Why is my flat roof leaking?

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farmerjohn1324

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It had leaks before so I had the torch down redone (not by a licensed contractor). It rained when they were putting the flat roof on, so it leaked through the plywood while the flat roof was off, so that's why my drywall got all soggy and I had to pull it down like I showed in another post.

After a hard rain today, there are leaks in the plywood. I know I can cover up the leaks with some Flexseal and more plywood, but does this mean that the torch down job was not done correctly? Does it necessarily all have to be redone or can parts of it just be patched up? Possibly just some "bull" here and there?

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Call them back and show them the problem to be fixed. Flex seal is a temporary fix to a major problem.
BTW they are responsible for damages due to rain on an open roof.
 
It looks like it's 20 years old. If it's new they torched the heck out of it. Deflection on the roof deck causing ponding water should have been corrected when the decking was exposed. Improper wall flashing detail, what's the drip edge look like? Hate to be critical, but, looks like this job and one more will make their second installation.
 
It looks like it's 20 years old. If it's new they torched the heck out of it. Deflection on the roof deck causing ponding water should have been corrected when the decking was exposed. Improper wall flashing detail, what's the drip edge look like? Hate to be critical, but, looks like this job and one more will make their second installation.

It was an amateur. I can't "call him back" because he stole some tools and I called the cops on him.
 
If you want it to be a value instead of a liability, it needs to come off, slope added so you have proper water flow of at least 1/2" per foot. Looks like new decking and a properly installed membrane system with proper flashings. If this is not in the budget, patch the seams with roofing cement. You can get a bucket at most places that sell any type of roofing supplies.

The ponding water will cause issues from now on if not corrected. I understand trying cheap, but you see the results of that.
 
100% agreed with oldognewtrick. Nothing else will be satisfactory over time. Get a secong mortgage ifyou have to but fix it now and fix it right before your home rots away from the water coming in.

And don't use amateur workers for more than mowing the lawn. Nothing regarding home maintenance is as simple as it may seem, and the pros will know what to watch for and how to rectify it so a small issue doesn't turn into a big (expensive) problem.

Phil
 
Someone told me to use HydroStop. This is some sort of Elastomeric.

Can I just use the Elastomeric they sell at Home Depot?

What product would you suggest?
 
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