Flat Roofing Contractor Understand Perils Of Water

While the object of a flat roof and a peaked roof are the same, to keep water out of the building, the installation methods are different and an experienced flat roofing contractor can get the job done, promising no leaks. If a flat roof in installed incorrectly, initial appearance may hide the potential for leaks, allowing bubbles to form under the materials and not allow leaks to show for a month or more.

Installing, replacing or repairing a flat roof requires the flat roofing contractor to understand how water works and how it can seep into the interior of a building around the many accessories typically installed on a roof. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning units, vents and utility lines may all run through or across the roof, especially in commercial buildings and proper installation techniques can prevent leaks forming around the roof penetrations.

When it comes time for replacement, removing the old roof may be necessary and a good flat roofing contractor can insure once the old roofing materials has been removed that the structure is sound an ready for new product. Without that experience and dedication to quality work, the new roof can be damaged on left over nails, pipe supports or other unwanted items left on the roof surface.

Many New Materials Options Available For Roofing

In the past, most flat roofing contractor companies worked with tar and gravel to seal a roof, with tar paper rolled on first to create an initial barrier. Once the paper was done, each seam sealed and edges receiving additional cold tar, hot tar was typically spread evenly across the roof. As an alternative, once the paper was covering the roof, hot tar was applied with a broom, working it into all seams and joints and into area where the paper met penetrations.

This was usually done in small sections to insure the tar was hot when it came to end of the section, and then gravel was evenly spread across the surface to provide strength and durability. Additionally, it provided an untouched area on which workers could walk without damaging the new section of roofing materials.

Today, a flat roofing contractor has additional options such as plastic membranes rolled onto the roof to provide a stronger moisture barrier between the building and the elements. While they are easier to work with, they are lightweight and even the slightest breeze can make working with these membranes quite tricky. This material will still need to be properly sealed at joints, overlaps and at all roof penetrations to protect against leaks.