Almost every owner of a private house or apartment on the top floor at least once faced with the problem of leakage of the roof. In addition to damage to walls, ceilings and furniture, this phenomenon can cause a short circuit in electrical wiring, as well as the formation of mold and fungus. If the roof leak does not eliminate in time, then the plaster may become unusable, which will entail the need for repairs in the apartment or house. These factors are not the only ones that make you think about repair work or replacing a roofing.
The main causes of leaks
Before you start repairing the roof, you need to deal with the main cause of the leak. This problem can lead to material wear caused by aging. Over time, even the highest quality roofing becomes unusable. After 8-10 years, a ruberoid laid in 3 layers will gradually begin to collapse under the influence of temperature, sunlight and precipitation. The surface is covered with cracks in which moisture will penetrate, which will cause even greater destruction. This applies to slate tiles, which has its own service resource.
Roof leakage may occur due to mechanical damage. They sometimes occur even on new surfaces. Such defects usually appear suddenly, most often after a storm, heavy rain or wind. The roof is sometimes damaged by branches and foreign objects torn from other roofs.
Additional reasons
Roof leakage may occur if the rules for the placement of insulation layers have not been followed. In this case, condensation appears.
When waterproofing joints, installers sometimes make mistakes, this is especially true for joints of the chimney with the roof and other protruding parts of the roof. As a result, water begins to seep into the interior.
The same problems can arise with improper design of a drainage system. Roof leakage occurs when a beam of different diameters was used for the battens. In this case, a skew of the roof is formed, the material is shifted. Improper installation of skates also causes leakage.
Eliminate leak in the slate roof of an apartment building
If the roof flows from slate, then you can try to repair small cracks. They are cleaned of debris and dirt using a brush or rinsing with a stream of water. Leaving the repair site for drying, it is necessary to prepare a mixture of PVA glue, cement grade M-400 and asbestos. Asbestos can be obtained from slate sheets or purchase a new one. Rubbing asbestos on a grater, you need to protect yourself from inhaling small particles by wearing a respirator.
The composition is prepared from three parts of asbestos, two parts of cement and PVA glue with water. The last two ingredients are added in a ratio of 1 to 1. The composition is well mixed and adjusted to the consistency of sour cream. If the roof flows from slate, then it will be easy to repair it using the mixture described above.
Before applying the composition of the crack should be lubricated with a primer of water and PVA, connected in a ratio of 3 to 1. The repair mixture is applied in two layers to the treated places. The total thickness of each of them should be equal to 2 mm or more. Such repair work is recommended to be carried out in dry weather, because the asbestos layer should dry naturally, gradually gaining strength.
Slate roof repair using modern materials
If you are faced with the question of how to eliminate roof leaks, then you can use modern waterproofing materials like Hyperdesmo. In this case, the roof will last longer than when using the first repair method. A place cleared of moss and dirt must be treated with one of the following means:
- petrol;
- acetone;
- White Spirit.
This will reduce surface grease. When cleaning areas of the roof being repaired in winter, a blowtorch or gas burner should be used to dry. The surface is primed with a solution of the same sealant to which xylene should be added in a volume of 5 to 10% of the total mass.
The sealant itself must be applied manually or with a gun. In the first case, a spatula is used. After 6 hours, fiberglass should be laid on the layer and treated again with sealant. To increase the life of the slate roof, it should be painted with special paints.
Overhaul of slate roof
If spot repairs did not help, then the roof will have to be replaced. In this case, it is necessary to start work by dismantling old sheets of asbestos cement. This removes slate nails and other fasteners. Sheets after this can be lowered to the ground. The rafter system is inspected, because it can form a fungus and begin the process of rotting wood due to leaks. Particular attention should be paid to the rafters, since they act as the main supporting structures. Elements that have undergone putrefactive processes must be replaced.
Methodology
Overhaul of the roof of an apartment building at the next stage involves the installation of steam and waterproofing. After this, you can start laying asbestos-cement sheets. These works are carried out starting from the lower corner of the ramp. Particular attention should be paid to the direction of the wind in the area and overlap from the leeward side. Sheets must be laid in one wave on the previous.
After completing the laying of the first row, you can proceed to the second, making a 10 cm overlap. This is true if the roof slope is greater than 25 °. With a smaller slope, the inlet increases and can reach 20 cm. On roofs with a minimum slope, the joints are additionally filled with silicone-based sealants.
Recommendations of a specialist
If the roof is replaced from slate, then the fastening of the material to the crate should be carried out using slate nails, which are characterized by a galvanized hat and a rubber washer.
Before hammering nails, a hole should be drilled in the slate. Its diameter should be slightly larger compared to the diameter of the nail. This will prevent cracking of the web. In the course of laying, it is necessary to carry out waterproofing of those places where the slate adjoins chimneys, chutes, valleys and the ridge. To extend the life of the new roof, the surface should be painted with acrylics.
Repair of joints of a roof
For the repair of joints, roll materials or bitumen are traditionally used. But the tightness of the nodes can be restored in a simpler way that any home master can handle. The principle of such work is to apply plastic mastic and reinforcing geotextiles. Flush joint repair ensures restoration of tightness, elasticity and durability for a long time.
The technology is based on the use of Hyperdesmo mastic and a bitumen-polyurethane composition. The indisputable advantage of this technique is the possibility of its use on any surface with a different shape. Mastic can be applied with a roller or brush, so its installation is carried out in the most inaccessible places. Flushing is a patch of two layers of mastic, between which reinforcing fabric is laid. If the joint of the roof flows, then it can be repaired using this technology without opening an open fire, which eliminates the risk of fire.
Work Stages
Before applying the mastic, the surface is prepared. For this, the roll coating is cleaned of sprinkling, which does not hold firmly enough. It can be simply swept away. Concrete is primed and the masonry is plastered and dried. All nodes need to be cleaned of dirt and dust, and the detected chips and large gaps should be coated.
Mastic is applied in two layers, between which the time is maintained from 3 hours to a day. Reinforcing geotextiles roll out over the freshly laid first layer. After complete drying, a mastic of the desired color is applied to the treated area.
Conclusion
If you will be repairing the roof, the price of these works should interest you. Indeed, sometimes the owners of private houses and apartments trust this business to professionals. Repair and installation of soft roofs from one layer of economy class material are carried out at a price of 300 rubles. per square meter.
If materials of a standard class are used in the work, then the repair costs 430 rubles. per square meter. Roof repair, the price of which can reach 550 rubles. per square meter, sometimes it implies the need to make a cement-sand screed.