Soft roof repair technology. How to repair a soft roof with your own hands: a review of methods for restoring flexible coverings Situation #2 – repairing a membrane roof

Our roofers are ready to carry out installation from scratch and eliminate any defects in short time. We recommend that you contact us immediately if you discover the following defects:

• Formation of swellings and deformations on the surface roofing covering;
• The appearance of fungus and signs of rotting;
• Detection of areas of water accumulation on the surface. To look for damage, you can pour water on the roof to find areas where moisture has accumulated. They are marked with chalk and then they begin to repair the damage;
• Problems with overlap at joints;
• Mechanical damage to the material as a result of careless work (installation of antennas, removal of ice and snow).

If you think that everything is in order with the roof of your house, but want to make sure of this and prevent the formation of defects, then we recommend Maintenance. It includes a visual inspection of the roofing surface.

As a rule, even if you thought that the roof was in order, problems such as small cracks or leaks at the joints will still be discovered. This is the most common type of repair soft roof.

Capital installation work are considered the most expensive and are done in case of serious damage, when the tightness is broken and moisture penetrates into the premises.

Emergency repairs are also called urgent repairs. It is necessary in case of sudden damage, for example due to a fallen tree or strong wind.

When choosing a material for roofing, we are guided by three main criteria: price, service life, convenience (so that it is not only warm and dry, but also less noise during rain or during the ripening period of acorns and cones). Our task is to balance these three parameters.

Perhaps the easiest solution is a roof made of bitumen shingles. Taking into account the price of the material itself, ease of installation, characteristics flexible tiles one of the best. They are distinguished by good sound/heat insulation, high level resistance to moisture, various atmospheric phenomena. This coating does not rot, does not rust, and is resistant to fungi and mold.

The flexibility of bituminous shingles not only allows you to carry out the most daring design projects roof, but also ensures reliable tightness of the joints. Thanks to this quality, it is quite easy and simple to carry out repairs and correct defects that arose during the operation of the building.

When is roof repair necessary?

If you select quality material and comply with all technological requirements during installation, the bitumen roof will last for many years without causing any worries to its owners. To do this, it is necessary to arrange under-roof ventilation to prevent the formation of condensation. Creation " roofing pie» with the mandatory use of heat/vapor barrier is also a necessary condition for long-term service of flexible tiles.

The coating itself is of some kind special care does not need. Although in winter, during heavy snowfalls, it would be useful to clean the snow with a plastic or wooden shovel, leaving about 10 cm untouched so as not to damage the bitumen layer. In the off-season, if possible, it is advisable to clean the roof of dirt, dust, and debris with water from a hose. This will make it easier to detect minor defects and damage.

Advice. At least once a year, personally inspect your shingle roof for damage or leaks.

If during the inspection the following were found:

• mechanical damage due to falling branches, hail,
• wear of the coating or defects resulting from poor quality care - abrasions, cracks, chips, peeling,

Roof repairs and replacements cannot be put off.

Repairing leaks

In the generally accepted understanding, a leak is water pouring from the ceiling. But it is not always the case. There are roof leaks that we don’t even know about, but which can damage it completely, even to the point of destruction. This is why annual roof inspections are so important. Leaks have different natures:

• Stormwater - water flows during or immediately after rain.
• Snow - associated with the melting of the lower layer of snow.
• Dry - appear in dry weather due to condensation formed in the under-roof space.
• Wandering - not associated with precipitation or condensation. They appear at any time due to microcracks in flexible bitumen shingles, formed as a result of violation of laying technology or long-term operation.

Advice. A leak is an emergency situation in the house. You can't be idle. It is necessary to find a qualified roofer as quickly as possible who will quickly fix the problem.

Repair bitumen roofing performed in dry weather, at air temperatures above +5 ºС. If there are small cracks in the shingles, sealing is carried out. The damaged tile is lifted and lubricated from the inside bitumen sealant. Then you need to press it firmly into place, treat the front part of the damaged area and all joints with adjacent tiles.

