Where Albuquerque flat roofs leak
Parapets
Cracked stucco caps and split wall-to-roof corners let water run inside the wall. See parapet sealing.
Canales
Loose or back-sloped canales send water into the wall instead of off the roof.
Penetrations
Skylights, swamp cooler stands, vents and solar mounts. See skylight and vent sealing.
Worn coating
Once foam is exposed, it erodes and water works in through damaged spots.
How we find it
- Look at the stain and the attic or ceiling space if it's accessible
- Walk the roof above and uphill of the stain — water travels
- Probe the foam for soft, wet areas
- Check every penetration, corner and canale in that zone
- Water-test suspected spots when the cause isn't obvious
Fixes that last
- Cutting out wet foam and re-foaming, not smearing coating over it
- Rebuilding parapet caps and resealing corners
- Resetting or replacing canales with proper slope
- Re-flashing skylights and cooler stands
- Recoating the area — or the whole roof, if the coating is worn everywhere
Monsoon season
Most leak calls come in July and August, when storms dump heavy rain in minutes. If you can, have the roof checked in spring — see the monsoon flat roof checklist. If it's already leaking, a temporary seal can hold until the roof is dry enough for a permanent repair. And yes, sometimes a coating can help a leaking roof — but only after the cause is fixed; see can you coat a leaking roof?
Leaking now? Call (505) 886-8732.
Common questions
Why does my roof only leak in heavy storms?
Usually water is backing up behind a clogged or poorly sloped canale, or coming in high on a parapet only when it runs hard.
Can you fix a leak in the rain?
We can often make a temporary repair. Permanent foam and coating repairs need a dry roof.
Will one repair fix it?
If the rest of the roof is sound, often yes. If the coating is worn everywhere, more leaks will follow until it's recoated.