So you have a flat roof and everything is going fine, your home or business looks great, and then one day you happen to notice what looks like a puddle of water building up on top of your flat roof! Suddenly you begin to worry if the water will penetrate its way through the layers of your roof and eventually cause water damage and leak into the roof, attic, and interior of your home. The first thing you need to do is to contact you Bay Area roofer immediately for an assessment of the water damage on your roof, in order to make sure the roof is still structurally sound and safe.
Flat roofs old and new can be made more effective at water draining with a Bay Area Roofer.
Believe it or not though, having a flat roof on your home or business does not automatically mean that you will have to deal with water building up over time and causing leaks and water damage; in fact, with proper drainage solutions and maintenance from professional Bay Area roofers, a flat roof can be protected from leaks as well as any other roofing design can! Whether you are currently looking for ways to make your flat roof better equipped to drain water, or are thinking about having a flat roof installed on your house and want to prepare by going with the most efficient draining system as possible, take a look at the following 3 drainage solutions for flat roofs!
- Interior Drains: An interior drainage system for a flat roof is made up of several drains placed at strategic intervals located near the middle of your roof. Additionally, an interior drainage system is also composed of an internal network pipes and gutters that work to move water to the exterior of the building. Strains are often used on top of the drains themselves to catch and collect any leaves and debris that could clog the drains and gutters. Bay Area roofers tend to recommend interior drains for homes or business with large, flat roofs that have a problem with water collecting in the center. While this drainage system is a little on the pricey side, it is a smart investment to make if you want to protect your roof and home.
- Scuppers: This type of drainage solution is an outlet that is installed near the edges of the roof and is designed specifically to project water away from the building, so as not to have the building constantly being saturated with the draining water. A scupper drainage system works most effectively when coupled with some type of sloped structure or tapered insulation system; in other words, scuppers work best in combination with an additional draining component.
- Gutters: One of the most cost effective drainage solutions for homes and business with flat roofs, a gutter system is essentially made up of open pipes that are attached to the edges of the roof and don’t typically require any type of roof modification upon installation. Gutters work by collecting the water that has drained off the roof and carrying that water down and away from the building. Generally, a guttering system is well adapted to taking on various amounts of both rain and snow, and will work best when they are regularly cleaned of debris. There are several different options when it comes to what system works best for each individual building layout, and your Bay Area roofer and engineering team will work with you to install the most efficient drainage system.
One final thing to remember: The drainage system is only as good as the roofers who install it.
Since the draining of water from a flat roof takes precise measurements an advanced understanding of roofing mechanics, it’s important to choose a Bay Area roofer with the right experience for the job. Remember that the installation of the product is just as vital as the product itself when it comes to roofing, especially with flat roofs!