Flat roof had repairs would like some additional input

Hey guys, I don’t do too many flat roofs in my area and would like a little help. This is a multi family condo unit and I was inspecting a ground floor unit. The buyer stated that when he saw the unit he was buying 2 weeks ago there were leaks in the living room but workers were fixing it when he was there and they said it was all good. Looks like they did some patch work on this PVC or TPO? I was under the impression that the patches are usually the same material thats up there now. This roof is also holding water in a few areas and it hasn’t rained in 3 days which I am calling out. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again

That’s a white fully adhered roof with parapet walls and looks like the roof substrate was not prepared properly to not get any ponding water.
For the life of me, I don’t see any scuppers or roof drains. Where are they? I see a pitch pocket, a roof vent boot and one in the corner.
Hard to tell in the photo
Affects of long term ponding of water;

It may seem as if a little water on the roof isn’t a big deal but there are a few effects that affect the longevity and value of your roof such as:

There are more leaks
A roof that sags
There is deterioration in the roofing matters that are in the ponding water
Moss, algae, and plant growth may be inevitable
There is damage or weakening of the roof membrane

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Hey Marcel, yeah you cant really see them. The roof pitches towards the back of the home and there are 2 scuppers.The ponding water is happening in 3 places 2 in the middle and one down near the scupper. I am calling for a qualified roofing contractor. I just wasn’t sure about the black tar that was in the picture I usually thought they make patch kits specifically for this type of material. Thank you for helping me out with this.

The black tar that you see near the parapet wall is the termination as shown in this detail.

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Marcel has more experience with flat roofs than me but even I can see the above issues. :roll_eyes:

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Where were the living room ceiling leaks? The problem may be from the unit above

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Pretty close to where the black tar is. Thats why I thought maybe they did a repair on it. But yep you’re definitely right could have been from the 2nd floor unit

Ahhh, ok thanks Marcel

Typically if there is a roof leak showing at the ground unit, the above unit has quite a bit more moisture if it is a roof source. I have found that it is usually the above units plumbing. I advise my clients that getting an owner to fix their plumbing can be problematic.

Best practice on parapets is to have them wrapped, or terminate at exterior vertical side, but sometimes it is not done for aesthetic reasons.

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