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Split Roof Seams

Split Roof Seams

What Causes Roof Seams to Come Apart?

The main causes for roof seams coming apart usually include:

  • Old age
  • Damage from the sun breaking down the adhesive
  • Water freezing and expanding beneath your seams
  • Incorrect Installation

What do split roof seams look like?

Shown below are multiple photos of split roof seams.

Roof Seam Example

The seams failed first because there was more movement there and it broke down the coating faster.

Split Roof Seam

Roof is in great shape, but here is a split.

Split Seam Close Up

Close up of the above image.

Corner Roof Split Seam

Notice the cracks are in straight lines. This means the material under it caused the cracks along the edge of the sheets.

Roof Split Seam Around AC Unit

A roof a client asked me to look at. They did a fine job of patching this themselves.

Lifting Roof Split Seam

A rolled roof, which has not been cool coated year. Here is a seam that’s lifting.

Split Seam on Roof

Another straight line crack through the silver coating. As a side note the silver is more like oil based paint and not really a rubberized coating. It holds up fairly well but cracks easier than cool coating because it goes on thinner and stretches less. Its also typically over 150 degrees in the summer sun.

Roof Split Seam in Cool Coating

Another straight line crack. The seam kept moving and finally split the cool coating.

Can you ignore split seams on your roof?

If you ignore split seams on your roof you will more than likely end up with a much bigger issue that will require costly repairs. When you have split seams they should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent water from leaking into the split seams. If this happens the damage can quickly spread and end up resulting in a full roof replacement. 

What should I do if I notice split seams?

If you notice split seams in your roof give us a call right away! Although some homeowners can repair split seams themselves, we’re happy to provide you with a free professional consultation and a quote to repair the seams and recoat your roof.