If the damage is more severe, one or more tiles will need to be repaired and replaced. To do this, the repair site must be thoroughly cleaned of dust. The tiles of the top row are carefully lifted over the damaged tiles using a metal spatula, holes are cut out under the heads of the fastening nails with a knife, and the defective area is removed. Then the nails are removed using a nail puller lined with a piece of plywood.

Low fat inner side new tiles covered with bitumen sealant, it is inserted into place of the damaged one, under the top row, pressed tightly and secured with nails. All joints of new tiles are covered with sealant. During roof repairs, you need to walk on soft shoes, use ladders wrapped in thick fabric, and safety belts. If traces of moisture are found under damaged tiles, dry the moisture with a torch.

Current, major repairs and replacement of roofing made of bitumen flexible tiles

Any roof damage or leakage requires shingle repair. The roof repair itself can be emergency, routine or major. Everything is clear with emergency repairs, but what is the difference between current and major repairs?

If during periodic inspection of the roof defects, damage, or leaks are detected on less than 30% of the roof area, routine repairs are performed. The roof is thoroughly cleaned of dust and dirt; the number of sheets of flexible tiles that need to be repaired and replaced is calculated; the full scope of work is determined.

To reduce the cost of ongoing repairs or in case the tiles of flexible tiles are sintered together, patching can be done. The damaged area is thoroughly cleaned until the shale chips are removed, and a patch of the same material is installed on top of it with an overlap of at least 10 cm.

Advice. For work, choose dry, warm weather(above +5 ºС). During repairs, use light walking shoes and soft shoes.

If more than 50% of the surface is damaged or irreversible changes in the state of the power set are detected, it is required major renovation and roof replacement. Major repairs are carried out in summer in dry weather. The roof is completely cleaned of old covering and substrate. A mandatory step after this should be a complete inspection of the sheathing, the entire strength set, as well as the “roofing pie”. If necessary, defective parts are replaced with new ones.

If the subsequent installation of a roof made of flexible tiles is planned, but it was not provided for on the old roof under-roof ventilation, it needs to be done. After tensioning the waterproofing, you need to install a counter-lattice with ventilation gap about 50 mm. Then the roof is sheathed with a continuous waterproof decking made of plywood, OSB or dry eurolining, and bitumen shingles are laid on top of the substrate.

D Let's face the sad truth - repair of soft roofs, flat roofs, roll materials it is required much more often than we would like. But it's not that bad! If you carry out this repair in accordance with the requirements of the technology, it will last at least ten to twelve years, or even longer. Here we will look how to repair soft, rolled or flat roof , the most common damage, methods for eliminating them. We will also find out the destructive factors that lead to damage to the coating.

What is and how to repair a soft roof

First, you need to understand what a soft, rolled roof is and what it consists of, in order to determine the nature of the damage and the necessary measures for repair. Soft roofing (also known as flat roofing or roofing made from roll materials) is so called because a layer of flexible, “soft” materials produced in the form of rolls serves as protection against moisture. They are a base made of cardboard, fiberglass, fabric, on top of which a layer of bitumen is applied.

Such a roof received the name “flat” because of its small slopes (3-5%), in contrast to those made from sheet and piece materials. More details can be found by following the link.

Main installation methods roll roofing are:

1. gluing on bitumen mastic;
2. fusing with a gas burner or other device that creates a high-temperature air stream.

However, the differences in the methods of installing a soft roof relate to the final stage of work - laying the rolled carpet. A section of a soft roof “sandwich” consists of the following layers (see Fig. 1).

1. Base. The base is the floor structures. It can be reinforced concrete slabs(panels), wood or metal flooring.

2. Vapor barrier. Arranged if there is insulation. The purpose of a vapor barrier is to protect the insulation from vaporous moisture.

3. Insulation. More often, loose-fill, rigid insulation materials are used (expanded clay crushed stone, furnace or blast furnace slag; foam aerated concrete), less often slabs made of rigid mini-slabs. This layer is often used to create the required roof slope.

