No matter what type of roofing material you have on your home's flat roof, you need to keep up with roof repairs so the damage doesn't get worse and lead to bigger problems. If your home has a flat roof, repairs are important because of the risk of water puddling on the roof. Flat roofs drain too, but if drainage is blocked, water might puddle up and cause a roof leak. Here are roof repairs that might be needed for flat residential roofing. 

Spray Foam Roofing

Foam roofing is appealing for homeowners because it acts as insulation and it also blocks solar warming. Another good thing about spray foam roofing is that it is fairly easy to repair. If the roof is punctured by a nail or other sharp object, the hole can be cut open to make it bigger so it can be dried out. Once the hole is dry, it can be filled in with caulk and leveled off so it's not noticeable. The caulk dries and keeps rain out.

If your foam roof has an issue with water ponding, you'll want to make sure the roof isn't blocked with leaves and the gutters aren't backed up. If necessary, the roofer might apply more spray foam to alter the slope on the roof. When spray foam roofing is applied, it can be any thickness the roofer wants. This allows them to build up a low area so it drains properly.

Membrane Roofing

Membrane roofing is another popular choice for homes with flat roofs. These are sometimes held in place with gravel, so finding damaged or leaky areas might be tricky. The roof repair contractor will check roof seams since those are often areas where leaks develop. They'll also look the roof over for damage from foot traffic and punctures.

Membrane roofing can be repaired with patches. In the case of plastic membranes, patches can be adhered using a heat welder so the materials fuse together. Rubber membranes are often repaired with patches, tape, and adhesive that bonds the materials to be watertight. Gaps in seams can be sealed in similar ways so the materials bond tightly and the repairs last a long time.

By making roof repairs to membrane roofing, water is kept from leaking under the membrane and soaking into the insulation boards or cover boards. This could start the process of moisture damage to your roof, so keeping up with roof repairs—no matter what type of roof you have—is important.

Contact a local roofing service, such as True North Roofing, to learn more.