Everything You Need to Know about Leaks and Commercial Roofs

Your commercial roofer may tell you that your business’s roof is a bit like a desert. Vast areas of it are downright boring. A few spots are where all the action is. Leak action, that is. Most of your industrial or commercial roof is just a stretch of single-ply, modified bitumen or some other roofing material. Piercings, add-ons and edges are the trouble spots — not exactly oases, but definitely water-prone areas.

Piercings

The most obvious leak culprits are holes cut through your roof. Everything from sanitary stacks to internal drains needs to be checked thoroughly. The rubber boots around piercings are prone to break down in the Tampa heat and sun. Once they lose their elasticity, they can crack, allowing tiny rivulets of water to enter and damage your roof deck.

Add-Ons

That HVAC unit is supposed to sit on a curb, but not all curbs are properly sloped to match the low-slope roof on which they sit. New signage, radio masts and satellite dishes are all likely leak areas. Make certain your commercial roofer checks attachment points of all equipment, since a single loose fastener can allow water to creep into your building and ruin roof insulation, decking and more.

Edges

Roof edges, parapets and metal fastenings are all common spots for leaks. Special attention needs to be paid to any place where water can back up, such as around a clogged scupper.

Seams

Open seams can admit water, but these are usually easily detectable and remedied during annual inspections and routine maintenance. Make certain your commercial roofer properly identifies not only the roofing material, but the original method of sealing the seam. A chemical adhesive is not the same as a hot-torch seal, for example.

Slope and Decking

Because nearly all commercial roofs are low-slope roofs, finding and solving leaks is a challenge. Water flows downhill, yes, but your commercial roofer will first mark the interior spot of a leak and then trace its path with an understanding that your roof’s metal deck affects that path. As the experts at Facilities Net point out, a commercial roofer must know the orientation of the metal decking to correctly chart the leak on the exterior.

Leave your commercial building’s roof in the expert hands of the professionals from Aderhold Roofing. We can trace and stop leaks before they ruin your building’s rooftop integrity. Contact us today and stay dry tomorrow.

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