4. Screed. Creates a hard, even “shell” on top of the insulation, for gluing the actual rolled carpet. Executed from cement-sand mortar brands 120-150. To increase strength, the screed is often reinforced with a wire mesh having cells of 100x100, 150x150 mm and made of 2.5-3 mm smooth wire.

5. Primer. Serves to increase the adhesion of the cement screed. Made from bitumen and solvents. You can make your own primer by mixing molten bitumen with diesel fuel in a ratio of 1:3. Instead of diesel fuel, to reduce the cost, they use inexpensive oil. For example, transformer, “axial”, used motor. Bituminous primer is also known as “primer”.

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Today it is considered one of the most popular roofing materials, used both for covering private houses, bathhouses, garages, and for multi-story construction. Roofing coverings in this group include piece and roll products made from bitumen and fiberglass. The undoubted advantages of this material are ease of installation, high noise, hydro and thermal insulation. Unlike working with other coatings, the technology for repairing a soft roof will not require a lot of time and labor, which makes it possible to carry out all the actions yourself.

Possible defects in soft roofing

To timely prevent unpleasant moments associated with violation of the integrity of the roofing covering, the roof of the house must be periodically inspected for the presence of damage such as:

• swelling of the coating;
• the appearance of fungus, moss and rotting in holes and cracks that contribute to the accumulation of water;
• peeling in areas of overlap and places where material sheets join;
• mechanical defects resulting from contact of the roof with guy wires, antennas, branches, and ice.

To increase the service life of soft roofing, external inspections should be carried out at least twice a year in order to detect and promptly eliminate visible defects. The roof needs regular cleaning of branches, debris and building materials, remaining on the roof after the construction of over-roof structures, in order to avoid their possible recessing into the roofing sheet.

When choosing materials for repairing soft roofs, it is recommended to pay attention to their most popular types:

• for the top layer - uniflex, linocrom, isoplast, isoelast (have a service life of more than 10 years);
• for the bottom layer - bireplast, glass elast, technoelast (they are elastic and create additional thermal insulation).

Materials for the top layer must contain mineral powder to protect against solar radiation; their thickness ranges from 4.5 to 5 mm. The thickness of the materials for the bottom layer is from 3 to 3.5 mm.

Choice of mastic

The top layer of soft roll sheet is laid using bitumen-polymer material, which forms a solid elastic coating that can withstand mechanical and temperature deformations of the base. Mastic for repairing soft roofs can be used both cold and hot.

Cold mastic (bitumen and roofing felt) is used to repair the internal layers of the roof, hot material (roofing felt and tar) is used as an external coating. A prerequisite is that the mastic contains bitumen and a dust-type mixture, for example, gypsum, lime and ash.

When repairing soft roofs with your own hands, you can also make bitumen mastic yourself. A cold mixture is formed by mixing one portion of filler with two portions of bitumen and the same amount of gasoline. You can mix the components only after all the water in the bitumen heated to 180 degrees has completely evaporated. Next, the mass is cooled and taken directly to work.

To prepare hot mastic, you will need a boiler in which the bitumen must be heated to 200 degrees, slowly adding filler. During the mixing process, the temperature should not fall below 160 degrees, otherwise the bitumen mass will be of poor quality.

It should be remembered that heated bitumen must be poured into gasoline, and under no circumstances should gasoline be poured into bitumen! It is necessary to stir the contents of the boiler with a wooden stick. Bitumen mastic not intended for long-term storage, work with it must begin immediately after preparation.

Features of soft roof repair

Before repairing a soft roof, a visual inspection of the roof surface is carried out in order to determine the scale of work. There are three types of repairs:

1. Current, aimed at eliminating small defects roofing sheet (cracks, holes, loose joints).
2. Major - necessary when current repairs are not able to ensure proper waterproofness of the roof.
3. Emergency - performed as a result of a leak, or after unexpected damage to the roof surface.

