Flat roofs are high in demand for residential properties at the moment. This is because they provide flexibility in the amenities or decoration that can be placed on them. In addition, it opens up an additional layer of space for you to host activities on top of.
Comparing Flat & Slanted Roofs
Yet, as you do your research on them, you may have come across warnings of such roofs being vulnerable to water leakages. This stems from the fact that they do not have a visible path to guide water away from it during heavy rain. For example, slanted roofs not only have the help of gravity to push water down, but they often contain a pipe to swiftly guide all water away.
On the other hand, mention rain and flat roofs, and you likely picture a pond being built up. While this is definitely a possibility, with good workmanship and proper planning, this can be avoided. In actual fact, flat roofs are not truly flat, instead they contain a slight slope that gently pushes water towards a designated drainage point. The risk here is that if the calculations or execution of the slope is not done correctly, then water will be allowed to be stagnant on your flat roof.
Other Factors That Lead to Ponding on Your Flat Roof
A common factor amongst many flat roof water leakages is that of chocked or blocked drainage paths. In particular, foreign debris such as fallen leaves can easily accumulate and block your drain. As such, regular checks on your roof’s drainage is crucial to ensuring that water can be drained during rainfall.
Preventing Water Leakages
Even if your water drainage systems work fine, water leakages can still occur on your flat roof. This is because during rainfall, your roof will be exposed to water for a duration of time even with drainage. As such, a layer of waterproofing membrane is required to prevent seepage.
A waterproofing contractor can create a waterproof system through the usage of a waterproofing membrane. Two types of membranes exist.
Firstly, sheet based waterproofing systems can be used to quickly cover your entire flat roof. By having the sheets premanufactured and created in uniformed size, waterproofing professionals can quickly roll out the sheets. Thereafter, through the usage of heat, the various sheets can be joined together and seal against water leakages.
On the other hand, liquid based waterproofing systems allow for greater flexibility in their application. Unlike sheet-based systems, liquid waterproofing membranes do not have a specified dimension.
Being in liquid state, liquid waterproofing membranes can be applied in any shape or form. This gives waterproofing company workers the freedom to apply it to small gaps or awkwardly shaped spaces. However, in return, more time needs to be used to apply the membrane as multiple layers have to be laid on using rollers or brushes.