Flat Roof Leaks In Winter

The water on a flat roof flows much more slowly than does water flowing on a sloped roof.

Flat roof leaks in winter.

Ice dams one of the most common causes of winter roof leaks ice dam is the term for a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof. The roof leak repair is usually pretty easy. If you have a roof leak in the winter months and it s not being caused by ice dam there may be another culprit. During the summer it s easy for water to flow off of a flat roof thanks to one of three common drainage systems inner drains scuppers or gutters.

As discussed in ice dam company case study 03 ice dams can form in many locations on the typical home the eave lowest edge of the roof is the most common area for ice dams but we find them around other areas including skylights in valleys and in low pitch roof pans and saddles. A flat roof gives your home a sleek modern profile but it comes with its own share of special considerations. Attic condensation the conditions that cause ice dams often cause attic condensation too. Like any other type of dam it blocks the natural flow of water in this case trapping the melted snow water on your roof.

In this case the leak is almost always caused by a small hole or a puncture in the rubber membrane. But if you live in the snow belt and in the winter you have leaks only on warm or sunny days you probably have ice dams. A flat roof is no more or less likely to leak than a pitched roof it all comes down to the design and the competence with which it is installed. Roof leaks must be repaired from the outside to ensure the problem is corrected.

You may pay an ice dam removal company to melt the ice dam off your roof only for the leaking to continue. Tracking down the leak is the hard part. 4 common sources of winter roof leaks. Flat roofs must be installed on a very specific mild slope so that the water can drain off properly and if the drains and scuppers aren t cleared regularly this increases the chance of a leak.

Although most flat roofs actually. How to care for a flat roof in the winter. How to figure out if the leak is from ice dams or from something else. When an ice dam traps water on your roof the water will find any small pinhole or seam voids and enter the building.