To remove small holes and cracks, defects are filled with bitumen mastic, a piece of roofing material is glued, and then an additional layer of bitumen is applied on top. The connection of separated joints is carried out as follows: the material is raised, the space under it is dried with a burner, then bitumen is applied to the dry area, and the material is lowered again. The problematic joint is once again treated with mastic.

Major repairs of soft roll roofing are carried out according to the following scheme:

• the worn coating is removed;
• is being restored cement strainer and, if necessary, heat, steam and waterproofing is laid;
• new one is being laid roofing material.

To eliminate possible accumulation of water on the surface of the roof, fill it with water and mark with chalk the areas where the water does not drain. Remove the water and dry the roof, then fill the marked areas with hot mastic or lay an additional layer of roofing felt no more than 1 mm thick. The final stage will be laying the top layer of the roof and then applying special staff, neutralizing negative impact external environment.

Before starting restoration work, it is necessary to prepare the following equipment for soft roof repair:

• gas burner (you can also heat the coating with a blowtorch, but in this case the work process will be significantly delayed);
• an ax or installation cutter for dismantling the old coating;
• sharp knife for cutting material;
• maklavitsa for applying primer and bitumen mastic;
• broom or broom to remove debris.

Carrying out roof repairs in winter time, a wooden shovel should be added to the listed equipment to clear the roof surface of snow. Don’t forget about workwear, without gloves, boots and work pants made of thick fabric It is not recommended to start work.

An important condition safe work with a gas burner is to use safety glasses.

Innovative trends in soft roof repairs

Seasonal temperature changes have detrimental consequences for the soft covering, leading to cracking, swelling and exposed areas of the roof. Using outdated methods, the need for partial or major repairs of the roofing sheet arises once every 1-2 years, bringing with it additional costs for dismantling the old and purchasing new material. The technology for repairing soft roofs using liquid rubber is a relatively new and safe method that is widely used in modern construction.

Innovative technology makes it possible to eliminate current and major repairs of the roof for a period of about 30-50 years thanks to such quality indicators as:

• safety - a two-component emulsion on an aqueous polymer-bitumen basis is applied using special equipment using the cold spray method, which eliminates the risk of fire during construction work; the substance does not contain harmful volatile compounds;
• durability - the material applied to the surface hardens almost immediately, forming a reliable rubber membrane that is resistant to high and low temperatures;
• high elasticity – the coefficient of ultimate elongation of the finished coating is more than 1000%, which gives this material the ability to “self-heal”.

The new technology for repairing the soft roof of a house has long gained popularity among foreign construction companies due to the absence of the disadvantages inherent in the outdated method based on the use of soft bitumen coatings. Liquid rubber can be used on both flat and pitched structures, and the ease of application of the canvas allows you to carry out all the work without resorting to the help of professionals.

Repairing a soft roof is a complex work process that is performed when the roofing covering of a certain structure is damaged and involves a set of operations aimed at eliminating deficiencies in the current roof of a building. Roof repair must be fulfilled in compliance with all requirements. You can do the work yourself, following a certain technology.

Characteristics of soft roof defects

Before starting any repair work, you should carefully check the roof surface for any serious damage. It should be borne in mind that most of them appear in the form the following violations roofs:

• clearly visible cracks, as well as noticeable delamination along the bonding line of the roofing material;
• small depressions with accumulated rainwater in them;
• wet places that provoked the disintegration of the coating and its contamination in these places by fungus or moss;
• characteristic swelling caused by moisture penetration directly under the coating;
• significant wear and clearly visible marks result from mechanical damage.

After thorough check and identifying all the defects seen, you will be able to determine which renovation work necessary to completely eliminate them (minor or major repairs).

Timely detection of material problems

Popularity soft roofs, presented both in rolls and other products, occupies leading position in the rating of materials. Fiberglass and bitumen are used to produce roofing sheets, which increases the level of flexibility of the sheet, making installation easier complex elements roofs. In addition, the roofing material is characterized by high sound insulation and strength, it is resistant to the penetration of fire and moisture.

