Leaky garage roof

[Lonsdale73]

Recently moved to a property that has a sectional concrete garage that has a leaky roof. I can't see quite where it's coming in but during yesterday's rain I could see droplets running down the underside of the convulted roofing sheets (roof appears to slope from front of garage to back, roughly by 6" over 18') to a point where it then dropped to the floor. I knew I'd miss my old garage but as I'm stuck with this one now can anyone advise best way to keep the water out?

 

[Inspector]

Rented or yours?

Rented. Get on the roof and start smearing black snot over every seam, lap and nail hole. When it sets have someone play a water hose over it looking for more leaks. Don't forget to spray the water from back to front to simulate wind driven rain.

Yours. Rip off the old roof, sheet it with plywood or OSB, lay foam sheets for insulation and then get good roofers to EPDM the roof. Roof pitch is too low for anything but a membrane roof.

Pete

 

[Old.bodger]

A medium term solution, applied with attention to detail, clean roof off first (consider asbestos risk) is Aquapol.

Also ensure you work on what may be a fragile roof with crawl boards etc!
Sorry to play the H&S card, but better safe than sorry!

 

[Lonsdale73]

Is there a slightly more technical term/brand name for this black snot you speak of?

 

[Ozi]

It sticks to blankets better than any other organic substance. Probably.....

 

[Spectric]

Best stuff for sealing roof is Roofix, comes in black grey or white, only need single coat and it seals.

 

[Inspector]

The roofing asphalt/tar you get in cans or caulking guns.

Pete

 

[Jameshow]

You could rip it off and replace with metal roofing sheets which can be supplied in 6m lengths. Then you don't have a joint that will leak?

Cheers James

 

[Keith 66]

The likelyhood is that its an old asbestos cement roof, waste of time trying to seal it up as you will end up doing it every few years. I put up with mine for 25 years.
Increasing leaks & rot in the timbers round the edges, so i had a good look & found that the old purlins were so riddled with woodworm that they were basically hollow. One good snowfall & the whole lot would have caved in.
I replaced the whole lot, purlins, ends & finished with steel insulated sheets. Best thing i ever did. Cool in summer, toasty warm in winter.

 

[Amateur]

Once you start on a old roof patching up you will never stop.
Get a proper roofer in and see what they say....if you can get hold of one as most good ones are chocka with work.
Inspector makes a good reason for getting someone in.
You dont want all that water in your electrics and machinery.

 

[Lonsdale73]

Once you start on a old roof patching up you will never stop.
Get a proper roofer in and see what they say....if you can get hold of one as most good ones are chocka with work.
Inspector makes a good reason for getting someone in.
You dont want all that water in your electrics and machinery.

There are two roofing firms nearby, neither have so much as returned my calls. The black snot has had an effect; after a couple of days of heavy rain there wasn't a drop to be seen. Yes, I probably would have to keep repeating the exercise however, for other reasons as well as a leaky roof, I've already decided to move on from here.

 

[Amateur]

There are two roofing firms nearby, neither have so much as returned my calls. The black snot has had an effect; after a couple of days of heavy rain there wasn't a drop to be seen. Yes, I probably would have to keep repeating the exercise however, for other reasons as well as a leaky roof, I've already decided to move on from here.

If you own the property and the surveyor picks up on the leaking house roof when you sell it you eithere lose a buyer or you have to fix the roof. That can become a costly job.
Good luck.

 

[Lonsdale73]

If you own the property and the surveyor picks up on the leaking house roof when you sell it you eithere lose a buyer or you have to fix the roof. That can become a costly job.
Good luck.

As noted above, the black snot appears to have done the trick for now and it's a garage roof, not the house roof.