Pipe & Cable Penetration Waterproofing for Metal Roofs in Saudi Arabia

Why pipe and cable entries start leaking

On logistics sheds and factories from Riyadh to the Dammam industrial cities, most pipe penetrations were never part of the original roof. They are added later by the AC contractor, the electrician or, more and more often, the solar installer, who cuts a hole, pushes the lines through and finishes with a ring of silicone or expanding foam. That looks fine on day one. After a Saudi summer on a sun-baked metal sheet, the sealant hardens and shrinks, the foam breaks down under UV, and the gap reopens just in time for the winter rain.

Grouped penetrations are harder still. When several pipes or cable bundles share one opening, the narrow gaps between them are almost impossible to fill reliably with a bead of sealant. Promax Bonding Adhesive is built for these complex cut-outs: it bonds EPDM tightly around each line, stays flexible as the pipes expand and contract, and holds at surface temperatures up to 120 °C.

Clues that a pipe or cable entry is leaking

• Drips from cable trays or along pipes just below the roof
• Silicone rings that have cracked, shrunk or come away from the pipe
• Crumbling or sun-bleached expanding foam around conduits
• Leaks that began soon after a solar PV or AC installation
• Several cables pushed through a single, loosely sealed opening

How we seal pipe and cable penetrations

1. Trace the leak pathsOur engineer checks every pipe, conduit and cable entry on the roof and photographs each one for the written survey report.
2. Clear the old sealCracked silicone, loose foam and dirt are removed from the pipe and the sheet so the new membrane bonds cleanly.
3. Cut to fit around the linesEPDM is cut on site to wrap single pipes or to fill between clusters of cables, following the profile of the roof sheet around them.
4. Bond each linePromax Bonding Adhesive fixes the membrane to every pipe and to the surrounding roof, closing the small gaps that sealant usually misses.
5. Check and hand overEach penetration is inspected and photographed before the area is handed back.

Materials & workmanship

• 1.2 mm EPDM membrane cut on site around each pipe or cable bundle
• Promax Bonding Adhesive, flexible under expansion and contraction and rated to 120 °C
• Suitable for AC, general cabling and solar PV cable entries on metal and concrete roofs
• EPDM system with an average service life of 20+ years and up to 15 years' warranty

Photos from ETCE projects

Site photos from ETCE projects in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. Tap to enlarge.

Frequently asked questions