What are the Results of Poor Commercial Roof Design and how can we Prevent them?
Roof design is vital to any new roof. From hot melt roofing, to green roofs, or even blue roofs, the design of the roof itself is crucial. A poorly designed roof is likely to have a range of problems and issues that will result in the roof breaking down completely, and your property suffering from damp, and water damage. As professional experts here at Enviroply Roofing, we understand the key elements to every roof style. As industry experts, we are always sure to provide a high quality roofing solution for any property. Quite often this means that we need to completely replace existing roofs that have not been designed thoroughly or carefully.
One Type of Issue that can Occur from Poor Commercial Roof Design is Ponding.
Ponding
Rainwater on a roof should be directed towards the gutters and pipes, to carry the water away from the roof. However, this isn’t the case for all flat roofs. As a result, water can end up building up on your roof, causing small bodies of rainwater to become an almost permanent feature. This is known as ponding, and it can bring a range of potential problems.
Ponding is caused by a range of factors, including:
- An insufficient slope
- A sagging roof deck
- Lack of drains
- Blocked drains
How to Prevent this from Occurring?
There are various draining methods which you can use in order to prevent ponding from occurring on your flat roof.
These include adding:
- Internal drains
- Scuppers
- Gutters and downspouts
Internal Drains:
These are drains connected to pipes underneath the roof, positioned in central areas. They drain the water from the roof and carry it directly to the sewer, through internal pipework in your building. The advantages of internal drains include:
- Being able to install them in useful positions to prevent water build up
- A custom filter can be used to prevent clogging in the pipes
- You don’t need gutters or downspouts
However, your roof will need periodic cleaning and maintenance, which will involve removing the filter and checking for blockages create by leaves and other debris.
Scuppers:
Scuppers can be used on railed rooftops to allow the rainwater to drain off. These are simply openings through the perimeter curbs of parapet walls that help move water from the rooftop into a gutter or downspout. It can even be used to more water directly off the building, by extending the scupper spout beyond the exterior surface.
Gutters and Downspouts:
The most obvious and commonly used drainage solution is the combination of gutters and downspouts. In general, these are very effective. If your flat roof is not designed with enough slope in the right direction, you may find that much of the water in the middle, doesn’t make it to the gutter. In addition, gutters and downspouts can easily become clogged with leaves and debris.
Another type of Issue that can Occur from Poor Commercial Roof Design is Poor insulation.
Poor Insulation
Poor roof design includes using inefficient, or incorrect insulation. This means that your building will not retain heat as efficiently as it should, and you could be spending more than necessary on your heating and electric bills as a direct result. For companies and businesses focused on cutting costs, the right insulation is an essential factor.
How to Install Insulation Properly to Stop Poor Insulation from Occurring:
When insulating a flat roof there are two different options to choose from consisting of cold roof insulation and warm roof insulation. Depending on which one you choose to install , determines which way the insulation is fitted.
In a cold roof, the insulation is applied between the rafters, but in a warm roof, the insulation is applied on top of the existing roof surface.
Employee Feature
Ewan Vosper
has joined the team as
Apprentice Fixer
Ewan is our newest member of our site team, having joined Enviroply in October 2020.
He has started his NVQ Level 2 Apprenticeship in Single Ply Roofing Installation and is already showing his talents and enthusiasm in his work.
Enviroply Roofing Ltd
T – 01257 368050
E – enquiries@envrioplyroofing.co.uk
A – Unit 5 Lower Healey Business Park,
Froom Street, Chorley,
Lancashire. PR6 9AR
W – www.enviroplyroofing.co.uk