Seams, drains and puddles on low-slope roofs
Flat Roof Repair in Montville, NJ
Flat roof repair in Montville, NJ usually follows a puddle that will not drain, a seam that lifts, or a ceiling stain under a porch or rear addition. Say where the roof sits and what it looks like: call (862) 430-2399.
What you might be seeing
- Water still standing on the roof two days after the rain stopped
- A seam that lifts at the edge, or a blister in the covering
- A drain or scupper packed with leaves and sticks
- A ceiling stain under a rear addition, porch or dormer
- Cracks in the covering where it meets a wall
Looks from the yard and the attic hatch
Every look below is from the yard, an upstairs window or the attic hatch. None of it needs a ladder.
- From an upstairs window, look for puddles that are still there two days after rain. In the trade group's definition, water that sits for 48 hours or more counts as ponding.
- Look at each drain or scupper for leaves and sticks. The same group names clogged drains as one way ponding starts.
- Photograph the roof from the same window after a dry spell and again after rain. Two pictures show the pattern.
- Trace the edge of any stain on the ceiling beneath and write the date next to it.
The visit
What the roofer can look at
- Call (862) 430-2399, say where the flat roof sits and what you have seen, and the contractor can arrange a visit.
- The roofer can walk the surface for seams, laps, blisters and cracks, and mark the low spots.
- Drains, scuppers and gutter tie-ins get cleared and checked.
- Where the roof meets walls, curbs and vent pipes, the flashing and the edges of the covering are looked at.
- Slope comes next: the trade group recommends at least a quarter inch per foot, and says crickets and saddles can steer water toward a drain.
- Options follow, from seam work to a new covering, with the manufacturer consulted on larger repairs, and then the paperwork question.
Back off and get help if
- A wire runs near the roof edge or is down: keep a 30-foot gap and call 911 or JCP&L at 888-544-4877.
- A ceiling beneath a flat roof is bowing or sagging: water may be sitting above it, so move everyone out of the room and call 911.
- Water has reached a light fixture or an outlet: leave the room, do not touch the switch, and call 911.
- Someone wants to walk the roof: stay off it, since the trade group says low-slope roofs are not generally designed for heavy foot traffic. If anyone falls, call 911.
Questions for the roofer
What to ask about the roof covering
What is the roof covered with, and how old is it? Is the repair a seam, a patch or a whole section? Will the maker of the covering be consulted?
That last question comes from the asphalt roofing trade group, which says major repairs on low-slope roofs belong to a professional who has talked to the membrane manufacturer.
What moves the size of the job
What drives the size of a flat-roof repair
How much of the roof surface is involved. How many seams, drains and wall joints there are to deal with. Whether the boards beneath the covering stayed dry.
Slope can enter the picture when puddles keep returning, since tapered insulation is one way to add it. Access matters, and so do overhead wires.
FAQ
Questions people ask
How urgent is a flat roof problem on your number out of ten?
At 8 to 10, a ceiling bows, water is at a fixture or a line is down: clear the room and call 911 (JCP&L for a line). At 4 to 7, a puddle outlasts two dry days or a stain grows after each rain, so call (862) 430-2399 in the next few days. At 1 to 3, a puddle is gone by the next day: photograph it and watch.
What counts as ponding on a flat roof?
The Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association defines it as water that stays on a roof 48 hours or longer. Rain, snow and runoff from rooftop equipment can collect there, and leaves or debris in a drain make it worse.
How much slope does a flat roof need?
The trade group recommends at least a quarter inch per foot, and says model building codes ask for the same on new construction and for positive drainage when reroofing. Tapered insulation, crickets and saddles can add slope where the deck has none.
How often does a flat roof need a look?
The trade group recommends a professional roofing contractor inspect low-slope roofs each spring and fall. It also advises clearing leaves and dirt from drains and gutters, trimming overhanging limbs, and leaving major repairs to professionals.
Is flat roof work available in Towaco, Pine Brook, Boonton and Lake Hiawatha?
Yes, along with Montville. Local notes for each are on Towaco roofing, Pine Brook roofing, Boonton roofing and Lake Hiawatha roofing. The street name matters on the call: call (862) 430-2399. If you rent, the landlord handles roof work.
Before you call
Facts a flat-roof caller can offer
Which part of the house the roof covers: a rear addition, a porch, a dormer. What the surface looks like, such as a gray rubber sheet or tar with gravel. Where the drain is.
How long water has stood after rain, and where the ceiling stain sits below. Call (862) 430-2399 with those details and the street address.
Habits that cost more
Flat-roof habits that backfire
Walking on it to look.
The trade group says low-slope roofs are not generally designed for extensive foot traffic.
Letting leaves sit in the drain.
Clogged drains are one of the ways ponding starts.
Waiting out a puddle that lasts past two days.
At that point the definition of ponding applies, and the stain below usually follows.
Parking planters and storage on the surface.
The job in pictures
Anatomy of a seam and a drain
A gray rubber sheet is joined at its seams, and the picture shows one running beside a round drain. Water has to reach that drain, so the slope toward it and the clear opening both count.
A lifted seam or a blister gives rain a way under the sheet. A roofer reads both with a hand and a flashlight, then explains whether the repair is local or wider.
Paperwork, briefly
Flat roofs and town paperwork
The state's ordinary maintenance list covers roof covering already on a one- or two-family detached home, steep or flat; the wording draws no line between them.
Equipment on the roof is a separate matter, and Boonton's chart treats it that way. The rules page lists every town's office.
Before you call
Keep the street address, what you noticed and the roof's age close by, then call (862) 430-2399. If you rent, your landlord decides on roof work, so that conversation comes first. Served: Montville, Towaco, Pine Brook, Boonton and Lake Hiawatha.
