How to Repair Bubble in Tar Roof

A bubble is an unsightly blemish that pops up on your roll roofing, like acne. Sometimes it shows up after the roof has been down a while. Sometimes an imperfection in the roof under the roofing causes the bubble to appear. Whatever the case, a bubble can lead to cracking and a leak. Here's how to repair a bubble in a tar roof.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Utility knife
• Tube of roofing cement
• Roll roofing

1. Cut an X in the bubble with a utility knife. Cut carefully so that you don't go into the roofing beneath and cause damage.

2. Lift up the edges of the bubble and squirt roofing cement underneath with a caulking gun. You also can use liquid roofing cement or tar from a bucket and a brush, but the tube of roofing cement is less messy and can get underneath the far corners better.

3. Press the edges of the X back down on the roof and put more tar over the top.

4. Place a piece of roll roofing over the top, making sure it overlaps the X area by 6 inches.

5. Put tar on the edge of the roofing patch that inclines toward the top of the roof. This will provide an extra seal so that rain won't get under the patch.

Tips & Warnings

• If the bubble is so small that a patch of roll roofing would be likely to curl, use fiberglass tape impregnated with asphalt instead. Put it over the X once you put the edges back down and use more tar on top of the tape.