What is the role of the flat section here?
A flat section on a bay-side house drains to its outlets, and the membrane is read for ponding and seams. A pool that stays after rain is a load on the membrane, so the drain is cleared and tested in the same visit.
The parapet and curb flashings on the flat section are checked for lift, since they carry the membrane up the wall and are the most common route for water into the house.
How are the gutters on the flatter ground checked?
On flatter ground a gutter with a slight dip holds water at its low point. The run is tested with water to find the dip, and it is re-pitched so the water reaches the outlet in a storm.
The downspout outlets are placed so the water leaves the foundation clear, with a splash block or a short pipe where the ground would otherwise hold the water against the wall.
How are the eaves and fascias read on the bay side?
The eaves and fascias take the damp air and the run-off from the covering above. Paint that blisters and wood that softens are found by probing and by looking at the back of each board, since the damp usually starts on the hidden side.
Soft trim is cut out and replaced, and the new board is primed on every face. The gutter at the eave is re-hung so it does not sag onto the fascia.
How do the flat roofs near the bay drain?
A flat roof near the bay has a small fall to its drains, and a drain set above the lowest point leaves a pool beside it. The pool is measured and its position recorded, since a pool that stays after rain is a load on the membrane.
The drain is cleared, its basin is checked for a level and the parapet flashing is read for lift. A correction is recommended where the level is the fault.
A record of the patches kept over the years shows whether the same spots keep failing. That pattern is the signal to change the drain or the level, not only to patch the membrane.
