Roof Repair in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

What separates a loft roof from a rowhouse roof here?

A loft conversion is a larger building with a larger roof, often with several drains spread across it and parapet walls that run long distances. A rowhouse roof is smaller and drains toward one low point at the back or through a scupper at the front.

The checks are the same: walk the membrane, clear the outlets and inspect the parapet flashing along each wall. A loft roof takes more time, and a roofer quotes it on its full area rather than the section that is leaking.

How do roof decks change a leak repair on a new townhouse?

A roof deck sits over the membrane, so the water route is less visible. Leaks often show up at a door threshold or at the edge of the deck, not directly under the place where the water got in. The deck boards or pavers have to be lifted in the right places to find the entry.

A technician checks the flashing at the deck edge and the drain beneath the deck. Opening the deck at the likely joint is quicker and less destructive than replacing the whole surface.

Why does the parapet cause so many leaks in this neighborhood?

Parapets are where the roof meets a wall, and the flashing at that seam is the weak point on most flat roofs in the neighborhood. Water that runs off a parapet top or past a scupper finds its way into the joint and then into the building.

A roofer checks the parapet caps, the flashing, the scupper and the seam where the membrane turns up the wall. Those are the joints contractor guidance names as the usual failure points for this kind of roof.

How do loft and townhouse roofs in Northern Liberties differ in their checks?

A converted loft usually has a wide roof with a few large drains and a long parapet on each side. The checks focus on the drains, the outlets, the parapet walls and the seams where the membrane turns up the walls. The roof is walked in strips so that nothing is missed, and each strip is marked on a plan.

A newer townhouse has a smaller roof, often with a deck. The deck hides the membrane, so the checks start at the edge flashing, the drain under the deck and the door thresholds below, where a leak from the deck usually shows first. A roofer lifts sections of the deck in the likely places rather than opening the whole surface.

Where a loft and a townhouse share a wall, the flashing at that wall is checked on both sides. The two roofs are usually at different heights, and the step between them is a common entry point for water that runs down the wall.