Earthship: More Roof Repair

Written by Earthship Biotecture Wednesday, 19 November 2008 18:43

Preparing to patch the EPDM roof - applying primer

After several hours of sweeping, the surface began to dry. After we scraped the ice layer thin so that the black EPDM showed through, at 9,500 feet the sun burned intensely to sublimate any remaining snow.
Snow we hadn’t swept, alongside the roof, remained on the ground three days later.
After sweeping and drying the roof, our next tasks were:

1. We measured the existing hole or rip. Then we measured and cut a piece of EPDM to fit over the damaged portion of the roof.
2. Cut a patch of EPDM material to fit over the area with a hole.
3. Clean the existing EPDM membrane with solvent (paint thinner, or water plus heavy-duty cleanser) to prepare it for a patch.
4. Apply primer to the  EPDM so that the seam tape will stick better.
5. Apply the seam tape to the EPDM.
6. Apply primer to the perimeter of the patch.
7. Remove the plastic protective covering from the top of the seam tape.
8. Apply the patch to the existing roof; making sure that the primed perimeter of the patch goes over the seam tape.

 

If this sounds complicated and cumbersome, it was.  We were on the roof from 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and completed repairs on one small part of the roof.   On Monday morning, we were back up on the roof, scrubbing dirt off the parts of the EPDM that cover the berm so that we could then glue patches over the gaps that formed after seams had split. On Tuesday we repaired the area behind the living room skylight and onto the berm. Next, we need to repair the east end, where there appears to be a leak between the exterior wall and the roof. It’s not easy to see where the leak might be (we know it’s there, because during a heavy rainstorm, water leaks down along the front near the windows). We’ll patch the entire junction of the roof to the parapet at the edge, hoping that we catch the leak in the process.

Applying the seam tape. The patch of new EPDM then gets primer, we remove the plastic covering the seam tape, and glue the primed EPDM to the freshly-exposed seam tape.

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