Roof repair of an apartment building - where to go and what to do?

Almost all residents of the upper floors of apartment buildings periodically face such an unpleasant problem as the need to repair the roof. However, most of them do not know what to do and what is the best way to do it in cases where the roofing performance is reduced and where to turn for help so that the roof of an apartment building can be repaired as quickly as possible.

Roof repair includes updating or repairing the upper part of buildings, which serves to protect them from aggressive environmental influences. Recall what elements the roof consists of in order to understand what exactly can be repaired in case of malfunctions.

Roof structure

Consider what elements are included in the roof structure:

• The rafter system, which is the internal support;
• External coating - roofing material;
• Stormwater system, which is internal or external;
• Thermal insulation;
• Waterproofing.

If major repairs are required, all roof elements are taken into account.

Modern high-tech materials used in the repair of the roof, can significantly increase its operational and technical characteristics.

Depending on the scale and wear of the roof, partial (local) or major repairs are implied. We will get to know each of them closer in order to have an idea of ​​the works that are carried out during their implementation.

Overhaul of the roof: trying to get a subsidy

Overhaul of the roof of an apartment building is carried out with serious damage to the roof or its complete decay. In most cases of major repairs, the bearing parts of the roof are replaced, including the rafter system, lathing and rain and gutter systems.

It is natural that the cost of such a bulk repair is quite high and will fly to the residents a pretty penny. Therefore, it makes sense to try to make a major overhaul of the roof as part of the State program at the expense of the Housing and Utilities Fund.

This program prescribes the provision of financial support to management organizations, which can be up to 95% of the total amount.

Actions for inclusion in the Overhaul Program:

• Adoption of a decision by owners to carry out major repairs;
• Repayment of debts for rent, if any;
• Drawing up and approval of estimates;
• Submission of an application for repair of the roof of the house under the State Program to the local government.

Repair work included in the list of Overhaul Programs:

• Drainage replacement;
• Recovery of humidity and temperature in the attic;
• Replacement of the roof covering, including its individual elements;
• Fire and antiseptic treatment of wooden structures.

To receive subsidies under the State Program, it is necessary to collect and provide a package of documents to the housing and utilities sector of the city, a full list of which can be found in the managing organization.Consideration of the application and decision-making takes place within a period not exceeding 10 working days.

Copies of all documents should be certified by the head of the managing organization.

Partial roof repair

Partial repair of the roof of an apartment building is carried out in case of small defects that reduce the operational characteristics of the roof. These include problems such as:

• Roof leakage;
• Noise increase;
• Damage to individual elements of the roof;
• Giving the roof a more aesthetic appearance.

Depending on the detected defect, the affected roof elements are replaced. For example, the replacement of waterproofing layers, crate elements or other elements. After repair or complete replacement of damaged roof elements, all newly received joints are sealed.

Different types of roofing materials involve the use of different types of sealants.

The main trouble of any roof is roof leakage

Roof leakage in an apartment building is the most frequent trouble, which concerns residents of the last floors. Therefore, we will dwell on it in more detail and try to understand: what are the causes of its appearance and how to deal with them.

In most cases, the cause of leakage of the roof is a violation of the roofing sheet, which may differ in the cause. Therefore, when water appears on the ceiling of the apartment, it is necessary to find and eliminate the source of trouble as soon as possible.

Leakage pattern

Leaks by the nature of the manifestation are divided into:

• Stormy - appear during precipitation or soon after;
• Snow - occur after active snowmelt or as a result of thawing of the lower layer in contact with a warmer roofing;
• “Dry” - caused by condensate, which forms and accumulates in the subroof space, occur in a dry and warm period of time;
• "Flickering" - appear haphazardly, and visible factors of their appearance are not present. The cause may be microcracks in the roofing material, improper parapet installation or rain or moisture falling under the roof overhang.

How to detect a leak?

When the nature of the leaks is clear, you should find a place where the roof leaks. To facilitate the search, you need to compare the place of leaks in the apartment with the corresponding point on the roof. Roulette is used for measurements, and ventilation channels, access wells, etc. can be used as a guideline.

Sometimes, especially with chronic roof damage, determining the cause is quite difficult, but most of the factors that contribute to roof leakage are known.

Leak Causes

• Expiration of the roofing material;
• Initially low-quality roofing material;
• Mechanical damage or violation of the integrity of the cover;
• Occurrence of corrosion;
• Exposure to moisture and ultraviolet radiation;
• Violation of laying technology or roofing device;
• Tearing or bending of the coating sheet material;
• Exposure to high or low temperatures, which reduce the elasticity of the rolled materials, and the coating bursts.

Periodically involve the housing office to conduct a scheduled inspection of the roof, especially if it has not been repaired for a long time. It is advisable to carry out inspection at least twice a year, namely in spring and autumn.

What to do if a leak is detected?

If the roof leak in the apartment building has all happened, then you need to act immediately, without delaying its elimination in a long box. The first thing that can be done is to apply to the Housing Office with a statement first orally and then in writing, because it is the utilities that must deal with roof repair issues.

When contacting utilities by telephone with an oral statement, you should definitely record the time and date of the call, the dispatcher’s response and his personal data.

Of course, in most cases, no reaction to a phone call occurs, but be that as it may, you still need to make it.

The next step on the way to repairing the roof will be to submit a written application to the Housing Office. This option often becomes more effective, since the submitted application is a document, and in the absence of any reaction from the utility workers, you can safely submit documents to the court.

You can find a sample application for repairing the roof from the employees of the Housing Office, however, self-preparation should not cause difficulties.

