What To Do About Ponding Water on a Flat Roof

Water ponding on a flat roof can result in serious damage to your commercial or home property. Ponding occurs when water accumulates and remains on the surface of your roof for more than two days. As a result, large puddles as the drain system begins to malfunction. Standing water on a flat roof for less than 36 hours following a storm is normal. This guide will provide tips on how to fix ponding water on flat roof structures.

Ways To Fix Ponding Water on a Flat Roof

Depending on the cause, flat roof water ponding may be solved in different ways, as mentioned below.

Inadequate Roof Design

Many complications including ponding water can result from a poor roof design. The best way to fix this problem is to inspect the roof. A structural engineer will be able to examine the roof design to see how they can prevent it from pooling water. This includes inspecting beams and joists under the roof. Over time, these components can sag, which can lead to a flat roof.

Uneven Roof Slope

An uneven roof slope comes from damaged insulation. If the insulation is created from plastic, it can become depressed as a result of high foot traffic or large amounts of snow. This can cause ponding water to develop.

The best solution for water ponding that is caused by crushed insulation is to install additional insulation underneath the current or alter the plan of action for insulation overall. While this may be a costly solution, it can ultimately help you prevent serious damage in the future.

Tapered insulation is the perfect solution to help keep ponding water under control. Tapered insulation is perfect because the slope assists in keeping water streaming. It also helps to direct the debris to a roof drain.

Improper Installation of Flat Roof Drains

The best way to keep the surface of your roof dry following a storm is to have sufficient drainage. As mentioned above, poor roof design can cause ponding water. But, a lack of adequate drainage can do the same and also cause roof damage.

One solution that can be used is to use crickets to prevent water from pooling on your flat roof. Crickets are simply raised areas close to a bump on your roof that can help redirect water. Crickets are efficient at keeping water away from chimneys and also help with drainage on roofs.

Another solution is to keep your drains clean and debris out of the way. While it may sound like a simple solution, debris can cause water to pond in lower areas on your roof.

If drains are not cleaned on a regular basis, debris can accumulate, and you’ll end up with water pooling close to the drains. The longer this occurs, the larger the puddles will become. This will lead to unnecessary strain on your roof.

The good news is that cleaning your drains is a simple repair that could be done by yourself or a professional.

Categorised in: Uncategorized

This post was written by admin