If you own or lease a business property, you may have a flat roof. Flat roofs are most common on commercial structures, like those on shopping centers and office buildings. Flat roofs are more cost effective than their pitched counterparts from a material and labor standpoint, but they can also be more prone to damage, particularly when it comes to pooling water.
If you’re getting one of these roofs repaired or replaced, make sure to address these important points:
- Drainage: Water accumulates much more quickly on a flat roof, so adequate drainage is essential to prevent damage. Common designs for flat roofs include scuppers (outlets on the building’s sides), drains (leading to pipes on the building’s interior), or both. Maintenance is essential to ensure the drainage system doesn’t become blocked—leaves, vegetation, and other debris can eventually derail your drainage system.
- Waterproofing: Flat roofs are technically not totally flat; they do have a very gradual pitch. Water drains away more slowly, so it’s essential that the roof surface be as impenetrable as possible to prevent it seeping in on its way down. This typically includes a waterproofing sealant, membrane, or both—each with advantages and disadvantages regarding plasticity, heat tolerance, and other factors.
- Insulation: Nowadays, flat roofs are usually built with a warm-deck insulation system: this means the insulation goes above the roof deck (the foundation connecting the roof to the building). This placement counteracts accumulating moisture; however, it can cause damage to the roof covering atop the insulation as temperatures fluctuate. It may be wise in some cases to use an inverted warm-deck system; this layout reverses the placement of the insulation and roof covering to reduce that effect.
Just remember, flat roofs aren’t always as straightforward as they appear. Turn to us at Race City Roofing for the best advice on navigating the ups and downs of this vital feature of your business property.