The application is written in 2 copies. You give one to the Housing Office, and you leave the second to you, having previously reserved it, that is, your copy must have the date and number of acceptance of the application, as well as the signature of the official.

We make an application for roof repair yourself

The application to the Housing Office should be drawn up according to the following model:

1. Upper right corner - indicate the name and number of the housing office, as well as its full legal address.
2. The line below is the name of the head of the organization providing the utility services prescribed in the dative case.
3. The next line is the passport data of the applicant, his address and telephone numbers.
4. Then, in the middle of the line, the word “statement” is written with a capital letter. At the end, a period is put.
5. The following is the main part of the statement, which reflects the essence of the problem and its consequences.
6. In conclusion, the date and signature are put.

What to write basicallyoh part of the statement?

The following details should be included in the main part of the roof repair application:

• What is the malfunction of the roof when and by whom it was discovered;
• The consequences of the malfunction and the nature of the damage;
• The number of the apartment in need of repair;
• The amount of material damage.

Describe everything needs to be detailed with the smallest details, so that everything indicates the importance of an immediate solution to the problem.

Be sure to take photographs in which the place of flooding and material damage will be clearly visible. If it becomes necessary to go to court or to conduct an independent examination, they will become visual evidence.

Requests should have a clear wording and serial numbers, as well as possible references to the regulatory framework. This demonstrates a person’s knowledge of his rights and his desire to defend them. The last should be a request to eliminate flooding and a detailed description of the damage that could result if the Housing Office does not respond to the submitted application.

You also need to draw up an act on the assessment of material damage in 2 copies. One should be handed over to the Housing Office, and the second should be left with a preliminary assurance of a responsible employee. At the end of the application, you must indicate the list of attached documents and photos from the scene.

If there is no reaction from the utilities, an official written response should be requested about the refusal and insist on the inspection of the faults by the technical worker with the preparation of the relevant act. As a rule, utilities do not run the risk of sending a written refusal, as it is a document on the failure to fulfill their obligations, and can play an important role in the court decision.

How to apply?

There are two ways to apply for roof repairs:

• By registered mail, but with notification;
• Personally. In this case, quite often there are situations when the dispatcher does not accept the application or refuses to put a mark and signature in the call log. But in this case there is a way out: it is necessary to visit the housing office in the neighbor’s society and make a corresponding note in the presence of 2 witnesses, who must also assure it with their signatures.

ZhEK's actions and budgeting

To make repairs, the Housing Office must contact the contracting organization that provides these services. You may need to write an additional statement in their name.On the day of the appeal, the organization sends its employee, who inspects the roof leakage and the consequences resulting from it, after which it makes an estimate for further work. After that, the estimate is handed over to the employees of the Housing Office, and after the approval of all parties, a contract is concluded for the repair of the roof. Provided that the subsidy for repairs under the State program has not been drawn up or not allocated to the Housing and Utilities Fund, the expenses included in the estimate are divided into residents of the house.

The total amount spent on repairs is divided in proportion to the area of ​​the apartment, but in no case by the number of residents living in this room.

If the Housing Office ignores all your requests and statements, does not take any effective measures to eliminate the accident, it makes sense to file a complaint with the Housing Inspectorate. It will also be appropriate to file a lawsuit with the court or the Prosecutor's Office.

It is best to file a collective application for roof repairs by teaming with several neighbors.

Do not weaken control over the actions of the housing office until all work related to the repair of roofs is over.

Repair

The duration and procedure for repairs depends on the following factors:

• Roofing material.
• The scale and nature of the damage.

Roof repair from bituminous materials

Local or partial repair of the roof in an apartment building is carried out on coatings, most of which have retained their operational properties. The essence of the repair is to remove the damaged piece of the roof with an indent of at least 0.5 m. The resulting "stain" is poured with liquid rubber or polymer mastic.

Overhaul and complete replacement of the coating is carried out if the coating has lost elasticity or its life has come to an end.

Roof tile repair

The main problem of the tile is its cracking as a result of thermal deformation at the points of contact with various elements of the roof. Therefore, the repair will consist in strengthening the rafters and battens and replacing the damaged tiles with a new part.

Repair of roofing from sheet materials

Problems with sheet roofing are solved in three ways:

• Replacing gaskets and fasteners due to leaks in places where fasteners are located.
• Local repair for minor point damage.
• Complete replacement of the sheet in case of significant damage.

Pitched Roof Repair

To begin with, they repair the rafter system, which includes cleaning the problem areas from rot, followed by scraping and antiseptic processing. If necessary, additional reinforcement of the fasteners is installed.

Roof repair can be carried out using polymer compositions and without dismantling the old coating. It looks like this: problem areas are degreased with acetone and primed. Then all defects found on the coating are filled with a polyurethane-based sealant. At the end of the repair, the entire roof is painted.

Thus, it is possible to repair the roof of an apartment building even in very complex and neglected cases. However, is it worth it to bring to a state where repairs may be required not only on the roof, but also on your apartment. Therefore, you should regularly monitor its condition. However, if an emergency repair situation does occur, you don’t need to shade, because the speed of actions of ZhEK workers in solving your problem depends on how actively and assertively you act.

The term for repairing leaks in case of damage to the roof is one day from the moment of accepting the application, and for a drainage failure - 5 days.

Thus, if after all the application and appeal to the Housing Office no measures have been taken, then after 5 working days you can go to court.

In order to avoid serious problems with the roof, its regular and competent maintenance is necessary, which consists of simple actions:

1. Conduct quarterly scheduled inspections;
2. Perform preventive maintenance, eliminating all defects that have appeared

Remember: preventing leakage is much easier than fighting its effects.