My garage roof is a concrete slab for the patio above. The patio cracked and leaks.?

Question

The patio cracked over the years and leaks into my garage. Can I pour a 4 inch slab overtop of the existing roof? What should I do?

Answer 1

They have membrane systems that kind of look like a tennis court finish when done. We had this on a building I used to work in with concrete outdoor patios over office space. It would be the job of a roofing contractor, not a concrete guy. I think the weight of 4 more inches of concrete would be too much for the framing to handle.

Answer 2

Go to a home center and buy the most expensive caulking that they have. It should only be about $3 a tube. Buy one that dries clear. It will do a real good job. Concrete slabs are something that should be sealed with Thompson's Water Seal just like a wooden porch. It's very important. The water will bounce right off of the concrete and help prolong the life of the concrete. There are directions right on the can for use on masonry. If you weren't sealing it, it may have helped speed its demise. The best way to apply water seal is to buy ($15?) gallon-sized sprayer. It is simple to use. It is a bottle with a sprayer nozzle used for water sealer, insectide, etc... Any hardware store would have one. I provided a link to a picture of one down below. If you still have a tough leak or two after using caulk, use GOOP glue (and sealant). Homecenters sell it for about $4 a tube. GOOP is clear, bonds super strong, and lasts forever. It's great stuff. I use it around the house all the time. It will certainly stop any leak, but it would be sort of expensive to use on the whole roof. They make some very good caulk these days. You may want to get some caulk that says paintable since you are going to use water seal on it afterwards. Check the directions on the can.

http://www.amazinggoop.com/amazinggoop/index.html

http://cspoutdoors.stores.yahoo.net/green1galspr.html

Answer 3

If the dirt is washing out somehow, then it is probably going somewhere under your patio, which means there is plenty of space for it to wash through and that could mean that soon you will have a cracked concrete patio. I would say a good quick fix is to get a few bags of concrete, a shovel, and a wheel barrow. Add plenty of water when you are mixing the concrete so it is nice and soupy. This will allow it to flow underneath you patio alot better and fill in any large gaps that might be underneath it. Pour as much as you can into the hole and you will probably want to get your shovel and shove as much as you can into the hole that goes under the patio (assuming that you see any holes that go under the patio in the first place). Give it a day to set up, and you should be good to go. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Concrete Garage Roof

Answer 5

A new slab on top of the old one would probably be too much weight. You should be able to seal the crack in the concrete with caulking (there are a lot of kinds that might work).

Answer 6

4 inches is too much. 1 inch river screed is adequate.
You can use coarse river sand, portland cement, and very little water to make a screed mix.
Coat the patio, with a cement slush first. It helps the screed to bond.
Set your levels, with a fall away from the house, and pack the screed onto the patio. Stamp, rack and float the screed, and if you want a grano finish, mix a slush and use a steel float to finish.

Answer 7

as long as the concrete is still structurally sound, i would have it rubber roofed and a wooden deck of some sort for the patio to preserve the roofing

Answer 8

I would install a new PVC roofing membrane with a 1/2" insulation board mechanically attached predrilled and use concrete nails. This will solve your problem for about 20 to 30 years. Any questions contact me we install them everyday you can view my website at www.cool-roofing.com.

Answer 9

There are patching compounds that will fill the crack and make it water proof..Caulking may help.