Heavy snow mixed with sleet and ice puts stress on your roof.
Flat roof leaking after heavy snow.
Excessive rain heavy snow and built up ice all pose extra challenges for flat roofed homes.
The steeper your roof pitch the more ice it takes to create interior leaking see ice dam case study 09.
When the snow piled up on the roof melting occurred and ice dams resulted in water ponding 3 inches deep.
While not frequent per se the low slope of a flat roof does make it more prone to certain problems particularly when it interacts with the elements.
So the chances of roof damage from too much snowpack are minimal after a single snow event.
If you have a low slope roof area accumulations as little as 1 thick can cause problems.
If a roof only leaks in heavy rain then the above reasons come to mind first and it gives us an easy starting point to successfully track down the cause s of the leak s.
This is a particularly difficult problem to fix during seasons with heavy rain which can cause additional damage to a corroded roof.
If you own a commercial property that has a flat roof and would like to educate yourself about the threat of roof leaks then read on.
First the good news.
We counted 90 stalagmites on the surface of the ice rink from drips coming from the leaking roof.
Flat roof leaks are among the most common and the most undesirable.
Metal roofs can experience corrosion over time so some homeowners may be experiencing roof leaks simply because of wear and tear from their metal roofs.
But some roof air vents sit fairly flat to the roof with a mushroom style hood and unprotected sides.
If your roof vent leaks during heavy rain the rain may be blowing up under the hood and into the vent.
Almost every home built over the last several decades is equipped with roofs that satisfy building codes for heavy snowfalls in that part of the country.
Light fluffy snow is generally no problem for a well constructed home.
And on occasion a hard driving rain with whipping wind will cause roof vents to leak water.
Heavy wet icy snow is where homeowners start to encounter problems.
Ponding water leads to leaks.
This article will discuss three of the most common causes of flat commercial roof leaks.
But they also come with a reputation for leaks cracks and collapse.
Some metal building manufacturers will not warranty a roof with a 1 4 inch slope.
Metal roofs leak under these circumstances.
