EDPM Rubber Roof Leak

Case Study

1. The roof leak was entering near this architectural detail on the roof. After finding the leak I recommended this cinder block structure get cleaned and painted in the summer time. A good coat, or two, of paint will help preserve the concrete.

2. This wrinkled rubber was a hint and required further exploration.

3. We had to cut the metal flashing with a grinder to expose the cause of the leak. It turned out the membrane was pulled away from the vertical surface which it had once been chemically adhered to. The glue weakened and as the membrane aged, it shrunk and ultimately was laying flat and had no vertical integrity when we found it. The rain water just flowed right into the building.

4. The reglet cut in the cinderblock walls is where the metal flashing is inset into the concrete bricks and then sealed with caulking. We were able to peel that old caulking right off. It needed to have a fresh new bead of sealant applied.

5. We smoothed the membrane out and got it to travel up the vertical surface once again achieving water proofing integrity. We then had to pin it in that position so it would not fall down again. This was accomplished with the use of a hammer drill and leak shank pin bolts.

6. Completed. Caulking applied and rock ballast repositioned. Another happy customer for Crucial Roof Services.

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Location: North Delta

On this project we noted the field membrane had wrinkled near the base of the wall. Under further exploration we discovered that the membrane had shrunk, pulling away from it’s glued position on the vertical surface.

The situation became even more complicated by further sagging, resulting in a very noticeable void in the vertical coverage and it’s integrity. We repinned the membrane back up onto the vertical surface. We strategized. Metal was cut, membrane repositioned and flashing pinned again, with the help of a hammer drill. Sometimes leaks are this easy, for us at least, and other times they can be more challenging. We’re confident we got this one though.