Most roofs are designed to be slanted to allow for precipitation to fall downward. There are several advantages to having a flat roof too, namely not needing shingles or replacing for a long time because of the level of concrete construction of the flat roof. People also enjoy the fact that they can entertain guests on the roof and sitting on a flat rooftop provides views of the surrounding area from on high.

 

However, there are some disadvantages to having a flat roof too. One of the biggest disadvantages is the issue of standing water. 


If your flat roof does not have the means of expelling water from the roof, the standing water eventually creates some very expensive problems. An explanation of what those issues are, why they cost so much, and how to prevent them will help you take some important next steps.


The Water Is Not Meant to Stay There


Flat roofs should be equipped with grading and drainage systems. Some older flat roofs on much older homes and buildings may never have been updated to reflect this. Subsequently, your flat roof may have a problem with draining the water off. 


If it stays on your roof for too long the end result is damage to your roof via the weight of the water and the continuing collection or ponding of water on the roof.


How the Standing Water Damages a Flat Roof


You may be wondering how standing water damages a flat roof since most flat roofs are a block of concrete on top of other materials. It is actually the accumulation and weight of the standing water over time that can cause fractures in the concrete. 


Additionally, standing water can freeze and cause the concrete to shrink and expand, creating more cracks in the concrete. When all of the above occurs regularly, the result is a very cracked flat roof that begins to allow standing water into the materials below and then through your ceilings. 


Saturated Roof Insulation Leads to Excessive Weight and Damage


If standing water slowly leaks through to the insulation layers under the concrete layer of a flat roof, it eventually becomes saturated and very heavy. Because it is unable to dry out and no air can reach it because of the concrete and standing water above and the ceiling below, it becomes heavier and heavier. 


You may start seeing a water damage stain in your ceiling where the majority of waterlogged insulation sits, or you may not notice anything until the weight of the insulation forces a break in the ceiling plaster.


Either way, the result is the same. A lot of water damage and an extremely expensive roof replacement and repair job that will take some time to complete.


What You Can Do to Prevent It and/or Fix It


The first measure of prevention is to get up on your roof after a heavy rain and see what is happening. If the water appears to be staying there for more than a day or two, you have a standing water issue. You will need to check your roof for drain holes and then check the drain holes to make sure they are not clogged or blocked.


If your roof doesn’t have drainage holes, that’s your first problem. Burr Roofing, Siding, and Windows can remedy that by installing drainage holes in areas of the roof where they will be most effective. If the issue is grading, that is typically an easy fix too. 


A simple layer of concrete shaped to take water away from the center of the flat roof and towards downspouts or drainage holes fixes a grading issue. 


If water damage is already present, you will need to address this right away.


If you are lucky, the water has not reached the insulation layers below and the concrete layer can be pulled up and/or repaired and sealed. If the insulation layer is waterlogged, then the whole roof will need to be replaced. 


Removing Standing Water Until Your Roofing Contractor Arrives


It’s not always easy to get a roofing contractor to your home or building within a couple of weeks after noticing a problem. Whether the contractor can’t come two days or two months later isn’t really the issue. The issue is the standing water and making sure you remove it as soon as possible. 


First, make your appointment with the contractor. Then find a rental equipment company that rents out water pumps. You can use a water pump to temporarily move the water off the roof. If you have drainage holes, the pump can move the water through its hoses into the drainage holes.


If you only have downspouts from the roof, use those as the downward vehicle to pump water off the roof and down the downspouts. It’s imperative to find a way to remove this standing water until the contractor can assess the situation.