Steps to Replace Your Flat Roof

Over time, your flat roof will go through a lot of wear and tear. So it becomes vital to make a decision of flat roof replacement. You can use the best roofing materials after removing your old roof with minimal efforts using EPDM rubber.

So If you are deciding to replace your flat roof, then you have come to the right place. This article will show you flat roof replacement steps that you can pull off without any roofing experience.

1. Remove your old roof

It is the first step before installing the new roof. Here are some ways to remove your old roof.

Remove the piles by thrusting.

Plies are the layers of mats and fabrics on your roof. Don’t forget to wear long pants, long sleeves, and safety glasses and stand on a resistant section of the ceiling. Moreover, make an angle of 30–40 degrees to the roof and start thrusting in the middle of the dome repeatedly.

Pull off the mortar-filled perimeter framework.

In most of the cases, you can remove this framework with a tedious tug. Firstly, hold the left and right side of each piece with both hands and start wiggling while pulling backwards. However, you can place your spade under each piece at a 45-degree angle and lever it up if this doesn’t work.

Remove the remaining perimeter with a spade.

Place the spade under the piece, hold the handle 45 degrees outwards from the wall and lift it and down to loosen the perimeter. After it gets loose, grab the flashing with your hands and pull it away.

Remove the felt flush to the perimeter.

Now you have to remove the felt at the perimeter. Place your spade under it and apply pressure upwards. Insert your spade between the felt and the roof to remove the edges. Therefore, move the spade in a chopping motion to detach the felt.

2. Attach the new roof with EPDM

This step is the crucial step of flat roof replacement. Below are the steps to attach the new roof by using EPDM rubber.

Measure the roof size

Firstly, you have to measure the length and width of your flat roof using a measuring tape. However, most of the EPDM membranes are 1.2millimetrese thick.

Open the EPDM vertically along the length of the roof.

Put the EPDM square at the centre of the roof. Across the length of the roof, flip the top piece of the EPDM downward and align the bottom so that it is parallel to the bottom distance. Now you have to flip the next upper part upward and align it like that; it is collateral to the top edge of the roof.

Apply the EPDM along the width of the roof

To align with the right edge, hold the rectangle by its left most corner and turn it to the right across the roof. Now drag the remaining part of the membrane to the left until it meets the left width of the ceiling.

Apply water adhesive

You have to apply the adhesive in 2–3 foot horizontal swipes out from the crease of the EPDM using an adhesive roller. Therefore, make sure to apply the gum until the layers are opaque and you can’t see the roof.

Lay the membrane into the adhesive

Transfer the adhesive to the underside of the membrane by rolling the EPDM membrane over the gum.

Attach the other side of the EPDM

You have to flip the other side of the EPDM to the roof. Apply the adhesive to the remaining part of the ceiling from the crease. Therefore, roll the remaining slice of the EPDM over the adhesive and press it down to remove the air bubbles.

Final thoughts

So here are the steps for flat roof replacement. However, a strong roof is vital to protect your house from heavy rain and sudden climate change.