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Sometimes we get nutty roof repair requests…but not in the way you might think.

In this roof repair case, squirrels wreaked havoc on a roof flashing when they decided to use this college dormitory roof as their food storage pantry. Here are a few photos of how Just Leaks saved the day for the students attending The University of California, Santa Cruz campus.

As you can see, the pipe jack flashing was dislocated by the squirrels, and they stored their nuts underneath. We have to admit, these squirrels were pretty smart! However, we needed to immediately repair and protect the college dorm roof from further damage.

After the Just Leaks team removed the acorns, we then removed the roof jack flashing, replaced the deteriorated underlayment, re-installed the jack flashing, and sealed it all up.

No squirrels were harmed during the process, but they were a little perturbed that we removed their convenient roof-top nut stash. UC Santa Cruz students and staff members, however, were thrilled that we repaired this dormitory roof. There was concern about potential leaks and other roof damage during the El Nino winter storms if this damage was ignored.

UPDATE:  The squirrels are fine living in a neighboring tree, and they appear to be healthy and happy. We could have sworn during our last visit, however, that they were barking insults at us. But hey, hat’s off to our resourceful, furry, nut-loving friends. 🙂

If you are concerned when local wildlife causes damage to your commercial roof, you can rest easy knowing that Just Leaks will do a complete and reliable roof repair. To learn more about our flat industrial roof leak repair, dormitory roof maintenance, or commercial roof waterproofing services, give us a call at 408-249-4646. The Just Leaks team will be happy to help.

We are proud of the work we do here at Just Leaks, so to kick off 2016 with a bang, we thought we would share photos that highlight the work we do during the rainy season.

This January, we received a call from a commercial property owner with a flat roof that had developed a leak. This is a photo of the leak we found on an exterior wall in the area of a side-wall scupper drain.

This is one of those repairs we are often called out on after several unsuccessful repair attempts have been made by others, or the owners. The roof often deteriorates at the drains due to stress and the drains need to be re-sealed. Here you see the effects of the deterioration at the mouth of the scupper.

What also often happens, and is often not noticed is that there was not enough of a drip edge to stop water from back-flowing at the outer wall. This backflow can go into the building if the leader head clogs, or if the drip edge is not extended far enough into the leader head. If not repaired properly, the leak will continue, even if the drain is sealed at the roof. In the photo below, you’ll see what a complete and reliable leak repair looks like.

These photos show how we removed the old mastic and sealants, rebuilt the roof around and through the scupper, and extended the drip edge. This is an example of how, by having the experience to know what to look for, and by being thorough in investigating all of our leaks, we have a very high success rate in completely stopping leaks.

We realize this article is a bit technical for people who are not roof enthusiasts like we are, but we wanted to clearly illustrate the steps we take when servicing roof leaks. Our years of experience with flat, industrial roofs help commercial property owners secure their buildings against water leaks that could damage the structure, furnishings, electronic equipment, or products located inside the building.

If you are a property owner or business owner that dislikes losing money on their investments and believes in preventive maintenance, you can rest easy knowing that Just Leaks will do a complete and reliable roof repair. To learn more about our roof leak repair, roof maintenance, or roof waterproofing services, give us a call at 408-249-4646. We’ll be happy to help.