To prevent deterioration roof, it is recommended to carry out a timely inspection of the structure, and if there are any shortcomings, repair the soft roof yourself or contact specialists. It doesn’t matter whether a major overhaul or partial renovation soft roof, technology must be followed.

Experienced experts advise performing roof check on various cracks and bloating, rather than waiting for moisture to penetrate into the room. If you stick to this rule, you won't have to for a long time repair soft roof. By performing an inspection and finding out the problem in time, you can limit yourself to routine minor repairs and thus save time and money.

According to a typical classification, leaks can be formed over a certain period. The manifestation of a leak of the first type indicates the presence of mechanical damage to the roof, incorrect installation or use low-quality materials. The second type of leakage occurs due to cracks in adjacent elements, intertwining of parts, as well as in case of violation of the installation technology of fences and drainage systems.

The presence of microcracks, poor-quality parapets, and the use of short aprons in the structure lead to “flickering” leaks. Often the roof structure is poorly designed or the wrong materials are chosen. It happens that technology is not followed installation This all leads to problems.

Thanks to periodic seasonal studies, it is possible to completely repair the roof or its individual parts, thereby increasing the time of its further use.

• formation of stains on the ceiling surface upper floors;
• formation of blisters on the ceiling;
• deterioration of the waterproofing layer at the junction;
• poor reliability of fastening elements and their tightness;
• the appearance of bubbles;
• great depth cracks on the surface.

Equipment for construction and repair work

Before you begin repairs, you must carefully calculate the number of necessary roofing materials and draw up a detailed work plan. This will significantly reduce repair time.

To restore the roof you will need:

• gas-burner, gearbox;
• cutter;
• pipe;
• putty knife;
• construction tape;
• bitumen mastic.

If major repairs are necessary flat roof, you may need cement-sand screed in places. In this case, you need earth, sand, cement and water.

Modern market building materials offers big choice roll roof coverings.

Materials for the device are:

• top level;
• bottom layer.

The top layer materials are coated with mineral binder particles that protect against sunlight. The thickness of the roll materials of the lower layer is 4.5−5 mm.

Technological process of roof repair

Regular roof maintenance provides comfort in the house. It is better to carry out repairs and installation of high-quality soft roofs in the dry and warm season. And it does not require much labor or time. The equipment used to repair soft roofs can be transported without problems by car.

Laying the top layer of the soft roll is carried out using bitumen-polymer material, which forms one elastic covering, capable of withstanding mechanical and thermal deformation of the substrate. Mastic for repairing high-quality soft roofs can be used both cold and hot.

Cold mastic (bitumen) is used for repairs inner layers roofs, hot material (resin) - as an external covering. Required condition is always the content of bitumen and powdered mixtures in the mastic, such as gypsum, lime and ash.

Having prepared the roof with your own hands, you can make bitumen mastic. Cold working mixture is formed by mixing one portion of filler with two batches of bitumen and with the same one amount of gasoline. Mixing components can only be done after the water has completely evaporated in the heated bitumen to 180 degrees. Then the mass is cooled and taken directly to work.

To prepare hot mastic, you need a boiler in which the bitumen needs to be heated to 200 degrees, slowly adding filler. During the mixing process, the temperature should not be lower than 160 degrees, otherwise the bitumen mass will be of poor quality.

It should be remembered that heated bitumen should be poured into gasoline, but not gasoline into bitumen. Mix the contents of the boiler with wooden stick. Bituminous mastic is not intended for long-term storage; you must immediately begin working with it after preparation.

Sequence of DIY work

The sequence of roof repairs depends on the roofing material used. It can be as rolled fusible materials, and flexible tiles. Technologically, their installation depends on the version of the roof itself.

Any surface repair begins with preparing the substrate. It is very important to always perform this task, otherwise even the most modern roofing materials will not last long.

Current repairs can be performed in two ways:

• partial replacement of roofing;
• laying new layers over the entire coverage area.

