Flat Roof Repair in New Jersey

A seam repair on a sound membrane such as EPDM can add years of service for much less than replacement, and a silicone or acrylic coating on a dry but tired roof can extend its life for a fraction of the cost. A re-cover makes sense when the membrane is brittle across the whole field. Replacement is for roofs that are wet underneath, because covering trapped moisture seals the problem in, and the inspection shows which case yours is.

On TPO and EPDM roofs alike, we do not coat over a wet substrate, because trapped moisture makes the coating fail.

Ponding near a drain is livable if the water is gone within two days, but water that stands longer shortens the membrane's life and is worth a drainage fix.

A deck on a flat roof is often possible, but the membrane and structure get evaluated first, because a deck over a membrane near the end of its life has to be removed when the membrane is replaced.

Winter flat roof repairs in North Jersey are possible with material limits: some products need warmth to cure, so winter may get a temporary seal and a finish pass in spring.

Flat roofs on commercial buildings include storefronts with apartments above on Bloomfield Ave, small office buildings, auto shops, and houses converted to daycares. They carry HVAC units, and the curbs those units sit on are common leak points, while penetrations multiply every time a tenant adds a vent or a line set. A leak over inventory or a customer area also costs more than the same leak over a garage.

For building owners in Bloomfield, repairs can be scheduled around business hours where the work allows it. A twice-a-year roof check with drains cleared, seams walked, and photos filed lets you plan repairs ahead. If you own more than one building, ask about covering them on the same schedule.

Roof drains and scuppers are cleared and re-flashed as part of flat roof repair, because a clogged drain lets water pond.

Membrane life runs 20 to 30 years for EPDM with maintained seams, 15 to 25 for TPO depending on thickness, and 12 to 20 for torch-down, and every range assumes the drains are kept clear. Standing water shortens the life of all of them.

Insulation while re-covering is possible on EPDM, TPO, and modified bitumen roofs: rigid board between the deck and the membrane cuts heat loss, and tapered board can correct ponding in the same pass.

If the previous owner coated the roof in silver aluminum coating, that was normal maintenance on torch-down, but thick coating covers the seams, so we probe the roof to check the seams underneath instead of judging by appearance.