Repairing a cracked roof - advice please

[swee'pea99]

It's only about five or six years old

but my missus was out there giving it a clean, and she came across a couple of cracks, like this:

She googled about roof cracks, and the front-runner right now seems to be this stuff:

...but she said she'd prefer to know what the roof's actually made of - there are better solutions for some materials apparently. Does anyone have any idea? Can you tell just from looking at that first pic? I haven't a clue, but I thought if anyone might know it might be someone hereabouts.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[midlife]

It should have come with a guarantee?

 

[cyberknight]

shouldn't it have gravel on it too ?
had a house with a upper parts sticking out from roof with a similar surface, swept the gravel back and resealed with similar coating then put the gravel back over it so it stuck to the sealant .

 

[Globalti]

I'm certainly no expert but I hate flat roofs, it doesn't matter how good the system, they will leak one day especially if drains aren't cleared and they flood regularly.

Looks to me as if the roof is a waterproof covering over sand or some kind of self-levelling compound and somebody has put a foot through in an area of weakness. Many materials become brittle after prolonged exposure to UV light. It happens in your car; that grey fog inside the glass is the plasticiser migrating out of the vinyl. Agreed, I think there should be a white gravel to protect it from UV.

You can try patching it but in the end it needs a new covering.

 

[cyberknight]

It should have come with a guarantee?

good call

 

[lazybloke]

Looks like mine, which is GRP.
As @midlife says, check for guarantees; they're supposed to have a 25 yr lifetime (so say the salesmen)

 

[Ian H]

From the photo of the crack, it looks like zinc. But your eyes & fingers should tell you pretty much what it actually is.

 

[swee'pea99]

It should have come with a guarantee?

Thanks. That would be the ideal solution, but unfortunately it didn't. The company that did the work has since changed hands, and we have nothing on paper, so I suspect DIY is realistically our only option.

 

[Globalti]

And guess what? J Bloggs Roofing Ltd has been wound up and replaced by a different company, Bloggs Roofing Contractors Ltd.

 

[Slick]

Looks like poor quality mineral felt, although I could be wrong. Fibreglass would be considered old school now but it was a solution most people were turning to before I became aware of these guys.

http://www.icopal.co.uk/Products.aspx

Most of the people offering 25 year guarantee did so in the knowledge they would restructure every couple of years or so.

 

[Globalti]

Imagine a pitched slate roof failing after only 25 years!

 

[fossyant]

OP sent the wife out....

Patch it as best now, then phone company - it should be a long g-tee...

 

[Cuchilo]

Looks like a fibre glass system to me . Clean the area , sand to key it up and re glass it .Simple job .

 

[swee'pea99]

OP sent the wife out....

Patch it as best now, then phone company - it should be a long g-tee...

Encouraged by some of your posts I've checked out the company and it turns out they're members of the FMB, so there may be some prospect of a guarantee after all. I'll look into that first, tomorrow. Many thanks. (Oh, and my missus was doing the business because I'm still recovering from a broken hip, and couldn't even get out there.)

 

[Levo-Lon]

Looks like a fibre glass system to me . Clean the area , sand to key it up and re glass it .Simple job .

This.

Guarantee . Good luck.