# Help with repairing a flat rubber garage roof



## Toasty (Jul 1, 2008)

Hi All,

I'm needing to repair a flat rubber roof on a garage. The garage is detached and I'm only renting it so I want to keep the repair as inexpensive as possible.

Here are the details.
1) The roof appears to be rubber and it's in relatively good shape and well adhered everywhere except on one edge of roof where the water pools (the lower side).
2) The loose edge had some vines / plants growing out of it which are responsible for the damage. I've removed all the plants and will thoroughly clean the area.
3) The rubber roofing is placed directly on masonry / cement.
4) There is a hole in the masonry where the water pools that would make a great drain for the roof since I can place some PVC pipe to catch the runoff from that hole and direct it into a gutter. Currently the hole has been patched with some excess rubber, but the water eventually finds it's way into the garage.

Here are some questions:
1) What's the best glue or roofing cement to use to reglue the loose edges of rubber roofing back on the cleaned up roof? If they're available at Home depot that would be great.

2) What's the best way to to fashion a drain pipe out of PVC? I need to cement the PVC pipe into the hole so that it's water tight (the hole diameter is larger than the PVC pipe). THere are so many options at Home Depot that I'm at a loss for what to use. SHould I use caulk or some product that can be squeezed from a caulk gun? Or opt for a dry cement / concrete type product?

Thanks for any help - I'll get some pictures tomorrow morning if that would help.


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## parkerfairfield (Apr 28, 2007)

Toasty said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm needing to repair a flat rubber roof on a garage. The garage is detached and I'm only renting it so I want to keep the repair as inexpensive as possible.


Understood.

Have you told the landlord?



> Here are the details.
> 1) The roof appears to be rubber and it's in relatively good shape and well adhered everywhere except on one edge of roof where the water pools (the lower side).
> 2) The loose edge had some vines / plants growing out of it which are responsible for the damage. I've removed all the plants and will thoroughly clean the area.
> 3) The rubber roofing is placed directly on masonry / cement.
> 4) There is a hole in the masonry where the water pools that would make a great drain for the roof since I can place some PVC pipe to catch the runoff from that hole and direct it into a gutter. Currently the hole has been patched with some excess rubber, but the water eventually finds it's way into the garage.


First... what about some pictures? Please post them.

Second... so how exactly is the water getting into the building.

Third ... so am I to understand you're thinking of cutting a whole in the roof?



> Here are some questions:
> 1) What's the best glue or roofing cement to use to reglue the loose edges of rubber roofing back on the cleaned up roof? If they're available at Home depot that would be great.


You should be extremely careful with the materials you use. Depending on the EXACT composition of the roof, the PERMISSIBLE chemicals that you can use change drastically.

Anyone who advises you to use a certain product (outside of standard caulk, or silicon) without seeing the roof is risking your roof.

Do not use any oil based product (mastic, roof cement, petroleum product).



> 2) What's the best way to to fashion a drain pipe out of PVC? I need to cement the PVC pipe into the hole so that it's water tight (the hole diameter is larger than the PVC pipe). THere are so many options at Home Depot that I'm at a loss for what to use. SHould I use caulk or some product that can be squeezed from a caulk gun? Or opt for a dry cement / concrete type product?
> 
> Thanks for any help - I'll get some pictures tomorrow morning if that would help.


As a general rule, buying anything at Home Depot is a bad idea. Take a bunch of pictures, and go to your local roof supply yard. At least their, the guys have a chance of identifying the material.

Perhaps you'll score a roofer with the desire to do a side job. YMMV.


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## Toasty (Jul 1, 2008)

Hi again,

Thanks for the reply. I have discussed this with the landlord and they're actually happy I'm looking into it.

Water is getting into the building primarily through the preexisting hole in the roof. This hole is current "patched" with a piece of rubber (I think it's rubber) roofing maybe 1'x1' that's not glued down just placed underneath the existing rubber sheet which is not well adhered anymore.

The water has destroyed some of the cement blocks under the hole that form part of the wall separating two bays in the garage structure (garage is free standing and has 4 independent bays, each with their own door). The damage to the wall actually makes it possible to easily get access under the hole in the roof. 

I'm thinking of using this hole that's already in the roof as a drain hole since it's very near the edge of the roof and in a low spot where the water collects already. It would be easy to guide some PVC under the hole and then direct it to an outside wall where it can drain to a gutter attached to the outside wall.

I need to figure out the best way to cement some PVC tubing into the hole and guide it to outside of the structure (less than 1 foot away). I need to make sure that the seal between the PVC / concrete and rubber roof are leak tight.

Also, the edge of the rubber roofing has come up and needs to be reglued to the cement roof.

I've attached pictures showing the roof and hole in the roof with respect to the edge of the structure.


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