How to Tell if  You Need New Coating on Your Roof

A flat roof consists of several layers:

  • base (reinforced concrete slab, metal profile structure)
  • vapor barrier (bituminous materials or rolls)
  • thermal insulation (mineral wool or expanded polystyrene boards, expanded clay, cement screed)
  • waterproofing (bituminous membranes, synthetic membranes or various plastics)

Signs that the roof needs to be replaced can appear on any of these components, not just on membranes, so the best approach is to make a plan for periodic inspections and maintenance operations performed by professional roofers, as they are the only ones competent to identify all types of problems, due to their expertise and the technology they operate with.

In some cases, careful examination of the roof surface is enough to tell that you need a new coating. A roof that can no longer be repaired has large surfaces of the coating destroyed. Depending on the type of membrane, the damage may occur in the form of punctures, cracks, tears, peeling and even growing vegetation (provided that the roof was not specifically designed as a green roof).

In other cases, there may be structural damage to the roof’s base or to the insulation layer, in which case additional checkups should be made by trusted roof coating company experts using appropriate equipment.

roof coating company

The roof coating may need to be replaced also when you face problems related to moisture and water infiltration inside the building:

  • you notice that the ceiling and/ or the walls of the rooms on the upper floors show signs of damage
  • you deal with mold formation
  • you notice that the thermal properties of the roof are no longer the same and, although you have made sure that the insulation layer is of good quality, it still allows condensation
  • you notice that there are short circuits in the electrical cables that come in contact with the infiltrated water

Last but not least, you know that it is time to replace the roof coating if it has reached the end of its lifespan, and the warranty has expired.

Types of works for the replacement of the roof

The lifespan of a roof depends not only on the quality of the materials used to build or renovate it, but also on the way the work was done and on how you maintained the roof over time. Equally important are the environmental conditions: large amount of rainfall, strong winds, extreme temperatures, temperature changes etc.

Regarding the main types of works for the replacement of the roof, they include:

  • Identifying the problems – the first stage of the roof renovation process. The decision to install a new roof coating must be based on the severity of the roof damage.
  • Dismantling the old coating – this step also allows the inspection of the roof structure.
  • Repairing the roof base, if there is any structural damage.
  • Replacement of the roof coating – most of the time, the damage occurs at this level, as the coating is the most exposed to the elements.
  • Repair of the drainage system – each part of it must be checked and repaired or replaced if necessary, to ensure the performance of the new roof coating.