Commercial roofs are almost always observably flat since most commercial properties are buildings that function better with flat roofs. There are definite advantages to flat roofing; however, there are also certain disadvantages according to many commercial roof services.
One thing that does need to be done with flat roofs is making sure they have regular maintenance. Doing otherwise could very well lead to necessary and expensive commercial roof repair. Flat rooftops tend to suffer from certain issues that need to be rapidly addressed or else further damage will happen and repairs will get expensive.
What are some of the problems that commercial roof services advise you might run into when it comes to flat roofs?
Leaking
Leaking with flat commercial roofs is a very common problem. There are many underlying issues that can be the cause of this happening. So it would always be wise to make sure that you eliminate all possible commercial roof issues that could otherwise require your need for commercial roof services to fix the leak in your commercial roof.
Water Ponding
When flat commercial roofs are installed, it is important that they have a very slight slope to enable water to slide off into drains so that it will not gather in one place away from the drains. Commercial roof services advise that this prevents ponding or standing water on the roof.
Do you think that it’s just a puddle of water and what harm could it do? Well, aside from being a breeding ground for insects such as mosquitoes, ponding water can cause severe damage to commercial roofing over time. Commercial roof repair can get incredibly expensive, especially if your roof uses single-ply membrane material that is rather vulnerable to water and could deteriorate over time from ponding water.
If your roof is gathering water that doesn’t drain away in a day or two, it’s time to call commercial roof services. It’s possible your roof, drains, and gutters just need a thorough cleaning to get everything back in order. You may otherwise have to face an expensive repair to your commercial roof if it does not have proper sloping.
Shrinkage
Rubber is sometimes used in flat roofing because of the many benefits it provides. It is unfortunate that over time, rubber will shrink. This causes any seams in your commercial roof to start pulling apart, which makes the roof vulnerable to leaks and requires commercial roof repair inevitably.
Blisters and Bubbles
The membrane that is on your commercial roof may begin to blister or bubble which gives it a rough texture somewhat like an alligator’s skin. This happens due to moisture or air being trapped between layers of the membrane. It can also happen due to excessive exposure to UV rays. When this happens, commercial roof services needs to put on a fresh roof coating.
Commercial roofs are sometimes more vulnerable to damage, especially if it is physically being used and sees a lot of foot traffic. If you notice your roof starting to develop any of the problems noted above, call a commercial roof company. It’s better to get any commercial roof repair done early so you can prevent more expensive problems from developing!