A Method to Detect and Locate Roof Leaks Using Conductive Tapes

Undetected roof leaks and the subsequent deterioration are considered the greatest cause of premature roof failure. This paper describes a method whereby a leak locating grid of conductors is placed on the top of a roof membrane to detect and localize leaks to within an area defined by the grid spacing.

The method is particularly useful for roof designs that incorporate a waterproofing membrane under a green roof, wear-course or topping slab where direct inspection of the roof membrane is difficult or impossible. A top-of-membrane grid system can provide an accurate and cost effective method to monitor and maintain a wide range of covered roof types and sizes. The initial mock-up testing as well as examples of subsequent field installations is provided.