More "bubbles" in foam roof
About 4 years ago (7/03), we got a new foam roof from Able roofing. I
get up on the roof once a year, to clean up leaves that fall on one
corner of the roof.
About 2 years ago, I noticed 3 "bubbles" in the roof. We had these
bubbles repaired by a company that advertises on this site. Those
repairs seem fine (thanks!); however, today I noticed a few more
bubbles in the same vicinity.
Also - when I walk along the side of the roof (i.e. right near the
edge of the roof) where the leaves fall, it sounds/feels like there's
some separation between layers in the roof (that's the best
"lay-person" description I can give). Perhaps a larger area of
"bubbling"?
It seems that these problems only occur where the leaves accumulate...
Since the roof is 4 years old, we were planning on having the roof
recoated next year...
What would people recommend? Should we just wait until next year to
have the roof recoated (and address the problems, described above,
then)? Should we have the roof inspected - and perhaps repaired - now
(particularly this troublesome area)?
[email protected]
Palo Alto
I had the same problem on my last roof. I was told that the installation was done incorrectly and had trapped moisture under the foam. You may be able to continuing having the bubbles cut out and new foam installed. However, if there's a lot of them, it may be systemic requiring a tear off and new roof. This is the route we had to take.
yes, im afraid the roof was done incorrectly thats why there are bubbles. Just like a paint job when done incorrectly it also bubbles.
on the other hand there is no reason to panic - we have had bubbles on our roof for years now and they usually dont cause a problem unless you step on them and they pop. Even then it is easy to cut them out and seal the spot. Keep in mind that the foam itself is watertight and there are more layers of foam underneath the bubbles.
There are many possible reasons for your ‘bubbles’. Fortunately, several bubbles on a four-year-old roof are easy and cheap to fix, especially when re-coating. Here’s a list of possibilities: Errors or Problems with surface preparation, surface conditions, atmospheric conditions, ignorance of ‘dew point’ limitations, material selection, material formulation, equipment, or applicator error. A foam applicator needs a thorough understanding of thermodynamics and it’s relationship to foam production and application to install a durable foam roof. One small gap in understanding or experience can have huge consequences. Problems can take years to surface. Foam roofing is not ‘forgiving’.
