Our article describes soft roof repair technology + video. We touched on the most frequently asked questions on this topic. Describe the types of repairs and how they are carried out.
There are several answers to the question of how to repair a soft roof. Everything will depend on the amount of damage and their complexity.
Typically, repairs are divided into two types:
- Current - damage to the roof cover is less than 40% of the total roof area.
- Capital - damage is more than 40% of the roof area.
No matter how strange it may sound, but the main reason for the leakage of roofs made of soft rolled materials is the destruction of the bituminous layer, which provides the waterproofing properties of this material.
Experts recommend checking the roof every 2-3 years for swelling and cracks, and not waiting for moisture to seep into the room.
It is not difficult to repair the soft roof of the garage with your own hands, since this building is small in size. But on other buildings, these works will not take much time and effort, especially when it comes to current repairs.
In fact, rolled roof coverings are considered the easiest to install. They do not require any special equipment or skill to install.
As mentioned above, before starting work, it is necessary to determine the amount of damage. How it's done? We need to climb to the roof and examine the coating. What to look for?
- In places of overlap and connection of the panels, there may be visible delaminations;
- There may be visible depressions and pits on the roof surface that can hold water;
- In places where water stagnates, it should be examined for decay of the material, the appearance of moss or fungus;
- Blisters on the surface of the roofing cover indicate that moisture has penetrated inside in this place;
- The presence of visible mechanical damage, abrasions, cracks, breaks.
After inspecting the roof, it can be concluded what type of repair will be needed. Based on this, an estimate is made for a soft roof. What does it include?
Advice! To draw up an estimate, it is not necessary to call a specialist, you can do it yourself. But if you are not confident in your abilities, then of course you should contact the appropriate firms.
estimate
If the repair work will be carried out by a team of specialists, then first of all they will indicate the list of works, namely:
- Full or partial removal of the old roof.
- Preparation of the surface for the subsequent installation of the roofing.
- Installation of the top layer of the roof and coating of seams.
- Waterproof top layer.
- Combustible materials for the burner.
- Consumables and their delivery.
If it is decided to carry out repairs independently, then the estimate will include only the cost of the material used and its delivery.
Those who have not yet decided whether they will do it themselves or hire workers can contact a roof repair company. By providing them with the following information, you can find out approximately how much the repair will cost.
- Roof plan with all dimensions, to calculate the amount of material.
- Lengths of cornice overhangs, junctions with walls and parapets, thickness and height of the latter.
- The presence of shafts on the roof, their number and size.
- The presence of pipes and other elements on the roof, their sizes and quantities.
- The condition of the roof, it is desirable to take photos.
- Approximate list of repair works.
- What roofing material will be used.
Then, having weighed all the pros and cons, you can make a decision: invite specialists or take on such a thing as soft top, on one's own. If the second option is chosen, it will not be superfluous to know some rules.
SNiP rules
Work should be carried out in accordance with:
- SNiP soft roof 12-03-2001.
- SNiP 12-01-2004 "Organization of construction";
- SNiP 3.03.01-87 "Bearing and enclosing structures";
- SNiP 3.04.01-87 "Insulating and finishing coatings";
- SNiP 12-03-2001 "Labor safety in construction" part 1. General requirements;
- SNiP 12-04-2002 "Labor safety in construction" part 2. Construction production;
- POT R M-012-2000 "Intersectoral rules for labor protection when working at height";
- SNiP soft roof repair 11-26-76 (1979).
Although many of those who perform roofing repairs do not always comply with them. This is due to the fact that most of the above rules were developed back in Soviet times. Much has changed since then, including materials and technology.
For your information: ignorance of these rules does not affect the quality of work. If the workers know their job well, roof repairs will be completed quickly and reliably.
Repair and installation of a soft roof should begin with the preparation of the base on which the material will be laid.
If we talk about the current repair, there are several options. Partial replacement (patches) and repairs can be performed according to the old one (1-2 layers of new material are laid on the old cover).
If patches are placed, all defects are removed in the places where they are laid (cut down or pierced). Then the surface is cleaned of debris and dust, poured with bituminous mastic or sealant.
A piece of roofing material or other rolled material is laid on top. In size, it must exceed the size of the repaired surface.
The edges are carefully smeared with bituminous mastic. But this method usually does not work. Therefore, many use the following method of current repair - “the old way”.
A soft roof for a garage and not only, during current repairs, it can be laid without removing the old cover. With this method, it should be borne in mind that the fusing of two more layers will lead to an increase in the load on the roof.
So it’s worth first finding out how much weight the walls and floor supports can withstand.
For example, the following calculation can be given: on average, modern materials have a mass of 4-5 kg / m2if the roof area is 1000 m2, the load on the roof will increase by another 5 tons. And so, instead of the base, they use the old roofing.
It is pre-cleaned of debris and dirt. The installation of a new layer is carried out in the usual way. This method cannot be used if the previous covering is badly damaged, there are already more than 8 layers of old material on the roof.
Usually, in the course of a major overhaul, a complete replacement of the roofing material, partial repair of the base (screed) and parapets, replacement of cornice overhangs, abutments, fencing, revision and repair of water intakes and gutters are carried out.
But sometimes the roofs are in such disrepair that they have to be not only repaired, but practically built from scratch. Naturally, this affects the cost of work.
Overhaul of soft roofing is carried out in the following order:
- Removing the old cover.
- Foundation repair.
- Laying a waterproofing layer.
- Installation of insulation (if necessary).
- A screed is being made.
- Roofing material is being laid.
- A protective layer is laid.
To perform the work, you will need a gas burner, roofing material, a knife for cutting roofing material, sealant or bituminous mastic, a broom for cleaning the surface, cement for screed, insulation, and overalls.
Advice! Experts recommend using a gas burner rather than a blowtorch. This is due to the fact that when using a lamp to heat the material, much more time is spent.
Capital repairs of a soft roof begin with the removal of the old coating.
For this process, such as soft roof repair, you can use special equipment (the machine removes the coating and immediately rolls it into a roll) or an ax (for convenience, the wooden handle is changed to a metal pipe, its length is selected individually, according to a person’s height).
Next, the base is cleaned of debris and dirt. Then inspect the base.
If there are no large dents and cracks in it, but only minor damage, then the screed can not be poured. Sometimes the screed is preceded by a layer of insulation. It can be foam, a layer of gravel or other heat insulator.
In the first hours after laying the cement layer, the surface is primed with bitumen, which covers the screed with a thin film and prevents the evaporation of moisture from it.
After the cement has hardened, you can start laying the roofing material. The composition of the soft roof is different, but it is better to use materials based on fiberglass.
They have a longer service life and higher technical characteristics, in contrast to cardboard-based coatings.
Laying starts from the bottom edge of the roof, gradually rising up. Each subsequent row is overlapped (from 10 cm). The greater the angle of the roof slope, the greater the amount of overlap.
Next, the seams are treated with bituminous mastic. After some time, they start laying the next layer, which spreads in such a way that the seam of the previous coating does not coincide with the seam of the next layer.
For roofing material, glassine and roofing felts, a protective cover made of bituminous mastics for the roof. It is then sprinkled with stone chips and rolled with a roller.
Advice! When using the latest generation materials, the seams between the rows are not smeared and they are already covered with a protective coating on top.Therefore, less material is wasted.
As you can see, the technology for repairing a soft roof is not very complicated. Two people are enough to complete the work. The choice of materials is entirely up to you.
But I would like to remind you, do not forget to audit the roofing at least once every three years. After all, fixing minor flaws is much easier and cheaper than completely covering the roof.
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