How to Find a Roof Leak on a Rubber Roof

Most RV roofs are constructed from a rubber roofing material called EPDM.

EPDM roofing, or rubber roofing, is common on modern roofs as well as RV or mobile-home roofs. It is a durable material that needs little maintenance except a quarterly cleaning to reduce wear and tear and prevent stains. When a leak does appear on a rubber roof, it sometimes is difficult to locate. The seams of a rubber roof are tight together. According to the Cool Flat Roofs website, a certified rubber roof repair service, 99 percent of all rubber roof leaks are not covered by the warranty.

Things You'll Need

• Ladder
• Seal probing tool
• Chalk

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Instructions

1. Look on the underside of the roof to see if the leak spot is visible. This requires an open roof space or a crawl space.

2. Climb up onto your roof to inspect the roofing materials. Look for obvious signs of damage such as debris, cracks in the rubber surface or visibly open seams.

3. Stick a seal probe tool into all the seams of the roof to determine the leak point. Guide the probe tool along until you find a spot where the rubber roof adhesive does not hold down the rubber roofing to the membrane underneath.

4. Check problem spots up on the roof such as vents, pipes and the curbs made by the HVAC unit of your home. Mark spots that are broken using a piece of chalk.

References

• Remtek Services: EPDM Rubber Roof Maintenance
• Ask the Builder: Ten Most Common Leak Locations
• CoolFlatRoof.com: Rubber Roof EPDM Repair