Waterproofing

Waterproofing The Garage Roof With Your Own Hands: Methods, Materials, And Prices

Waterproofing of concrete garage roof
Written by David J

Table of Contents

The roof of any structure, including such as a garage, should be protected from water penetration and its effects. If the integrity of the roof of your garage was violated and it began to leak, then there are some minor repairs that you can do yourself without paying a high price for it and without conducting a lot of research. However, other repairs will require considerable time, effort, and knowledge, and in this case, it is best to incite specialists.

Why it is necessary to do waterproofing the garage roof and what will happen if it is done poorly?

If you do not protect the roof from water, then moisture will penetrate into the interior of the room or the roofing layers, and this can lead to the following adverse consequences:

  • Formation of rotten wood.
  • Mold and mildew on concrete, walls, and ceilings.
  • The formation of cracks in the concrete ceiling of the roof.
  • Corrosion of metal.
  • Leaks inside the premises can lead to damage to property and the impossibility of further operation of the structure.
  • Formation of rotten wood.
  • Mold and mildew on concrete, walls, and ceilings.
  • The formation of cracks in the concrete ceiling of the roof.
  • Corrosion of metal.
  • Leaks inside the premises can lead to damage to property and the impossibility of further operation of the structure.

Methods of waterproofing the garage roof

There are several basic methods of waterproofing in constructs such as garage roofs. Some methods are suitable for their installation with their own hands, and some are not, as they require certain skills and tools.

Liquid rubber

Waterproofing with liquid rubber implies its spraying or manual application on bases made of concrete, bitumen roll membranes, metal, and brick. Spraying takes place using a special airless spraying unit.

You can read more about liquid rubber in the article – “Waterproofing with liquid rubber“.

Surfaced roll

Different roll materials are applied to the surface using a burner and fire. Rolled materials are deposited on a base made of metal, concrete, brick, or other bituminous materials. The main tool necessary for the installation of such material is a burner and a gas cylinder. When welding rolls with fire, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions and take all the necessary safety measures.

Membrane and film

Various films and membranes are fixed to the edges of the roof using special fixing strips. Between the rolls, the seams are joined using hot air. To work with membranes, you need a tool such as a construction hair dryer. 

You can read more about membrane waterproofing in the article – “Membrane waterproofing: Types of materials and methods of their installation

Surface

This is the simplest method of waterproofing since only brushes and rollers need to be purchased for its application. This method implies the application of special insulating mastics based on bitumen, polyurethane, or polyurea to the surface of metal or concrete. When using this technology, it is very important to choose a high-quality mastic and apply it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Important: Cheap mastics in most cases are characterized by low quality. Simple bitumen mastics have problems with adhesion, resistance to solar radiation and water resistance. The cheaper the composition, the sooner it will fall into disrepair and begin to pass water.

Materials

For each structure, its own waterproofing is suitable and it is the right choice of waterproofing coating that it will depend on how long it will last. The price range is also different.

Important: To choose the right material, it is recommended to call a specialist of a large waterproofing company so that he comes, looks at the object and gives his recommendations. At the same time, do not forget that no matter how good the waterproofing composition is, nothing will work if it is applied incorrectly. 

Usually large firms whose specialization is waterproofing give at least 6-7 years of warranty on their work, while saving you from unnecessary hassle associated with waterproofing with your own hands, as well as from possible alterations and further leaks.  

Liquid rubber

The most used liquid rubber — is sprayed FlexLock liquid rubber. Rubber is applied to the surface under pressure through a special installation. The German manufacturer Hydro also has single-component liquid rubbers for industrial use, but some contractors use this material for private homes and other structures. The use of such a high-quality material as roof waterproofing makes it possible for contractors to provide long warranty periods. 

Advantages:

  • The resulting insulation coating has no seams;
  • The material adheres to the surface at the whole 100%;
  • The elasticity of the rubber allows it to stretch during dynamics instead of tearing or diverging at the seams;

Roll material

Roll materials are made mainly on the basis of modified bitumen and various polyesters. One of the most popular rolled surfaced membranes is the Technoelast roofing material of various markings. As a rule. Technoelast is laid in 2-3 layers with overlapping seams of the previous one. The last layer comes with a special coarse-grained shale sprinkling.

