Residential roofs are not the only structures prone to leaks, damage and repair needs. Commercial flat roofing materials can also become damaged and experience problems. The commercial flat roof technicians at Coates Bros have repaired, replaced and installed thousands of flat roofing materials, so they’ve seen a lot of the same issues throughout their experiences. We talked to the technicians and put a list together of the top 5 most common commercial flat roof problems to help their owners and managers know what to look for:
1. 100% flat roof.
Any roof that is entirely flat across the board is going to be more prone to problems than a roof with even a small slope. Flat roofs allow water and debris to sit in one area for a potentially long period of time, which can cause vulnerable points to form in the roof. If a flat roof holds a large amount of standing water in one area, a leak could cause serious damage to the inside of that building. Even adding a slight slope to the roof can help avoid this problem, which our commercial flat roofing technicians would be happy to discuss! Some roofs can handle standing water. Each roof is different, so be sure to discuss this with one of our experts.
2. Improper drainage on the roof.
This can be a huge problem. We’ve seen plenty of leaks on a roof that could have been avoided if they had proper drainage. If the water has nowhere to go, it’s going to sit on your roof and can cause major damage. Make sure the drains on your roof are working! Our Coates Bros commercial roofing department can inspect the drains for you just to be sure.
3. Multiple layers of roofing installed.
This is one that is typically harder to notice. Many times when a commercial flat roof needs replaced or repaired, roofing companies will install a new roof right over top of an old one. While this might be okay once or twice, you should never be installing multiple layers of roofing. The materials underneath could be rotting, and might compromise the installation of the new materials.
4. Lack of maintenance.
This is something we come across often, and is an incredibly easy problem to avoid. While most commercial flat roofs don’t need a lot of maintenance, keeping an eye on it periodically can help you avoid major issues like leaks, heavy debris, deterioration and more. Coates Bros uses our online Roof Asset Management Program to provide these maintenance services, along with many other great features, for our commercial customers. This includes routine maintenance on your roof, even if you don’t think there’s any damage to be addressed. The program also allows customers to track repairs, view invoices and service photos and much more.
5. Poor installation.
This might be the last point we make, but it’s certainly not the least. It might even be the most important one we’ve covered! Poor installation can be an absolute nightmare for commercial flat roofs. If the materials are not properly and securely installed, damage, blow-offs and other issues are going to be much more likely. A cheap roof can actually be the most expensive in costly repairs and premature failure. We know how important it is for our commercial flat roofing technicians to do the job right the first time.
We’ve seen in all here at Coates Bros, and we’re ready to help our customers have the best roofing experience possible. To learn more about our Roof Asset Management Program or to set up an inspection with us, call 440-322-1343 or fill out a contact form on our website!