Ponding Water on a Flat Roof

After a storm, worrying about ponding water on your roof may not be a top concern. However, the issue should be addressed since it can affect the quality and lifetime of your roof. When you ignore it, the cost to correct the damage will continue to increase.

What is Ponding Water?

When water stays on a roof for roughly 48 hours, it is considered ponding water. When this occurs, the roof is not able to sustain the weight of water for a long period of time and will begin to sag. This creates weak points that can damage the underlying structure of a roof. The easiest way to tell is to see it, but leaks are a definite indication that there is an issue with your roof. Another indicator of is if there are noticeable stains on your ceiling or walls inside of the building.

Why it Happens

The surfaces on a roof can be uneven after years of wear and tear creating an opening for ponding water to occur. Clogged drainage points can also cause it to happen. With each season, a new threat accompanies ponding water on a roof. During the summer months, the intense sunlight causes the water to absorb extra heat. This will make the lifetime of your roof shorter since it now has heat damage as well. In the winter months, the water can freeze and stay on your roof longer making the roof work extra hard with the additional weight.

How to Prevent Ponding Water

To help prevent water from ponding, your first need to become aware of the issue. The roofing experts at Royalty can spot the damage and correct the problem. Once the issue is fixed, it is just a matter of preventing it from happening in the future. Excess debris on a roof can block the water flow to drainage points. If the roof is free of excess debris but the gutter or downspouts are clogged, water can still puddle. It is recommended to clean out the gutters and downspouts twice a year and to keep excess debris off the roof.

As a reminder, some roofing manufacturers do not cover ponding water. You should look for it to be included in the warranty when choosing any roofing system. However, structural damage caused by ponding water is rarely covered by anyone. To avoid voiding the warranty, you should get the issue corrected immediately and regular inspections to prevent the issue.

If ponding water is not treated in time it can cause more damage. If you believe your roof has already suffered damage, give Royalty a call at 800-303-8392.