You can read more about roll waterproofing in the article – “Roll waterproofing installation with detailed installation instructions“.

Advantages:

  • Strength;
  • Resistance to minor mechanical damage and loads;

Disadvantages:

  • Presence of seams;
  • Incomplete adhesion to the base;

PVC membrane

The most popular membrane waterproofing systems are PVC and TPO membranes from various manufacturers. The most popular material in this class is Logicbase and Logicroof. These membranes are made of co-extrusion of high-quality thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO) based on polypropylene (PP) with the addition of fillers and polymer additives.

Advantages:

  • Strength and resistance to mechanical stress;
  • Resistant to root germination;
  • Resistance to various chemicals (not for all);
  • Long service life.

Disadvantages:

  • Presence of seams;
  • Complete lack of adhesion to the base.

Polyurethane mastics

The highest quality and most popular mastics of this type are mastics from the German companies BASF and HYDRO. For example, PolyFlex series materials can serve as waterproofing for at least 50 years. 

Polyurethane mastics come in different types: Single-component, and double-component. For each situation, its own type of mastic is suitable.

Advantages:

  • No seams are formed during application;
  • The material adheres to the surface at the whole 100%;
  • The elasticity of the composition;
  • Resistance to solar UV radiation;
  • The ability to choose almost any color.

You can read more about polyurethane in the article – “Polyurethane waterproofing“.

Bitumen mastics

Bitumen mastics – are basically ready-to-use compositions. These compositions are made of petroleum bitumen with the addition of artificial rubber, mineral filler, and organic solvent.

You can read more about bitumen waterproofing in the article – “Bitumen waterproofing: types, characteristics, and technology of the installation“.

Where is it possible to buy quality materials on my own?

As specialists, we recommend buying waterproofing, thermal insulation, and other building materials exclusively from large and reliable retail chains involved in the sale of building materials.

Which waterproofing is best suited for waterproofing the garage roof?

There are several simple options:

  • Garage protection with Technonicol materials, according to the type of fused roll. To do this, you will need a burner and propane gas. The surfaced protection is Technonicol, not expensive, but also not reliable, it has seams and cavities, which makes it unusable after a short time.
  • Recommended option: Hydro-protection of the garage roof, using single-component liquid rubber, according to the FlexLock Pro type. This composition is applied in 2-3 layers on concrete, and represents a homogeneous seamless coating, without cavities and seams. Before applying such a composition, the garage roof should be treated with a special primer. This composition is applied to the base, with the help of rollers or by spraying.
  • Waterproofing with PVC membrane. These materials are not fused, but simply laid in the form of a carpet, and the seams are sewn with a special hairdryer. The material has seams and cavities under it (since it does not adhere to the surface), which makes it an unreliable and short-lived method of waterproofing.

Waterproofing the garage roof with your own hands: Detailed step-by-step instructions with a video guide

Make the entire surface waterproof, not just patch up the cracks. Garage roofs can experience many problems. Concrete, as a rule, is porous, it absorbs a large amount of moisture. Concrete is prone to the formation of chips, cracks, etc. all this leads to the fact that you will have to pay a high price for the repair of waterproofing if it is installed incorrectly at the very beginning.

The best option is — to make the entire surface waterproof, regardless of where the weak points of the roof or places of leakage are located. This is a better solution than consistently applying a sealant or waterproof cement to an area that is leaking.

Approach the issue of waterproofing the garage roof, comprehensively:

Preparation:

  1. Before applying insulation, it is necessary to make the correct slope towards the gutter or funnel – thanks to this slope, water will not stagnate on the surface and put pressure on the insulation, reducing its service life.
  2. Make a hole in the roof for the subsequent installation of a water drain funnel (If necessary).

