Sarnafil Sika roof pooling since day one - Leaks

[Sabrina78]

I had a sarnafil membrane roof installed on a flat roof. From day one it pooled, the installer said it would be fine, that it couldn't be helped, but it wasnt important.
I requested sika to inspect it , they also assured me the pooling wasnt important.
I kept getting damp patches in my house, but Sika said it wasnt the roof, because there was no damp on my top room ceilings - they confirmed the roof was sound and the install was good.

I had Sika to look at it on several occasions, and the same " the roof is sound, the pooling is fine", the installer went bankrupt not long after the install.
Sika only guarantee the materials. The guarantee is now passed, its 17 years since install.

Now i have water coming in above my windows when it rains.
A roofer came to look and said , 'there's pooling on your roof - this is what is causing the problem.'

However, now that its stopped raining , the ingress of water at the windows has stopped. The pooling on the roof meanwhile is still up on the roof.
If the windows are not dripping, now its not raining, and the pooling is still up on the roof, that doesnt make sense to me that the pooling is causing the issue.

I appreciate the pooling isnt good, and i am trying to remedy that, but i need some thoughts on this problem from the forum.
Thank you.

 

[^woody^]

Ponding is not in itself a defect. There is a theoretical risk of it reducing the life of some types of membrane, but it's not a cause of leaks. A membrane is leaking or it is not, and that's nothing to do with ponding.

You need to have it checked properly to confirm if it is leaking. Firms will make a hole, and check the layer below for dampness. If it is damp, then you can claim under the warranty as you would argue it's an ongoing issue. Get a detailed report of the testing and results if you intend to claim.

BTW, that's a crap install with all those creases and detached membrane - that would have been a warranty claim.

You may need another person to inspect the walls above the windows for water ingress as it's a different specialism.

 

[Sabrina78]

Thanks for that Woody - sadly Sika dont guarantee the installers work - just the Sika materials. My guarantee ran out 3 years ago, but i had Sika to look at it several times before the guarantee ran out, and they said the install was good and the roof was sound.
House leaks only in winter when it rains, its not leaking now that its stopped raining.
I chose Sika because they were a reputable company, but i had no idea that the work itself was carried out by normal folk, who can go bankrupt , leaving one with no ability to have things put right. I am very upset - i complained from day one of the install, i was just fobbed off.

 

[^woody^]

Oh. The warranties I've been involved with cover labour and materials and are still valid if a contractor goes bust. It may be that the contractor should be SIKA approved and trained, but yours was not?

If that was not made clear to you, and there was an element of deception, then perhaps you could appeal to SIKA for help as they are normally quite good to work with.

 

[Sabrina78]

yes the Sika installer was Sika approved. Sika said he'd gone out of business -( but i've just found him on facebook, i saw the name of his company on the guarantee and facebooked it )
Because i believed Sika, and they said the guarantee was with the installer, and he was no longer trading. I couldnt do anything about the install.

But Sika technical team visited it and inspected it , three times, telling me it was perfectly fine and and a good install. I had no idea that the baggy side on the papapet wasn't good, until you said - that's not good. I've got photos taken at the time of the Sika inspections , showing the baggy sides from years ago. I've got emails from Sika telling me my installer didnt apply for a guarantee ( but i found it and showed them it ).Then they said sorry and sent someone to look.

i am so sad, its only 18 years old and the guarantee was valid when i was complaining.

 

[datarebal]

As already said , ponding isn't a leak it's just a pool of water on a reliable waterproof membrane. Sarna is pretty good.
You need to get an approved single ply roofing specialist to take a close look

 

[^woody^]

First you really need to determine if the roof cover is at fault, which implies it was likely at fault during the actual warranty period when you was told it was not faulty.

If that is the case then, check the wording on your warranty, as if it was an approved installer then it may be that the warranty should be valid - and so was valid even after the installer went bust, and was valid at the time of your original complaint.

 

[Sabrina78]

thanks Woody, i just messaged the installer on facebook, showed him the photo, asked politely , is this ok ? Can it be fixed? He saw the message, blocked me , and took down his mobile number and email address on facebook. Nice!

 

[Sabrina78]

can it be fixed Woody? Or does one have to have a totally new roof installed?

 

[^woody^]

If you mean the leaking, then you need to know the cause first.

If you mean the detached ply and creases etc, well it's very difficult to put right, but may not be necessary. It's certainly and technically a 'defect', but that's not to say that it's a problem.

The risk is that the loose detached membrane flexes and moves more than it should and that could mean it cracks or ruptures sooner than it would otherwise. But it's just a risk not definite that it will crack or the roof membrane will fail. This happens to these systems as they age, and they can carry on performing for many years afterwards.

The issue is that if the system is warranted then its something that should be corrected under warranty to remove the risk of premature failure. If you are out of warranty, its not something to immediately worry about if the membrane is otherwise still waterproof - just check it every now and again to ensure its not getting worse and more areas are detaching.

One caution, is to be wary if you get other roofers come to look at it and condemn it whilst offering their services to put it "right". Likewise with roofers who only work with a competitor system and tell you that their system is better and you should change it. Ask yourself who is going to benefit the most from any roofer's opinion.

That system has probablly as 35-40 year projected life. Even if part leaking, repair the leaks only. Don't worry about the ponding unless there are leaks in those areas - in which case deal with the leaks not the ponding.