DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Ashphalt rolled roofing large tear. Attempting repair. Help please.

2626 Views 18 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  ron45
High winds during a storm picked up the edge of rolled roofing and tore a long section. Looks like previous owner didn't glue the edge where roofing met flashing! Thanks to a neighbor who alerted me to this issue as it is our weekender cabin.

Photos below. :surprise:

I only have 2 days out here some spare rolled roofing and a Home Depot nearby.

I was thinking of cutting above the glue on the row above the tear, cleaning up the composite board (how?), gluing a new piece in and under the row above and over the row below. The spare roll I have looks deeper (fingers crossed!

I have never done this. Winds get strong out here and when it rains it monsoons! Thanks for any help in advance.


Image 1. view from below
https://goo.gl/photos/jR49qyPvSuPoQoDY8

Image 2. Roof view
https://goo.gl/photos/REo86GNxokEqfxuD8

Image 3. Roof view composite board
https://goo.gl/photos/DgpzBsELQamTmA1G6
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
since it is just a cabin, and the roof is already down, get a 5 gallon bucket of roof tar and wherever the roof covering is torn put the roof cement under all the torn seams about 6 inches and then nail back down with roofing nails...the original roof was not put down correctly...but that will be a solid fix till you can put a new roof on if you want...
  • Like
Reactions: 1
since it is just a cabin, and the roof is already down, get a 5 gallon bucket of roof tar and wherever the roof covering is torn put the roof cement under all the torn seams about 6 inches and then nail back down with roofing nails...the original roof was not put down correctly...but that will be a solid fix till you can put a new roof on if you want...
Thanks! Is the tar a hassle to lift off of the composite board later on when re-roofing?
well yes....but if you put it down thin now, you can use a heat gun to soften it later to help lift up the roofing to get ride of it...when you put down the new final roof, use a rubber roofing material, it is MUCH tuffer than standard roll roofing thats paper backed..
well yes....but if you put it down thin now, you can use a heat gun to soften it later to help lift up the roofing to get ride of it...
Ok thanks! :) Thin is the way to go... Very much a newbie! It's about 60 degrees F here - should I warm cement at all?
That's OSB not "composite board".
That style roof is on the low end when it comes to roofing materials.
ASAP look into a different material!
That's OSB not "composite board".
That style roof is on the low end when it comes to roofing materials.
ASAP look into a different material!
So replace OSB eventually?

High Desert California. Very Dry except Monsoons :)
No, replace that rolled roofing material.
It has the shortest life span of any roofing material.
While an APP torch down is one option I would argue its not the best DIY option. For that I would go with an SBS either SA or Cold application cement. Both are fairly user friendly without the fire risk.

As to a short term repair I would add "mud/mesh to the mix.
Get some 4" cotton or fiberglass roofing "mesh" or "fabric". It comes in 150' rolls. Tar over any cracks and all horizontal seems, bed the mesh in the tar then tar over the top. If you want to get fancy you can get some cedar colored granules and sprinkle them. The mesh and tar combo will seal any seams and rips AND will help discourage and blow off from wind.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Wrong material was used in the first place, that's 90# roll roofing, patch for now but replace with 18" selvage edge.
Wrong material was used in the first place, that's 90# roll roofing, patch for now but replace with 18" selvage edge.
Hold on to your hat your going to get "chastised" for that suggestion.
We can argue the merits of APP, SBS, EPDM, etc but not 18" selvage edge for a living space.
  • Like
Reactions: 1
if the op wants to spend a few$$ to put down metal roofing, that would be the ultimate way togo...snow and ice slide right off and the cabin would come down before the roof blows off...
  • Like
Reactions: 1
So replace OSB eventually?

High Desert California. Very Dry except Monsoons :)
Ayuh,... So long as it's kept Dry, it'll last along time,...
  • Like
Reactions: 1
Repair went well thanks to all. I took a combination approach after reading some notes on roof restoration. The Tar paper was destroyed under the Rolled Roofing area.

I decided to:
1) Cut out a square area and dispose of old mater.
2) Patch in new tar paper into to the cut out with Tar Glue and roofing nails around all edges.
3) New section of roll roofing with Tar glue under the edges then nailed down.
4) Tar Glue on all edges then 4" roofing mesh over top of joins (edges).
5) Then I added more Tar Glue on top of mesh daubing with my roof brush until saturated with tar.
6) Finally sprinkling some Desert sand on top of the mesh as suggested.

This took an afternoon. I found some left over Tar Paper and Rolled Roofing which kept the price down to a minimum. I plan to keep on top of it as a I have seen many roofs out there looking very poorly and resorting to tarpaulins.

Here's some photos:

The final repair:


Close up:


I feel very happy with the result and believe it will probably out last the rest of the roof. I think the mesh could do with another layer of tar Glue.

Within a few days of the repair we had a heavy downpour!

Thanks again for all of your help!
See less See more
2
Moved to Roofing forum.
Can you please send me the link to where it has been moved to. I gave a climate and geographic context.
Can you please send me the link to where it has been moved to. I gave a climate and geographic context.
This is where it was moved to. This is your thread.
You need to add an edging so wind doesn't tear it back up.
And a coating to help protect it from the elements.
1 - 19 of 19 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top