Repairing a rubber roof

[TomR]

I am looking for any suggestions or information regarding making repairs to a rubber roof.

The roof in question is on a small rectangular building (about 20 feet x 35 feet), and the roof itself is shaped sort of like a "Quonset hut". It is straight on the two sides, and it curves up from one side to the peak and then curves back down to the other side of the building. Or, to put it another way, the shape of the roof is like a semi-circle.

There are a couple of short seams that appear to have been repaired in the past, and those overlapping seams have buckled a little and are letting water in.

To be honest, I am just looking for a cheap temporary repair or fix for now. The building needs a lot of work and it is going to be put up for sale and sold for cheap very soon. It will be obvious and no secret to the potential buyers that it will need a new roof. But, for now, I would like to just get the leak sealed to get it through the winter and into the summer while it is up for sale. The property is in Central New Jersey.

Are there rubber repair patches or some other similar solution that could be applied to this roof to temporarily repair the seams that are now leaking?

[Stormin Mormon]

When my traileer roof leaked, the only thing helped was a gallon can of roof tar (silverized) and some fiberglass pads. These, from roof section of Home Depot. Bought a brand new trowel for the event. Of course, it was summer time.

Shovel tar on, put the fiberglass down, more tar over that.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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The roof in question is on a small rectangular building (about 20 feet x 35 feet), and the roof itself is shaped sort of like a "Quonset hut". It is straight on the two sides, and it curves up from one side to the peak and then curves back down to the other side of the building. Or, to put it another way, the shape of the roof is like a semi-circle.

There are a couple of short seams that appear to have been repaired in the past, and those overlapping seams have buckled a little and are letting water in.

To be honest, I am just looking for a cheap temporary repair or fix for now. The building needs a lot of work and it is going to be put up for sale and sold for cheap very soon. It will be obvious and no secret to the potential buyers that it will need a new roof. But, for now, I would like to just get the leak sealed to get it through the winter and into the summer while it is up for sale. The property is in Central New Jersey.

Are there rubber repair patches or some other similar solution that could be applied to this roof to temporarily repair the seams that are now leaking?

[homeowner]

I worked as a maintenance and repair person for a business years ago. That building had rubber roofing, and they had some leaks. They told me to fix it. Having never worked on them, I had to do some calling until I found a place that installs as well as sells the materials for them. They told me exactly what I needed, asked me how much repair (size) was needed and sold us the materials. It's mostly a special adhesive, and a cleaner that is needed. The cleaner was Naptha. But I dont remember the name of the adhesive. Dont skip the cleaner, the patch wont hold. It really needs to be cleaned till only bare rubber is showing. Then you apply the adhesive. We got a small roll of the rubber too, for patching over damaged spots. You may or may not need that.

Once we had all the repair materials, and a (how to) booklet they provided, it really was not that hard to do. But you need the right materials. Look for a company that sells the rubber roofing supplies and contact them. No special tools were needed.

You might find some repair info on the web too.

[bud--]

I got a repair kit from Menards a few years ago.

[TomR]

Thanks. That looks like a possible option. I'll have to check into it more. One issue may be whether it would adhere well to the underlying rubber roof since it is made primarily to adhere to siding materials. Another is whether it would be okay when exposed to sunlight on the roof. Both of these questions came up when I read the online description of one of the products, shown here:

A state-of-the-art 25 mil window flashing tape. The custom film topping is specifically manufactured to Protecto Wrap specifications with the highest amount of UV inhibitors possible, giving BT25XL a 120 day exposure time. BT25XL also has an anti-thermaling additive in the film so it won't wrinkle when left exposed to the sun. BT25XL meets or exceeds all building codes including ASTM, AAMA, and ICC.

. Stop moisture intrusion that causes black mold . No special tools needed, peel and stick installation . Meets or exceeds all building codes including ASTM 2112 . The only flashing tape that passed hurricane level windblown rain test ASTM E331-90 . Adheres to vinyl, plywood, OSB, foam, metal, aluminum, and masonry . Can be left exposed up to 120 days

Nevertheless, it may be an easy, quick, and cheap temporary solution which is what I need for now.

[TomR]

Thanks. It sounds like your situation was similar to mine since I too have had no experience in working with rubber roofs.

The part where you wrote,

is probably what I need to do.

And, I think you are right that I should check with a place that sells the rubber roofing supplies and ask them. There are a couple of roofing supply companies in my area, so I'll see what they suggest.

[TomR]

I also just found this YouTube video about EternaBond EPDM Roof Repair that looks helpful:

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[homeowner]

I never looked, but Menards tends to carry stuff like that. They are far better than Home Depot and others. That may be a good place for the OP to look, if there is a Menards locally. I know they are not all over the US.

[DanG]

If this is an EPDM roof it will look like an innertube. The normal adhesive for this is a contact cement. If the surfaces have been contaminated with other junk it might be best to get a 1 or 2 foot wide strip and contact cement it over the bad installs.

If this is a rubberized Modified Bitumen (it will look a lot like an old

90# rolled roof) roof the normal adhesive is hot tar. There are some cold patch materials available that will stick to it. Go to a roofing supply house.

[TomR]

I did check and there are no Menard's stores in my state (New Jersey) or nearby states.

[TomR]

Thanks. I think it is EPDM. It does look like an innertube, and it does not look like an old 90# rolled roof.

I do plan on doing that this week, so I'll see what they say.

I am not sure about the Contact Cement approach, but I can ask at the roofing supply place.

I also found this YouTube video about "EternaBond EPDM Roof Repair" that looks like it would work and I posted earlier today:

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