You’ve researched your commercial roof options. You found the best local commercial roofer. What has caused your flat roof leaks? Here are the 3 main culprits.
- Harsh Climate: It is hard to overcome mother nature. Unless you pick a region of the country to live and work in that has a very moderate climate, you will most likely experience significant weather variations and temperature extremes that are tough on your roof. Heavy winds, hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms, prolonged rain, even scorching hot sun can all cause problems that will cause flat roofs leaks.
- Standing Water: Another factor that often leads to flat roof leaks is standing water. Standing or ponding water is defined as any water that will not drain or dissipate from the roof surface within 48 hours of precipitation. This problem is created mostly due to insufficient roof slope. A flat roof is not supposed to be truly “flat”, but should have a slope of at least 0.25” inches per foot with drains and outlets placed strategically on the surface. This is a problem that can seem pretty harmless, after all the water is stuck on the roof, but even if the leak hasn’t developed yet, standing water is dangerous for your roof and should be fought off even before a leaks develop. You can fight ponding water with pumps on the roof, added drains, or careful roof surface elevation. Be sure to consult a professional before undergoing any significant roof repairs to fight standing water.
- Outdated Technology: Finally, if your roof system is old and still utilizes outdated technology, your roof is in danger of springing leaks and failing. Roofing technology has made significant progress over the last few decades, and there are many roofs on buildings today that are in poor working condition because they have become outdated. If this is the problem you face with your roof, you need to begin planning on updating and improving your roof as soon as possible. Keeping an outdated roofing system on your building is dangerous to everyone inside and will only lead to bigger problems in the future. The only way to fight the problem of outdated technology is to update your roofing system. Whether that means tearing out and installing a new roof or installing a coating over the top of the existing roof, the choice is up to you. If you are looking to update your roofing system by tearing out and reinstalling, be sure to research the different types of flat roof replacement options that are available to you.
As you should now understand, flat roofs leaks have many causes. Be sure to inspect your current roof. If it is too old and structurally unsound,… call a professional! In the Nashville TN area, call Jason Mazzanti with Tri-State Commercial Roofing, Inc. 615-784-4628