If you're just going patch the roof, you need to cut all the damaged areas. The surface under the cameras is thoroughly cleaned and primed. Pour hot mastic and stick roll covering. The area of ​​the pata must be at least one third larger than the surface to be restored. The edges are carefully closed.

This type of repair is justified with very little roof damage. IN best case scenario your pat will last 3-4 years.

On small roofs It is quite possible to lay a new roof from deposited materials without removing the old one. If such repairs have already been completed, it should be noted that each layer of roofing increases the load (about 1.5-2 kg per square meter).

Making sure your roof can withstand this and that the old roofing material is not in a deplorable state, you can start preparing the material. After removing the defects and cleaning it, cover the new soft roof with two layers in the usual way.

Major repairs usually include not only dismantling old roof, but also repair of all parts of the roof - fences, parapets, gutters and water inlets. If necessary, partial screeding or screeding of the total roof area is carried out.

You can remove the old coating using a special machine, or you can use the manual restoration method - with an ax and a metal spatula or scraper. The base, no matter what you do next, must be cleaned of dust, dirt and degreased. If there are no strong defects on it - holes, large potholes, you can do without a screed. But it is still necessary to partially restore the base - it is desirable that the surface is flat, dry and clean.

Today, stone fusible roofing materials are made from durable compounds(polyester, fiberglass) with the addition of special modifiers. Both sides are coated with a polymer-bitumen composition. Upper layer usually protected with mineral fillers, and the bottom layer is covered with a special film. The service life of the coating, depending on the modifier, ranges from 10 to 30 years. A well-done repair will allow your roof to last for another couple of decades and protect your home from precipitation. The roof on a flat base is made in several layers.

Installation of rolled materials is quite simple: a gas burner heats the bottom bitumen layer, glue the sheet to the base and roll everything. Rolls are rolled out with an overlap of 15 cm, the seams are carefully glued. The second layer is mounted on top of the first. As a result, you will get almost complete coverage. Special attention when installing the roof, sealing should be done.

Innovative Trends in Technology

Seasonal temperature changes have a catastrophic effect on the soft covering, leading to cracking, swelling and bare areas of the roof. Using outdated methods, the need for partial or major repairs of roofing sheets occurs every 1-2 years, which leads to additional costs for dismantling old and purchasing new material. Technology quality repairs soft roofs using liquid rubber is relatively new and safe method, widely used in modern construction.

Innovative technology makes it possible to completely eliminate current and major repairs of the roof for approximately 30-50 years due to such quality indicators as:

• safety - a two-component emulsion on an aqueous polymer-bitumen base is used with special equipment using the cold spray method, which eliminates the risk of fire during construction work, the substance does not contain harmful volatile compounds;
• durability - the material applied to the entire surface hardens almost immediately, forming a reliable rubberized membrane that is resistant to high and lower temperatures;
• high elasticity - the coefficient of final elongation of the coating is more than 100%, which gives this material the ability to “self-heal”.

The new technology for repairing the roof of a house has long gained popularity among foreign construction companies due to the lack of disadvantages inherent in the old method, based on the use of soft bitumen coatings. Liquid rubber can be used on both flat and pitched structures, and the ease of application of the canvas allows you to do all the work without the help of professionals.

Estimation of the cost of work

If you're renovating, it's worth doing a preliminary assessment before you begin. Knowing what roofing material will be used for repairs and its price, you can high accuracy determine the cost of future repairs.

If you are not professional builder, you are unlikely to be able to take into account transport costs and price Supplies, but this slightly increases the cost of repairs. On average, repairs will cost 60-80 rubles per square meter. meter. Builder services increase costs by 2-2.5 times.

Repair small areas soft roofing can be done without hiring professional roofers. Installation of such coverings is quite simple, but when performing the work you will need care and precision. One more prerequisite is insurance. Don't forget that any roofing they do it at their best. Therefore, doing the repairs yourself or turning to specialists is your choice.