Concrete flat roof/balcony help - membranes?

emujuice

Hi all,

Any advice is gratefully received.
We have a concrete flat roof which is also our balcony. It leaks somewhere, so that the ceiling below is very damp. We tried resealing and putting new facias up, but to no avail.
The previous owner clearly had problems too, as we've uncovered 3 layers of tiles on top of each other, which obviously did not waterproof it!!

We're removing all the tiles now back down to the concrete, but we're not sure how to proceed after this, since we need to waterproof it but still be able to walk on it.
A rubber roof doesn't seem suitable, but perhaps bitumen coating and then decking on top? Or some way of being able to waterproof then tile? Or even a waterproof membrane and some astroturf on top?

The area is about 5x3m and joins to the house along one longer edge. The leak does not appear to come from this join, but from one of the corners - although it's hard to tell as the water could be running anywhere.

all the tile layers were wet as we removed them, so clearly water has seaped through the concrete and then just through the concrete!

Any advice on how to affordable solve this???

Thanks

ormus

i got a proper old fashioned roofer to do my flat roof with hot asphalt.
the cost was 250 quid.

emujuice

Thanks for your thoughts, but I don't think that would be suitable as a surface for our balcony...I could be wrong though?

ormus

probably not. you would lay a final covering of your choice.

thehairybuilder

http://www.curon.co.uk/

Give them a shout . You can buy a kit that covers approx 9m2 for about £250 or they`ll put you in contact with a local contractor who`ll supply and fit at a cost of approx £75 per m2

emujuice

The Curon stuff looks interesting... I'll have an explore.

You might be right, perhaps decking can be installed over an asphalt roof?

I was begining to wonder about putting a waterproof membrane down and then a self leveling concrete on top.
As I say it's not that there's floods of water, just a general water ingress.

I'm in Sheffield btw, if anyone wants to come round and do me a quote!

iamcornholio

You can cover the slab in anything that would normally be used for flat roofs - felt, asphalt, EPDM etc, and then you lay a wearing surface such as decking boards, concrete slabs or promenade tiles

The important areas are - upstands (to adjacent walls) and door thresholds. Also ensure that the detail at the slab edge is well designed so that it throws water off the balcony, and does not allow it to drip down the slab edge and under or along the soffit

Also ensure that the fall is correct so as to prevent ponding or a back-fall

emujuice

thanks, that's handy to know...