Stages of waterproofing application:

  1. Clean the surface. This may require a high-pressure washer and brushes.
  2. Use special sealants of the HydroExpand type in order to seal large cracks in concrete.
  3. Make a fillet at all junctions. The rise of waterproofing from the horizon to the vertical should not be at 90 degrees.
  4. Choose the best composition for waterproofing and protecting the roof, without saving on the price of the material.
  5. Apply a suitable primer and wait for it to dry. This should be done to improve adhesion (adhesion) during the installation of most insulation systems.
  6. Install or apply to waterproof, strictly following the manufacturer’s instructions.
  7. Protect the laid or smeared insulation from ultraviolet solar radiation if the material used does not have the necessary resistance to such effects.

Auxiliary facilities:

  1. Install the drain funnel and seal it with special sealants.
  2. Install a drainage system through which water will drain from the roof.

The scheme of the waterproofing installation:

The scheme of the waterproofing installation

Waterproofing of the concrete roof of the garage

Concrete— is a sponge for water, in the absence of good insulation, it will absorb water and eventually collapse. If you notice that some sections of concrete on the roof of your garage are loose or have cracks, then partial measures to repair damaged areas will not always save the situation. Often the main problem is related to the roofing insulation material. Sometimes installed waterproofing may look good to the naked eye, but unfortunately, this is not always the case. Replace the waterproofing coating of your garage with a better one and the problem with leaks will be solved.

For waterproofing concrete on the roof, it is best to use materials with the following characteristics:

  • No seams;
  • 100% adhesion to the base;
  • High elasticity
  • UV resistance

Polyurethane waterproofing has such characteristics.

 The scheme of the waterproofing installation of the inversion roof of the garage:

The scheme of the waterproofing installation of the inversion roof of the garage

Waterproofing of the metal roof of the garage

Metal roofs have certain properties, such as many joints and connections. When installing such roofs, it is very important to observe the correct degree of slope. For waterproofing of such surfaces, it is necessary to use a material with 100% adhesion to the surface and a high coefficient of flexibility and elasticity, since such roofs have strong dynamics and movement.

Polyurethane waterproofing may be suitable for the insulation of metal surfaces.

For more information about the waterproofing of a metal roof, you can read the article – “Waterproofing of a metal roof”

Waterproofing of a flat roof of the garage

If you find a leak in a flat roof, then you should not look only at the insulation layer together directly above it. You should inspect the entire roof, since most materials do not have 100% adhesion to the base, and water can enter under the waterproofing carpet in one place, and exit completely in another. Check corners, joints, drainage and drain pipes, and roof funnels.

You can read more information about waterproofing of a flat roof in the article – “Waterproofing of a flat roof Recommended materials, methods of their installation and prices for work“.

The scheme of waterproofing a flat roof:

The scheme of waterproofing of a flat roof

Where is it possible to buy high-quality and inexpensive building materials on my own?

If you want to get a quality product, and not fake or expired products that have lost their basic properties, then you need to contact not construction markets or unknown stores on the Internet, but trusted and large dealers.

Advantages of large specialty stores:

  1. Low prices;
  2. Quality construction products;
  3. The opportunity to buy materials in the store and online, saving time and money;
  4. Fast delivery 

Price for waterproofing of the garage roof

Prices for waterproofing construction and for works related to waterproofing depend on the selected material. Prices for imported high-quality materials are usually more expensive than their Russian counterparts. When calculating the price of waterproofing, for 1m2, do not forget about the material consumption for the same 1m2. Different waterproofing materials have different consumption and different price.

Description of workUnit of measurementPrice in $
Work on the installation of surfaced waterproofingm210
Work on the arrangement of PVC membranem215
Work on the arrangement of polyuream230
Work on the mastic waterproofing arrangementm28
Work on the arrangement of liquid rubber by sparingm28
Work on the arrangement of liquid rubber manuallym210
Work on the arrangement of cement-mineral 2- component waterproofingm220
Work on the arrangement of polyurethane waterproofingm220
Applying the primerm25

Garage Roof Waterproofing Cost Calculator

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David J

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