Las Vegas is a notoriously dry place. We do have a rainy monsoon season, but even still, waterproofing your roof is not something many homeowners consider as essential. However, waterproofing your roof is the most critical step in the roof installation process since it protects the materials used to construct your home as well as everything you store inside. It’s all about prevention when it comes to preventing a leak from accumulating in your ceiling. It’s crucial to understand how to waterproof a roof so you can tell if it needs maintenance or if a leak was properly repaired.
What Is Roof Waterproofing and How Does It Work?
Roof waterproofing is an extra layer of protection applied to your roof to ensure that no water enters your property and causes decay in the walls or support beams. Roof leaks can be caused by a variety of factors, the most common of which is a lack of roof waterproofing.
What Are the Benefits of Roof Waterproofing?
While it may not seem to be the most important thing to consider when you live in Las Vegas, that is all the more reason to make sure your roof is properly waterproofed. You don’t want to be caught unprepared, and have to pay significantly more money to repair water damage.
The Roof Structure is Damaged
If your roof is damaged for an extended period of time, it can become very dangerous. Continuous wetness, as well as mold growth, can cause support beams to deteriorate over time, causing your roof to collapse in that location.
Water Stains on the Ceilings and Walls
While these stains are not harmful, they are ugly and difficult to remove.
Exterior Walls With Mold And Moss
Moss and mold can give your home a “cottage in the woods” impression, and nothing says neglect like the presence of these in homes that aren’t surrounded by miles of forest.
Waterproofing Materials for Roofs
Many people believe that their roof’s shingles and tiles are enough to protect their ceilings from dripping at the first sign of rain, but they are simply the first line of defense against severe weather.
The tiles may crack or fall off, and the shingles may curl, erode, rot, or blow off, depending on the materials used to make the various roof components and how old the roof is. This creates an obvious issue, which is why the underlying materials are so crucial. These are some of them:
Base Sheet
The roofing base sheet, which is commonly composed of fiberglass, reinforced polyester, or composite reinforcement, is the lowest layer of the waterproofing layers. The first layer above the decking board is the base sheet, which seals the rafters and the roof foundation.
Gutters
Gutters, like roof flashing, direct water that collects on the roof to a location away from your house. Gutters must be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis to avoid becoming clogged or sagging.
Gutters, if not placed correctly, can actually promote roof rot by allowing water to flow back onto the roof rather than away from it.
Flashing
Metal or modified sheets are used as roof flashing around vents, skylights, chimneys, and valleys, as well as at vertical wall joints. Water is diverted from areas where it might collect, such as valleys, returns, and hips, by flashing.
Flashing is typically made of galvanized, aluminum, copper, or stainless steel, among other metals.
Underlayment
The underlayment is a water-resistant substance that provides an additional layer of weather protection. Roofing underlayment comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, depending on whether the roof is sloped or flat.
Underlayment for sloping roofs can be constructed of 90 pound felt, tile cap sheet, or modified bitumen (this is installed using hot asphalt, it is a self-adhered underlayment).
Flat roofs use a variety of mechanically bonded fiberglass ply sheets and a modified bitumen cap sheet that can be hot-mopped, self-adhered, or flame applied depending on the system.
Contact Us
Because your roof’s purpose is to protect your property from the weather, it’s critical that the waterproofing is done properly. Ask Rhino Roofing about roof care plans, waterproofing, roof repairs, roof replacement, and contacting us today!
