Flat Roof Problems

Posted By Castelo Construction Lda in Building in Portugal, buying property in portugal, damp house, How to . . ., Living in Portugal, property problems, Roof, woodworm wood worm September 7, 2015

Beware a flat roof and flat roof problems.

The main problem with flat roofs in Portugal is not usually the type of material forming the weatherproof covering. The problems usually occur as a result of how it was constructed and what materials were used to form the flat roof in the first place.

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The second major problem for a flat roof of any type is abuse from people walking over it or placing ladders and scaffolding on it.

Many of us from the UK will have grown up in homes that had extensions which had flat roofs. Many of which were not insulated, leaked and had to be stripped and replaced fairly early in their lives.

Diagnosing why and where it leaked is always a difficult task and in fact most “roofers” will tell you that its best just to remove and replace it.

Most flat roofs in Portugal are built too flat and built with structural materials not able to support the weight correctly so they sag in the middle, allowing rainwater and ice to collect in the middle like a pond. This ponding can also occur under any tiles which were laid on top of the roof to form a roof terrace for example.

If you have ponding rain water – even a little standing water it will surely find its way through any pinprick imperfection into the interior of your home.

Now the almost impossible and expensive task of finding the leak point commences.

A “flat” roof should actually have a gradient of at least 1-in-80, to allow rainwater run-off. If your roof is shallower than this or the deck is cracked then it doesn’t matter what you cover it with — it will eventually leak again.

The answer is to have a strong solid roof deck. The membrane ideally a EPDM rubber roofing membrane which is led up the wall and capped in the correct way. There should be as few pipes, conduits, wires and skylights going through the EPDM roofing membrane as possible and they should be correctly sealed.

Until the EPDM rubber roofing membrane is covered in a method suitable for pedestrian traffic. KEEP EVERYONE off it or you are asking for trouble.

If you have flat roof problems we would love to help info@casteloconstruction.com

Check out our website casteloconstruction.com

Tags castelo construction central portugal Wood Worm damp Flat Roof Problems flat roofs ideal refurbishment property insulation Maintaining or increasing your home value in Portugal refurbishing property repairing stone wall rising damp roof stone walls traditional walls wet rot What to look for when buying an old house in Portugal

About Castelo Construction Lda

Castelo Construction Lda are builders in Central Portugal. We have 12 years’ experience of working with and delighting clients in Portugal. Tel 00351 927168247 or kelvin@casteloconstruction.com If you need an English speaking builder for renovation or new build work we will provide free estimates, fixed prices and carry out your work to a very high standard. Many of our clients are not in the country full time so rely on our regular photographic updates and written reports. They are always surprised when they make inspection visits. New Construction and Refurbishment of Portuguese Property It’s exciting for both our team and of course our clients to mark out on the earth the site of a new home. We will have been with them during the design process and have spoken to the architect many times so we will be comfortable with what we are about to do. For many clients, this stage is a little daunting as it’s hard to see without experience just where the house is going to be in relation to other things on the property. Once the foundations are dug out the house normally looks smaller than they thought, As the pillars and foundation wall start to go you get a much better idea of scale. You can see with your mind’s eye the location of the kitchen, bedrooms and so on. Once the walls are up and the first floor is in place the rooms start to looks smaller again (something to do with the light absorbing properties of the bricks) once the walls are plastered the rooms look a lot larger and it starts to feel more like the home our clients imagined building. As the build progresses we are involved with many specialist subcontractors and it is our job the get them on site at the right time so that the trades do not overlap and time is not wasted. Once the roof is on and tiled it is traditional in this area to have a dinner on site. Everyone who is involved in the build is invited to share a suckling pig dinner with local bread, oranges and of course wine. This is a great way for the clients to enjoy some local hospitality and meet the craftsmen who are building their new home. We also invite the near neighbors so that they get a chance to see what’s going on (when the house is at a very basic stage) and it gives our clients a relaxed opportunity to make their acquaintance. As we always accompany our clients to choose, kitchens, tiles, bathroom fittings or whatever they want. We can help with translation and of course negotiation! As the house is coming to completion we always have them professionally cleaned so that when we hand over the keys it feels more like a home than a building site. 2 months after the house is finished we are back to check for any small faults that may need attention and of course we are available to help and advise should that be needed. Central Portugal builders