Tips for Avoiding Roof Failure

Avoiding roof failure typically involves the removal of snow and ice, although the system can fail for other reasons. For example, skipping regular inspections and maintenance can put you at risk. Here are some things that you should be doing to ensure you reduce your risk.

Snow Removal

Most well-built roofs will not fail due to the accumulation of ice and snow from a single season. However, over several seasons, structural damage can be caused by the excessive weight. Because of that, snow and ice removal is recommended.

You should never attempt to stand on sloped roofs to remove ice or snow. Special tools called roof-rakes are widely available. These may be as long as 21 feet. They allow homeowners and maintenance crews to stand on the ground and rake the snow or ice off of the roof.

Care should be taken to avoid dislodging shingles. Take note of the placement of exhaust fans or pipes when they are not covered with snow in order to avoid damaging them.

For flat roofs accessible from inside the building, snow removal is similar to removing it from the driveway. Care must be taken to avoid overexertion.

A spot should be chosen for dumping the snow and everyone that enters the building should be aware of avoiding the area. Make sure to avoid standing too close to the roof’s edge and always watch your balance.

Ice Removal

Ice removal may be important for avoiding roof failure. Long icicles can form along the edges of pitched roofs. Ice may become packed on flat roofs. It is not usually necessary to remove icicles if the melt water will not cause damage to the rest of the building.

If you have ice packed on a flat-roofed building, it is best to wait until it melts enough to make it possible to use a wet-dry vac. Using torches or heaters to melt the ice can be dangerous. If ice accumulations are excessive on a flat-roofed building, consult a professional about how to safely remove it.

Waterproofing

For flat roofs, waterproofing is essential for avoiding roof failure. Luckily, there are numerous solutions for waterproofing flat roofs. The EPDM or “rubber” coatings are particularly popular and can be used to cover existing roofs without replacing the entire system.

Not only does a liquid rubber coating provide benefits that include waterproofing, protection against damage from flying debris and increased lifespan of the vehicle reduced risk of leaking.  There may also be some soundproofing advantages when you choose the best coatings for your liquid roof maintenance.

Information about Liquid Roof and Its Benefits

Here you can learn a bit about liquid roof and its benefits for new and existing construction. Let’s start with the basics.

What Is It?

Liquid roof is a liquefied version of a synthetic rubber typically referred to as EPDM. The letters EPDM stand for ethylene, propylene, diene monomer and M class respectfully.

Before the liquefied version came on to the market, rolls of the rubber were used for waterproofing roofs. The liquids are easier to apply. They fill up cracks and crevices. They can go where the sheets could not go.

Why Choose the Liquids?

Ease of application is one reason. The foil is more difficult to apply correctly. You could easily end up with bumps, overlaps and uneven spots that contribute to water pooling. Water can seep under the rubber sheets and cause the roofs to leak. So, while the rolls were the best choice for waterproofing at one time, there are better choices today.

The liquids have more uses. They can be used on RV roofs and other vehicles. They can be applied to a wide range of roofing materials including metal, fiberglass and wood. Through the use of an undercoating, the liquids can be applied to built-up and asphalt-based coatings. Other reasons to choose the liquids are listed in some detail below.

Give Your Rv Roof A New Life With Epdm Rubber

Liquid roof coatings are aftermarket products designed to extend life, seal leaks, or merely provide a heat reflective or aesthetic function over existing roof surfaces. There are many products on the market ranging from asphalt based products, rubber solution [Hypalon, Neoprene, and Silicone], water based Acrylic and other emulsions, and chemically curing systems such as urethanes and now Liquid Roof®. Choosing the right product requires some knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of each.

The most widely used coatings for RV Roof Leaks Repair are Acrylic elastomeric products. These are easy to use, have good weather ability and cure quickly in warm weather. The weakness of these products, however, comes from the fact that they are water-based emulsions which make them vulnerable to sudden showers or freezing temperatures soon after application, and they have inherently poor resistance to ponding water. Another drawback for the Acrylic products is that they do not work over single ply EPDM membranes.

Liquid Rubber for Coating Plywood

Liquid Rubber Coatings has been used directly over plywood to make a finished roof in situations where expediency and minimal cost were the primary considerations. Although this procedure results in a weaker roof structure, water-tightness can be achieved if the application is performed carefully. The joint between sheets should be positioned directly over a roof truss and securely fastened to prevent warping. Next, to seal the pores, coat plywood with oil based primer. Allow an overnight cure. Seal the joint by bridging it with a 6" wide polyester fabric strip. Apply a light coat of EPDM rubber over the joint, lay fabric into wet rubber and smooth out wrinkles. Complete job by applying a liberal coat of Liquid Rubber over entire roof surface, being especially careful to completely cover the fabric over the joint without skips or pinholes. Using an oil base primer on the wood considerably improves the appearance of a one-coat application of Liquid Rubber.

Liquid Rubber is excellent for Wood Surfaces Repair Product; Liquid Rubber can be applied to wood. We recommend first applying a primer coat using an oil base primer and then the Liquid Rubber after the primer has dried. Liquid Rubber can be colored using "universal" colorants available at any paint store. You can add up to one cup per gallon of paint thinner for easier handling when going over wood. Liquid Rubber is slippery when there is only a fine mist of water on its surface. Silicone and oil-based materials are considered unstable and should be avoided.

Increase the Age of Your Pond with EPDM Coatings

Leaks are an eventuality waiting to happen in and around a pond/fish pond. Identifying fish ponds leaks and repairing them can be a thankless task, especially if there is no leak to be found, so first you need to find out the leak. Are you having difficulty finding that leak. Water levels keep dropping? With a 25 year history of success our fish pond liners.

Pond Pro 2000 is your answer. It is a 100% liquid EPDM and 100% compatable to your EPDM liner sold in pond supply stores. It works extremely well on all non-porous concrete fountains as well as EPDM fishponds liners. Reflecting pools are another good application for EPDM. These are demanding applications where the unique properties of EPDM Coatings have a distinct advantage over other products. To give you an idea of just how durable of a product PondPro 2000 take a look at a few of its

Characteristics:

• Pond pro will withstand temperatures from -62 to 350F
• One Coat application. No Primer is needed
• Easy Application- A true do-it-yourself product
• Waterproofs immediately upon application.
• It has proven itself superior to Acrylics, Urethanes and other elastomers for up to 3 times longer