If you own a commercial property that has a flat roof and would like to educate yourself about the threat of roof leaks then read on.
Flat roof leaking after heavy snow.
Metal roofs leak under these circumstances.
And on occasion a hard driving rain with whipping wind will cause roof vents to leak water.
This is a particularly difficult problem to fix during seasons with heavy rain which can cause additional damage to a corroded roof.
Flat roof leaks are among the most common and the most undesirable.
Metal roofs can experience corrosion over time so some homeowners may be experiencing roof leaks simply because of wear and tear from their metal roofs.
Almost every home built over the last several decades is equipped with roofs that satisfy building codes for heavy snowfalls in that part of the country.
Light fluffy snow is generally no problem for a well constructed home.
While not frequent per se the low slope of a flat roof does make it more prone to certain problems particularly when it interacts with the elements.
Some metal building manufacturers will not warranty a roof with a 1 4 inch slope.
We counted 90 stalagmites on the surface of the ice rink from drips coming from the leaking roof.
This article will discuss three of the most common causes of flat commercial roof leaks.
First the good news.
Ponding water leads to leaks.
When that happens the first thing to know is that it s not about the amount or depth of snow on your roof it s about the weight.
The steeper your roof pitch the more ice it takes to create interior leaking see ice dam case study 09.
If a roof only leaks in heavy rain then the above reasons come to mind first and it gives us an easy starting point to successfully track down the cause s of the leak s.
If your roof vent leaks during heavy rain the rain may be blowing up under the hood and into the vent.
If you have a low slope roof area accumulations as little as 1 thick can cause problems.
But some roof air vents sit fairly flat to the roof with a mushroom style hood and unprotected sides.
Excessive rain heavy snow and built up ice all pose extra challenges for flat roofed homes.
If a roof leaks whether it has rained heavily or not then there is a good chance that there is an easily identifiable eg broken roof tile or hole in roof cause.
Heavy snow mixed with sleet and ice puts stress on your roof.
When the snow piled up on the roof melting occurred and ice dams resulted in water ponding 3 inches deep.
So the chances of roof damage from too much snowpack are minimal after a single snow event.
