How to Refurbish a BUR Roof to Extend Life Expectancy

Refurbishing Built-Up Roof

• 1

  Inspect the roof for blisters, cracks and any other openings in the tar where water can leak into the building. Closely inspect low spots where water ponds during rains. Look for corrosion, holes and cracks in the metal flashing around the roof edges, chimneys, skylights and other structures that protrude through the roof. Remove all debris and open all the roof drains.

• 2

  Sweep gravel off of the blisters. Use the utility knife to slice blisters open with an “X” cut and peel back the roofing. Use rags to soak up any water under the blister. Use the spreading trowel to fill in under the blister with roofing cement and press the sliced portions of the roof back down. Coat the area with liquid roofing tar. Cut a piece of asphalt fabric big enough to cover the patch. Press it down into the tar and coat it with more tar until the patch is saturated. Feather the edges of the tar patch into the rest of the roof.

• 3

  Fill small cracks and openings with roofing cement. Fill large cracks and openings with roofing cement, coat them with liquid tar and asphalt fabric, and saturate the fabric with liquid roofing tar just as you did in repairing blisters. Shovel any loose gravel off the roof after you complete repairs..

• 4

  Divide the roof into several sections and work section by section. Spread liquid roofing tar generously over the roof surface with brushes or rollers. While the tar is still wet, spread pea gravel over the surface of the tar and use brushes to work the gravel into the tar. Move on to the next section and repeat. Apply additional tar and gravel along the roof edges and the places where chimneys and other structures protrude through the roof.