Repaiing roofing felt that has split?

[Steven Campbell]

My extension roof was leaking a few months back and on close inspection noticed one of the overlapping roof felts had come away. So I blasted it with a hot air gun and flattened it down and all seemed well.

I also coated it with Thompson's roof seal. However after a week or so I spotted that right along the repair loads of tiny holes appeared so coated it in more roof seal. After another few weeks more holes appeared.

Here is how it looks today a few months since I last coated it.

has never leaked since I originally heated it with the hot air gun but I would like to fill the holes with something and completely paint the roof but don't want the bubbles coming back.

I bought some joint tape as suggested by the Thompson's roof seal site but I'm not sure that would do the trick.

Any suggestions as to what I can fill the holes with before giving it another coat of the roof seal? I can't imagine the holes could get any bigger!

Cheers.

[Dave Liquorice]

What does the joint tape say to use to stick that down? If it is something goopy then I'd use that to "fill" the holes and stick the tape down. Just applying more roof seal isn't likely to tolerate much movement, see below.

Looks to me that the holes are larger near the edge the roof and get smaller finally dissappearing. To me it looks like something is on the move opening up a crack...

[News]

In message , harry writes

Wise words. Mine was in poor condition - a flat roof over a porch at the side of the house, that we never use. Long story short - I suddenly realised that I could not open the door from the house into the porch - jammed solid. Could not open the door from the garden, either, because it was locked from the inside. Eventually jemmied open the door from the house. What a mess. Water everywhere. Thick mould all over the floor, walls and ceiling. Growths of 'stuff' - fleshy tubes about six inches long growing in there. Mushroom shaped things. Absolutely disgusting. Roof has now been replaced. What should have been a change of felt resulted in change of all the wood, too. Dehumidifier running

24/7, and requires emptying twice a day.

Moral of the story - don't ignore a failing flat roof!

[chrisj.doran%proemail.co.uk]

I find Evostik "Flashband" tape is very effective and lasts well. I expect what you've got is the same or equivalent. It's a thin, greyed, metal foil stuck down with a bituminous goop. Your felt looks in pretty good shape apart from the crack, and assuming nothing is tearing apart below the tape should last the rest of the life of the felt.

Chris

[Steven Campbell]

Its self adhesive which I can't imagine would hold very well.

Yeah the holes do get slightly bigger near the roof edge. What amazes me though is it appears water tight even with the holes. Yet before I coated the roof the water pouring in through my inside wall. I put the holes down to the exceptionally high temperatures we had here recently as this part of the roof is in the sun all day.

Thanks.

[Steven Campbell]

It probably is getting to the stage when it needs stripping and replacing. It is only good for ten or fifteen years. Don't leave it too long or you will get rot in the roof structure. Flat roofs and felt are bad news. Cheap and shitty solution. There's better stuff now than bitumous felt to replace it with.

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Yeah you are probably right as we have been in the house for 11 years and the roof was done about 15 years previously so we've well exceeded its life span.

The only problem being is this part is the join with the next door neighbour and unfortunately they have never moved in despite buying the house several months ago.

[Steven Campbell]

Cheers wise words!!

[Steven Campbell]

I find Evostik "Flashband" tape is very effective and lasts well. I expect what you've got is the same or equivalent. It's a thin, greyed, metal foil stuck down with a bituminous goop. Your felt looks in pretty good shape apart from the crack, and assuming nothing is tearing apart below the tape should last the rest of the life of the felt.

Chris

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Thanks I'll have a look at this. Do you know if it can be overpainted at all?