Is this roof at the end of its useful life.

[palmettoinspect]

Got a quick question about this would you call this balcony roof coat at the end of its useful life?

Also I called this flat roof "roof coat over a rubberized roof coat" I also said the the roof coat was "flaking" and said this roof is at the end of its useful life".

What do yall think?

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[caryseidner]

Tough to say from these shots, but I will give you my input based on my experience.

Hand railings on balcony roofs or roof top decks are usually attached incorrectly. This one looks like a leaker too and it should be corrected by a licensed roofer. Exposed roof cement is a dead giveaway. Anytime you can see roof cement, there is or shortly will be a problem. Roof cement is not UV stable and will dry out very quickly when it is exposed to the sun. Pitch pans can be used around small round or square post, but they need to be topped off every year or so with a pourable sealer.

Photo 2 looks like an emulsion coating with a UV reflective coating applied to it. Beneath those coatings it looks like a smooth surface BUR (Built-Up Roofing) system. The part that is chipping away is the emulsion/uv coating, but there is a pretty good chance the roof beneath it is shot or the homeowner would have never even applied the aesthetically pleasing coatings to begin with.

[SonOfSwamp]

I can't tell much from the pix, but I'm 99.9% sure that any significantly-flawed roof in Charleston (with anything peeling, flaking or otherwise coming loose) will fail quickly.

Though I dislike punting, I think this is one of those times when you just tell the customer to get the best roofing company in town (preferably a commercial outfit) to check out the roof and fix anything that needs fixing.

WJ

PS: That flaky silver stuff could be the work of Irish Travelers.

[Chris Bernhardt]

Got a quick question about this would you call this balcony roof coat at the end of its useful life?

Absolutely. I don't see a lot of BUR roofs but just about every one I look at needs replacing.

Also I called this flat roof "roof coat over a rubberized roof coat" I also said the the roof coat was "flaking" and said this roof is at the end of its useful life".

There is no doubt in my mind that, that one needs replacing; not any sort of repair.

Roofing over "blank" is very deteriorated (list of facts). The roof could could leak if it's not already. Replace the roof, the sooner the better.

Chris, Oregon

[palmettoinspect]

Thanks guys I feel good about going to meet with the homeowner and "explaining" myself. LOL

[kurt]

It's failing in all the places flat roofs fail. Eave edges, railings, skylite flashings, penetrations, etc.

How's it drain? Roofing peforms as well as it drains. There is no mfg. of this material that approves it for ponding conditions. At least, I'm not aware of any that approve it for ponds.

If it doesn't drain, and the flashings are failing, you have industry recognized conditions that say the roof is crap.

Don't be afraid to call it crap. Don't trust that some roofer is going to come out and provide an intelligent analysis.

[palmettoinspect]

LOL thanks Kurt it is crap. I cant wait to hear what the homeowner is going to say about the roof. A wise man once told me "it is what it is"

[caryseidner]

Ponding per say, is not always an issue. Most manufacturers of BUR and Mod. Bit. systems allow for some ponding, as long as it is off of the roof within 48 - 72 hours (depending on the manufacturer & system) after a rain.

Some Coal Tar Pitch system are actually designed to be under water at all times. They are water cooled roofs and we don't see many of them in residential applications, but they do exist.

Single ply systems like EPDM don't have any disclaimers in their warranties about ponding whatsoever, however they aren't usually warrantied by the manufacturer in residential applications.

[SonOfSwamp]

Originally posted by caryseidner

Ponding per say, is not always an issue.

Pardon my grouchiness, but if you're going to use Latin, it's per se, not per say. Per se means, "by itself." Maybe it's just me, but I think when a regular non-lawyer American has a choice between "per se" and "by itself," it's best to use "by itself."

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[caryseidner]

Walter,

You're probably right. It's still okay for my European lawyer friends to continue using per se, right?

[kurt]

Originally posted by caryseidner

Ponding per say, is not always an issue. Most manufacturers of BUR and Mod. Bit. systems allow for some ponding, as long as it is off of the roof within 48 - 72 hours (depending on the manufacturer & system) after a rain.

Some Coal Tar Pitch system are actually designed to be under water at all times. They are water cooled roofs and we don't see many of them in residential applications, but they do exist.

Single ply systems like EPDM don't have any disclaimers in their warranties about ponding whatsoever, however they aren't usually warrantied by the manufacturer in residential applications.

Ponding is always an issue. It is the first thing that will be cited by the mfg. in a dispute. It's also the 2nd thing and 3rd things.

If the water is gone in a day or so, no one is going to call it a pond.

We're not talking coal tar pitch or EPDM. We're talking mod bit. No ponds allowed, meaning no standing water for more than a couple days.

[caryseidner]

That's right Kurt, but that's not how I understood your first post. Just thought it might be important to clarify how the NRCA defines "Ponding".

Q: When is a pond, not a pond?

A: When it's less than 48 hours old.

Anyway...I didn't see any ponds in his photos, so that doesn't seem to be an issue on this roof.

Please forgive my additional "Cliff Claven" tid bits regarding other roofing systems that do permit ponding. I thought it might be useful info for some of the other HI's that read these posts.

[kurt]

I always liked the name that my old roofing guru used for those thin slicks of water that evaporate out after a day.

He called them "bird baths".

I thought it was appropriate.