Im looking to re-do/ seal the upper units porch at my house (old buffalo home that has the extended space on the lower floor with the porch on the upper). Whats the process/ what materials do I need to go about doing this? It seems it would be pretty easy and straight forward, I just want to make sure I do it the right way.
About to do this myself on a porch I just finished. Best method I found was a torch down. It’s metal, then rubber then use a torch to seal it all together. Will be doing it this month.
Haha yea, Im not taking a torch to my roof. I did a little more research after your suggestion and found other options. Id like to go more towards a “peel and seal” type application. Im just not sure how to start/ how prepped the surface should be. Do I need to tear it down to the sub surface??
Torch roof is prob one of the easiest ways to do it. and one of the cheapest and most water proof. But yea there are a few other options out there.
you can special order a rubber sealcoat thing, I think its used for roof flashing
I was planning on going over my existing rubber that has some surface tears and making sure its 100% waterproof
A few things to keep in mind.
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Torch down is extremely dangerous if there is any wood substrate where the flame can get in and smolder. Torch down has to be torched at the exact right temperature to achieve 100% bond. Most box store Torch down is very thin and easy to burn through
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Peel and Stick membranes are great but it is the very wrong climate to be installing them in. For a peel and stick membrane to fully bond, you need a roof surface temperature of 160-180 degrees. On the hottest day in the summer, a black roof will only achieve a 140 degree surface temperature. The 20 degrees does not sound like much but it is enough to provide a false bond that will break at the seams in colder weather.
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EPDM rubber material requires EPDM compatible cleaners/primers/glue/membrane to work. Any solvent or asphalt based repair material will attack the EPDM and erode it.
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The best process is the most dirty. Buy cold process roofing adhesive and compatible ply felts NOT just a fiberglass sheet! squeegee out the adhesive with a notched squeegee and roll the sheet into it. The solvent bond of the ahesive to the sheet is extremely good. Just make sure you use a vertical grade adhesive for the wall flashings.
plastidip it
I just had my balcony roof redone. Had two layers removed, removed old blown in insulation, removed old plywood and iron railing, placed in new installation, new plywood, and the mat is used on flat roofs with a new vinyl railing (flashing installed against the house) by Stockton roofing
I hired this out to a contractor who put down a new EPDM roof on the porch. Its a more expensive option, but it seals better and will last a lot longer. The existing roof was done with the torch down by the previous owner. Needless to say it leaked like crazy, and required me to rebuild the whole front portion of my house.
Whats the cost on average to hire someone?
I cant tell you what it would be on average. But assuming most front porches will require roughly the same scope of work and the size being the primary difference. I would estimate between 3500-4500 for the contractor I used. But they have the reputation for being a bit pricier than others.
Because I was dealing with a leak that was attempted to be repaired multiple times by previous owners, I decided it was worth it to get it done right. And they sold me on this solution as being the best long term solution available.