Worst Storm Scenarios and How to Prepare

Storms are a fact of life here on Florida’s scenic west coast, and they can cause significant damage to your commercial roof. While it’s impossible to prevent storm damage entirely, you can help limit its severity by considering these “worst case” scenarios and how to prepare for them:

Torrential Rain Leaves You With a Rooftop Swimming Pool

If your roof looks like a swimming pool after a heavy rainstorm, the added weight can compress the insulation and stress the structure to the point of collapse. A single inch of standing water covering a 10 ft x 10 ft roof area represents 1,000 lbs of added weight, and two inches a full ton. If rainwater ponds and doesn’t drain away, contact a dependable Tampa commercial roofer for advice on how to safely remove it, then have the roof’s drainage system and slope evaluated to identify the cause and resolve it without delay.

High Winds Peel Back and Shred the Membrane

When wind hits your roof, it exerts negative pressure (suction) and positive pressure (pushing) in different areas depending on the wind direction, and the roof’s shape and location. Typically, the perimeter endures higher pressures, and if the material is loose anywhere around the roof edge/corners, the suction effect can lift it so wind gets underneath and pulls it. This not only allows water into the roof system, it can peel back and tear the membrane. To minimize the risk of this type of damage, the perimeter flashing and nearby mechanical fasteners should be checked regularly to make sure they’re securely in place.

Multiple Interior Leaks But No Obvious Roof Damage

It’s a cause for concern if you have water dripping down from your building’s ceilings, fresh stains on ceiling tiles or drywall and puddles of water on the floor after a storm, but your maintenance staff can’t see any obvious damage or areas of ponding water on the rooftop. Leaks into the structure can cause ruined insulation, costly interior and mechanical system damage, and/or mold growth inside the ceilings and walls. You can prevent many of these problems after a storm by scheduling a thorough roof inspection and addressing identified issues like deteriorated caulking or pitch pan fillers, damaged flashing, faulty expansion joints, seam separations and membrane punctures.

For personalized advice on how to prepare your property for stormy weather, contact us at Aderhold Roofing, your expert Tampa commercial roofers.

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