How To Stop Ponding Water On Your Flat Commercial Roof

When water begins collecting on your flat commercial roof, then you could be in for a lot of trouble — if you don’t take care of it as soon as possible.

Ponding could be the result of many different issues. And, while you might be able to take care of the problem quickly, bringing in a professional roofing contractor is always advised.

Here are a few of the most common causes for ponding on flat commercial roofs, and what you can do to solve the problem.

Re-Pitch The Roof

If you’ve noticed ponding on your roof, the issue may not be new – it may trace all the way back to the roof’s installation.

The design or installation of the pitch of the roof is off, then the sloping that is necessary to help drain the area may not work or may not exist.

If this is the issue, then, unfortunately, the repairs you need could wind up being time-consuming and expensive.

That said, getting your commercial roof repaired as soon as possible could prevent further even more costly damages down the line.

Clear Drain Lines

Like the drain in your shower or your gutters at home, the drain lines from your commercial roof can become clogged with debris and cause a backup.

It’s not uncommon for leaves, sticks, dirt, litter, and other objects to form a clog in your drain line. If left untreated, these clogs can slow draining to the point of causing severe pooling on your roof.

Fortunately, like the clog in your shower, drain line clogs can be a quick and easy fix.

By flushing your drain lines to eliminate potential clogs, you free them up to remove excess water, thus preventing ponding.

Install Additional Drains

If you’ve tried clearing your drain lines, but water is still pooling around them you may need to try adding more.

In areas that get a lot of rainfall, only having one or two drain lines may not be enough to handle all the precipitation that collects on your roof.

If your drains are unable to handle the high volume, this can lead to ponding around the drain lines.

A contractor will be able to tell whether your drain lines can handle the rainfall in your area. They will also be able to rectify the problem by either adding new drains or by widening the existing lines.

Add Crickets

If you’ve noticed water pooling around roof fixtures such as vents, a contractor may be able to resolve this issue by adding a roof cricket.

A roofing cricket is a small structure designed to help divert water around an obstructive fixture.

Even if your roof slopes correctly, items, such as vents, can block the flow of water or create small divots that can trap this precipitation.

Having a cricket added to the affected area can prevent these blockages and allow water to flow freely to the drain.

Repair Low Points

While a flat commercial roof may look distinctly even, they aren’t.

The design of a flat roof features a subtle slope that helps guide and drain excess water, thus preventing ponding.

But, if there is an issue with this design or after several years of exposure to the elements, your roof can develop low points.

Water and snowmelt can pool and collect in these low points this can lead to severe structural damage if left unchecked.

If you suspect your flat roof may be ponding due to low spots, you should have a professional roofing contractor check is as soon as possible.

A contractor will be able to locate low points and raise them to promote proper draining.

How To Fix Ponding On Flat Commercial Roof

If you’ve noticed ponding on your roof and would like to bring in a team of professionals to get everything back into shape, then we can help.

We specialize in flat commercial roof installation, maintenance, and repair and will be able to help solve any ponding issues.

Contact us today for more information about our offered services or to request an estimate.