my wife is on the roof

my wife wants to patch a small leak on the flat roof of a rental property she owns .....we have safe access to the roof....now what?

 

Locating leak may be a challenge. Water follows the bath of least resistance. Flat roofs have a reputation for leaks. Many leaks tend to originate at flashing. This can be at the flashing where flat roof joins the main part of the structure or around vent pipes or chimneys. The problem locating a flat roof leak is that water can take off in any direction from where it entered beneath the roof. Check around edge of roof. Sometimes water enters around flashing at edges. Inspect for cracks and openings. Inspect low spots. In areas where water puddles, there can be a small hole. Inspect all seams. Repairs can be made with roofing cement. This will buy time until you can get a roofing contractor.

 

I worked in an office at a factory which had a flat roof. My office had a leak at the same place, but not every time it rained. As it turned out, the leak only happened when the nearest downspout was clogged. All I had to do to fix the leak was have one of the maintenance guys unclog the downspout. The clogged downspout was causing the water to come up over the flashing and down the wall. This may not apply in your situation. Just make sure the roof has good drainage. Good luck.

 

What type of material do you have on the flat roof? And how old is the present roof? If it is rolled roofing or old you need to tarp it until you can replace it. A patch may only "move" the leak.