Even if roofing felt or bitumen shingles are quite robust materials for roofing, at some point they get old and water penetrates into the house. Then the damage should be repaired as quickly as possible so that no mold forms inside. The repair is not difficult and can be easily managed even by inexperienced craftsmen.
Bitumen roofs are easy to seal
Where does the water get in?
Damaged areas do not always show up in large puddles on the ground. You can recognize minor defects by discoloration of the wood or moisture that collects under the ceiling. So that you do not overlook this, the following procedure is recommended:
- Clear the house completely for the visual inspection.
- Take a powerful flashlight and inspect the interior thoroughly.
How big is the damage?
- If only a little water penetrates, the repair is usually easy and can be done without spending a lot of time.
- Have entire roofing membranes come loose? Then the roofing felt has to be relaid.
- Have you found several places where water is getting in, but the roofing felt is intact? Then you need to remove the roofing and lay new weld sheets underneath.
- The transitions to the gutters or the wall are leaking? Here you cannot seal with roofing felt, but must take other measures.
Repair minor damage
Here it is usually sufficient to repair the leaks with roofing paint or cold glue. The bitumen products used for this work adhere permanently to gloves, clothing and tools, so only use used tools that you then dispose of.
- The roof must be dry. Therefore, beautiful spring, summer or autumn days are best.
- Sweep the roof well so that the sealing materials adhere reliably.
- Apply roofing paint to the damaged areas and allow to dry thoroughly.
- Alternatively, glue roofing felt over the spots with cold glue.
- Check for leaks by spraying plenty of water on the roof.
Lay new roofing felt
Depending on whether several areas of the roof have leaked, it may be necessary to lay new roofing felt over the entire roof. Sometimes it is also possible to exchange only a single web.
- When re-covering, always start at the bottom and allow the first strip to overlap by a few centimetres.
- nail on track.
- Let the second strip overlap about ten centimeters over the one below and also fix it.
- Be careful not to step on the material that has already been laid, so as not to damage it.
tips
For a longer service life, it is advisable to give the roofing felt a protective coat of paint about every three years. The cold paintable agents are available in different colors so that the roof surface can be optimally adapted to the design of the arbour.