Tag Archives: EPDM Liquid Rubber

5 Tips to Help You Identify and Repair Roof Leaks in Rubber Roof Coatings

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Your roof is a vital component of your home. It protects your interior from the elements, from harsh sunlight, and from temperature extremes. It also helps hold the entire structure together. If you have an EPDM rubber roof, you enjoy significant benefits over other types of roofing systems, such as asphalt shingles. However, you are still subject to leaks, and those can be challenging to locate. In this post, we want to address several tips to help you identify and then repair roof leaks in rubber roof coatings.

Start from the Inside

Finding a leak can be hard, unless it’s so bad that water is visibly dripping from the ceiling of your home, which usually isn’t the case. Often, it is easiest to spot signs of a roof leak from the inside of your home, rather than from the outside. Look at ceilings throughout your home, as well as the walls. You’re looking for darker discolorations, often red or brown. These are signs that water has made it to the sheetrock, penetrated the material, and then dried. If you see any of these markings, you certainly have a leak. However, it might not be directly above the area where the discoloration appears, as water can enter through the roof, run down the underlayment, and then drip down far from where it originally entered the home.

Get Up in the Attic

To find leaks in rubber roof coatings, you will eventually need to get up in your attic or crawl space. This gets you one step closer to the source of the leak and will allow you to further investigate the situation. Once in the attic, go to where you saw the water stains on the ceiling or wall. Use a flashlight to locate water stains on wood or to find wet insulation (which can be challenging to spot on its own).

Follow the Trail

Once you have found where the water is coming from, it’s time to follow the trail. In some instances, you may find that there’s a puncture in the roof and underlayment directly above the space where you noticed the water damage in your home’s interior, but this is not usually the case. You’ll often have to follow the trail from that point to where the water actually entered the home. Remember that water always runs downhill, and it always follows the path of least resistance. With that in mind, try to trace its path back to the point of origin.

Inspect the Top for Damage

In some cases, this may lead you to obvious damage. If you spot a hole in your roof, that’s more than likely going to be the source of your leak. However, you may not find any large gap in the roof. Instead, you’ll find a point between two pieces of roofing underlayment where water entered. To find out what’s really going on, you’ll need to get on top of the roof.

Getting up on the roof of your home is always a dangerous proposition, so be careful. Make sure to have a helper handy in case you fall and need help. Using a ladder, climb up on your roof and go to the area where you believe the water entered the structure. Check for punctures through the rubber, or areas where caulking might be missing. Damaged flashing can also allow water into your home.

Use Liquid Rubber for Repairs

Once the source of the leak is located, rubber roof coatings can be repaired with Liquid Rubber. A single layer of Liquid Rubber gives you a waterproof seal immediately, preventing further water incursion into your home.

Who Should Use Liquid EPDM Rubber for the Roof?

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Have you heard liquid EPDM rubber used on roofs and wondered whether it might be something that would work well for your property? Perhaps you thought that this solution would only work for businesses, or maybe you have a business but weren’t sure whether it was beneficial enough for you. It is time to learn more about this product and where it tends to work the best.

Homeowners

If you are a homeowner who has a residence that has a flat roof, or a low sloped roof, then you may be able to utilize this type of surface for your roof. While this could work for your home, it will depend on the type of roof that you have. You may want to check to see if there are any regulations where you live that determine the type of roofing you are allowed to have.

If you have some outbuildings that have low or slightly sloped roofs, then you will certainly want to consider this type of rubber for the roof. Later, we will look at the main benefits that this Liquid Rubber can provide.

Businesses

Many businesses already have flat roofs, and that means that they tend to be an ideal candidate for this type of roofing material. This tends to be an affordable solution that will provide some protection for the roof. Whether it is a building in a strip mall or a standalone building, Liquid Rubber can be a great choice.

What Are the Benefits?

One of the biggest and most important benefits of Liquid Rubber is its ability to provide your roof protection against the elements. This means it will be much less likely for you to develop a leak in the building. Think about how important this would be for businesses that have a lot of equipment or stock that they need to keep safe and dry. It would also be a benefit to homeowners, of course. Having this protection added now can help to save a lot of trouble and costs in the future.

Liquid Rubber Roofing

Liquid Rubber Roofing

You will also notice that the Liquid Rubber is available in two different colors – black and white. When you are choosing one for your business, you will want to think about your geographic location. If you live in an area where it tends to be hot through most of the year, getting the white EPDM rubber roofing is a good option, as it will reflect the sun’s rays, keeping it cooler inside of the building. If you live in an area where it gets cold during part of the year, you might want to have black roofing, as it will keep it warmer. This can help you keep your energy costs somewhat lower.

With Liquid Rubber, you will also have the benefit of flexibility in the types of roofing materials it works with. It works well for concrete, metal, wood, and more. No matter the type of roof you have now, it is likely that the coating will work well for you, too.
A final benefit to discuss is the actual application. While you could hire professionals for the installation of the EPDM rubber, the liquid coatings are DIY. You can follow the instructions from the manufacturer and have the coating on your roof in a very short time. It goes on simply, like paint, so nearly anyone will be capable of giving their roof the protection it needs.

If you have been wondering whether Liquid Roof is right for you, the answer is probably yes. Just make sure that you have a flat or low-sloped roof.

Who Uses Liquid Rubber Coatings?

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There are generally two types of groups who choose liquid coating.  The first are those looking for an economical way to extend the life of an existing roof and those building owners who want to save on the installation costs and have their staff apply the material.  There are numerous systems on the market; those requiring a primer base and multiple coats to those needing a fabric reinforcement between coatings.  With Liquid EPDM rubber for most roof types it is a one coat application.  For those with tar or asphalt roofs the ProFlex Primer would be needed.  Let’s take a closer look as some of the properties of the Liquid EPDM rubber and add some of the feedback from our customers.

Easy to work with- Once you mix the catalyst you have a 4 hour pot life more than sufficient to insure a proper application.

Durability-With Liquid EPDM you won’t need to worry about repairing your roof year after year. A one coat application is expected to last 1-16 years before minor touch up’s are needed.  Also since you are only applying one coat the overall weight of your roof is significantly decreased vs. the multiple coat systems.

EPDM is one of the most resilient roofing materials out on the market.  Its ability to expand and contract without fractures occurring is what has made it the choice of roofers around the world.  Now Liquid EPDM provides all those important benefits of sheet EPDM with a few more added benefits.  Since it is a liquid it will gradually “fill in” to the small openings of any roof substrate and leaving behind an airtight seal between the substrate and the coating.  Since it’s a liquid once it cures it will be as if someone put a “one piece” layer of epdm on your roof.  Never worry again about seams coming undone.  Also Liquid EPDM is formulated differently and it will not chalk after 8-9 years.  Our roofing clients appreciate the fact that it waterproofs immediately upon application.  Many times have we received calls from roofers who where in the middle of a job when a rain storm came in.  Yes, an added bonus with the product is that as long as it was applied to a dry surface weather conditions after the fact are not a concern.