In a city where it may rain only a few days a year, the roof is the last thing anyone thinks about. Then a winter storm arrives, water comes through the ceiling of the top floor, and everyone remembers that the waterproofing was laid years ago and nobody has looked at it since.
Why roofs fail even in a dry city
The sun does the damage long before the rain arrives. Year after year of intense heat dries out the waterproofing, the daily swing between hot days and cool nights opens small cracks, and dust collects in the drains. When the rain finally comes, it is heavy and fast, and it finds every weak point at once.
A walk on the roof before winter
- Cracks, bubbles or lifted edges in the waterproofing layer, especially around the parapet and corners.
- Rain drains: are they open, or full of dust, sand and leaves?
- Places where water stood after the last rain, often visible as dark or dusty marks.
- The bases of the AC units, water tanks and any pipe that passes through the roof; these are the most common leak points.
And from inside: brown rings or peeling paint on the top floor ceiling, especially near the corners, usually point to the roof.
Partial repair or full waterproofing?
If the waterproofing is generally sound and the problem is in a few spots, a local repair around those points is usually enough. If the layer is cracked across large areas, or the roof has leaked in more than one place, patching becomes a yearly expense and full waterproofing is the better investment. An inspection before the decision saves money in both cases.
Keep in mind that the roof belongs to the building. In an apartment block, the roof is usually the responsibility of the building owner or the owners’ association, not the top-floor tenant.
How Mawadda helps
In the engineer’s visits we check the roof and the drains and photograph them in the report. Full roof waterproofing is priced per square metre in the shop, so you know the cost before you decide.