Do I Replace Flat Roof, or Keep Patching?

QUESTION: I have a 21-year-old home that has a built-up flat roof topped with white gravel. The roof was coated about four years ago, and it needs coating again. Although I’ve patched it twice in the past three months, I’ve been told that the life of this type of roof is about 20 years. Should I keep patching, or replace it?

ANSWER: Probably you’d like to be told to keep patching it up, but, unfortunately, a lot has changed over the 20 years since your home was new. Now, most makers of built-up roofs talk of a 10-year warranty. This would indicate how lucky you are with the roof you have.

You have to weigh patching and repainting the water-damaged rooms under the leaks against the cost of a new roof. When you’ve finally had it with painting, the new roof can be applied over the old one. First the gravel must be removed (spudded).

Gravel over a built-up roof is strongly recommended as it helps to retard the breakdown of the roofing materials by protecting them from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Single-sheet roof applications are available now. They have a mop-on coating to protect against deterioration caused by the ultraviolet rays, but gravel helps the roof last longer than it ever would without it.

Q: We are considering laying our own carpeting and would appreciate any suggestions you might have on working the stiff material into corners and around stair steps.

A: Modern carpeting is made of man-made fiber held together by a latex or foam backing (Kanga-back). The carpet is very stiff and hard to handle, but here are a few easy tips to help you add flexibility to the carpet so it will fit easily into odd shapes and around stair steps.

If at all possible, lay the carpet flat, unrolled, to let it “relax” and lose any wrinkles that resulted from rolling. If you have a large paved area, such as a driveway or patio, unroll the carpet outdoors, so the sun can warm and soften the backing. This will make the carpet more flexible.

If you are working in cold or wet weather, unroll the carpet in a basement or garage and let it lie loose for a day or two to lose its wrinkles. If you still have trouble fitting the carpet around stair steps, apply moisture to the latex backing with a plant mister. Using heat from a hair dryer or heat gun will help make the carpeting as flexible as ordinary fabric, and you’ll be able to shape it easily.

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To submit a question, write to Popular Mechanics, Reader Service Bureau, 224 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. The most interesting questions will be answered in future columns.