to repair the membrane or the drains, because a patch that is not properly bonded can lift and let water in.
Seams that have opened or lifted at the edge are the most common flat-roof repair. An edge that is not sealed lets water run under the membrane at the point where the roof meets the wall or the parapet. The repair re-bonds or re-laps the seam and secures the edge so that the snow and the water cannot get underneath.
A split or blister in the membrane is patched with a piece that overlaps the sound material around it. A blister that is still firm can sometimes be opened, dried and sealed, while one that has gone soft has to be cut out and replaced. This repair suits a single defect on an otherwise sound roof, and the patch must be wider than the damage.
Where water stands for days, the low spot is corrected by regrading or by adding a drain, so that water leaves the roof. This is a larger repair than a patch, and it changes the path the water takes. It suits a roof that fails at the same low point every season, because the patch alone will not stop the water from pooling there.
Call any hour and explain what is going on. You get a clear price before any work starts.
A flat or low-slope roof has so little incline that snow and water do not run off on their own. The snow stays on the surface for longer, and the water it releases has to find a drain or an edge to leave. A sloped roof sheds both quickly, so the difference is one of drainage and time.
On a steep roof the force of gravity moves water and snow toward the edge in a few hours. On a low-slope roof the same snow may sit for weeks, and the melt runs slowly across the surface, looking for the lowest point.
A repair is usually enough when the defects are small, isolated and the membrane is sound around them. Replacement is worth considering when defects are spread across the roof and the membrane is brittle or patched many times. The technician judges the roof itself, since the age of the membrane cannot be read from a single number.
Look at the membrane for how many patches and repairs are already on it. A roof with many old patches is one where the membrane has been losing its seal for years, and each new patch is a weaker point.
The price depends on the area of membrane involved, the number and type of defects, the drainage work needed and the access to the roof. Parapets, wall flashing and the height of the building also change the work. The price is explained and approved before any work starts.
A single seam or patch is a small job, while a roof with several defects and a drainage correction is a larger one. The type of membrane and the detail at each edge decide how the repair is made, and some materials need more preparation than others.
Leaves, grit and ice collect around drains and scuppers and reduce the flow of water to the outlet. In winter, meltwater can freeze at the drain and block it completely. A blocked drain makes standing water worse and adds weight to the roof, so keeping the outlets clear is part of any flat-roof maintenance.
A drain at a low point collects everything that runs toward it, including grit from the surface and debris from nearby trees. When the drain is clogged, the water rises over the membrane until it finds another route, often under a seam or along an edge.
A flat roof should not be walked on when snow or ice is present, and it should be checked from the ground or from a safe access point. The membrane can be damaged by foot traffic and by the edges of a shovel. A technician will decide when the roof can be safely worked on, and will set up temporary protection if needed.
A roof that holds snow is slippery underneath as well as on top, and the membrane can conceal a soft spot that a boot will break through. Walking a roof that is loaded with snow also puts weight on the joints and the drains, which are the points most likely to give way.
The technician starts with the drains, scuppers and the low points where water stands. A roof that cannot drain will keep failing at the same spot, however well the membrane is patched. Each drain is checked for blockage and each low point is marked, so the repair can be planned around where the water actually goes.
The membrane is walked and checked for blisters, splits, soft spots and open seams. Seams are the most common point of failure, especially at the edges and where the membrane meets a wall or a drain. The technician records each defect with its position so the repair can be checked against the list afterwards.
Debris, grit and loose material are cleared from the membrane so that the repair material can bond to a clean surface. A wet or dirty membrane will not take a patch properly, so the crew waits for dry conditions where possible. Old patches that are lifting are cut back to sound material before a new one is applied.
Each defect is repaired with material that suits the membrane and the detail. A seam is re-bonded or re-lapped, a split is patched with a piece that overlaps the sound membrane, and a lifted edge is secured and sealed. The repair is made to the detail rather than covered with a general coating that will hide the problem for one season.
After the repair, the technician checks that water now runs to the drains rather than standing. A wet day is the best time for the test, because it shows where any new standing water forms. If a low spot still holds water, the crew notes whether it needs regrading or a new drain before the winter.
On the Palouse, flat and low-slope roofs are most often found on additions, rear sections, garages and the older commercial buildings that line the main streets. Snow sits on these roofs for longer than on steep ones, and the melt has to find a drain or an edge before the next freeze.
Moscow has a university and a large share of rental housing, and many of its additions and small rear buildings are rented out. A flat roof on a rental is often the landlord's responsibility and the tenant's daily concern, and access may have to be arranged around the academic calendar.
The Palouse dries out in the summer, and that dry, bright season is when many roof repairs are scheduled. A membrane that has been sitting under snow and water all winter needs to be checked before the heat of July, when UV and thermal cycling can open a repair that was not properly bonded.
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Repairs to shingles, flashing, valleys and eaves, worked out from where the roof actually lets water in.
Resetting or replacing the metal at valleys, chimneys, sidewalls and vent pipes that keeps water out of a Moscow roof.
How snow weight, drifting and roof shape affect a Palouse roof, and who confirms the design figure for an address.
Gutter repair and new runs, planned so meltwater leaves the eave instead of freezing at it.
Snow on a low-slope roof melts slowly and the water runs toward the lowest point. A seam or patch that is sound in the dry can open under the weight of standing water or when the water finds a gap. The leak appears when the melt reaches the defect, which is why it often shows after a thaw rather than during the snowfall.
A patch that is properly bonded and sits over sound membrane can last through the winter, but a patch that is applied in cold or wet conditions may not bond. The technician will say whether the weather allows a proper repair, and whether a temporary cover is the better choice until spring. Ask for that answer before the crew leaves.
The permit depends on how much of the roof is disturbed and on the city or county where the building sits. Moscow treats a reroof as its own permit category, and Pullman lists reroofing as a permit category too. A small patch may not need a permit, while replacement of a larger area usually will. Ask the building department before any work starts.
Ask whether each drain and scupper is clear, whether any low spot holds water after rain, and whether the outlets freeze in a cold snap. Ask the technician to test the drainage on a wet day if possible. A drain that cannot clear the water needs a fix before any patch, because the patch will fail at the same point.
Snow sliding off a sloped roof can land on a low roof below and add a concentrated load. Where a sloped section meets a flat one, the snow can build up in the joint. The technician checks that junction for drifting and for the flashing that seals it, and may recommend retention on the slope above.
A repair can be worth doing if the membrane is sound around the defect and the drainage can be corrected. If the membrane is brittle, has been patched many times or is pulling away from the edges, a repair may only delay a larger job. The technician will explain what the roof can support and what the options are, so you can decide with the facts in front of you.