Ways Flat Roofing Contractors Can Help You Extend Your Roof’s Life – A great blog article by Menzel Roofing Services LLC. We want to take a moment to thank you for reading this article on ways flat roofing contractors can help you extend your roof’s life. Flat roofing is one trend popular with modern buildings. The roofs have a smaller slope, which allows users to use the surface as living spaces, terraces, or gardens. Also, flat roofs cost less to install compared to regular high-pitched roofs.
When you’re looking for “flat roofing contractors near me,” you should find roofers that charge lower installation rates because they’re quicker and easier to install. Even with so many advantages, flat roofs have a shorter lifespan mainly due to their unique construction. The roof doesn’t drain water easily, causing water to puddle and stay on the roof. Stagnant water causes the roofing material to break down along the seams, which reduces your roof’s life.
What are the Most Common Roof Problems? - A great blog article by Menzel Roofing Services LLC
Knowing how to prolong the life of a flat roof is critical. If you don’t, you may need to replace the roof entirely. This is a pretty costly venture. If performing a DIY on a standard 2200 to 2600 square foot roof, you may spend thousands of dollars, and if enlisting the help of a residential flat roofing contractor, you will spend thousands of dollars. So either way, you are going to end up spending thousands and thousands of dollars. You don’t want to spend that much on something you could avoid. Look at these three ways you can prolong a flat roof’s life.
1. Perform Systematic Roof Inspection(s) – Ways Flat Roofing Contractors Can Help You Extend Your Roof’s Life
The most important aspect of extending a roof’s life is regular inspection. When you’re searching for a “flat roofing contractors near me” on Google or Bing, the roofing contractor you hire goes a long way in identifying problems the roof may have developed early on. With systematic inspections happening on a regularly schedule basis, the professionals check the roof’s condition after the hot summer season and during fall and spring to look for damage caused by harsh weather elements. And yes, hurricane season in Florida does cause plenty of roof damage even if it is only a tropical storm.
The roof professionals at Menzel Roofing will also examine any flashed areas like edges and penetrations, drainage systems, and roofing membranes because most leaks form on the roof intersections. If not identified early, they increase the severity of the problem, leading to expensive roofing repairs, that is why we go the extra mile to ensure your roof is in good shape.
2. Apply Heat Reflective Paint
The trend in applying heat reflective paint has gained popularity among builders, homeowners, and roofing contractors who want to extend a roof’s life. The basis is that the paint can reflect sunlight, which prevents it from getting absorbed by dark roofing colors. Another benefit of applying heat reflective paint is that it helps save energy. Energy-saving efforts not only reduce environmental impact but also help you save on your monthly utility bills. Once the roof absorbs heat, the house becomes warmer, hence the need to power AC units longer and faster to keep your living spaces cool.
Did you know that heat-reflective paint also prolongs a roof’s life? It is true! Typically, continuous roof exposure to the sun causes cracks and splits, which weaken the roof material and eventually cause the development of leakages. Research also shows that UV light leads to thermal movement, a condition that causes stresses and weakness in varying areas across the roof. Heat reflective paint reduces the amount of sunlight and UV the roof absorbs, minimizing the overall thermal expansion.
Ways Flat Roofing Contractors Can Help You Extend Your Roof’s Life - A great blog article by Menzel Roofing Services LLC.
3. Identify Causes of Flat Roof Ponding – Ways Flat Roofing Contractors Can Help You Extend Your Roof’s Life
Stagnant water can compromise the integrity of a flat roof significantly. If the roof is equipped with sufficient drainage but still experiences water ponding, you may need to enlist the help of a roofing contractor. The professionals will examine the roof to identify other reasons causing flat roof ponding. Apart from poor drainage, flat roof ponding may be a result of poor roofing design and structure. If the roof has a poor design, some parts may sag, which can lead to water ponding.
Another reason flat roofs develop water ponds is due to smashed or compressed roofing insulation layers. The problem develops when heavy equipment, like HVAC systems, is installed atop the roof. Over time, the roof’s insulation degrades and becomes saturated. Flat roofs have subtle slopes to facilitate drainage. If there are low spots on the roof, this makes it easier for water to pool and not drain. These low spots can be filled in with roof plaster to reduce the depth of the area by 1 or 2 inches.
Ponding is when water collects in pools on a flat roof after a period of heavy rain and doesn’t drain off once the rain has stopped. Whilst brief and occasional ponding is acceptable on a flat roof, regular or long-lasting ponding could be an indication that there is an issue with the roof that needs to be addressed. Opinions range from, “It’s a flat roof, it’s meant to hold water,” to, “No water should ever sit on a flat roof for more than 24 hours.” The truth is in the middle. As a general rule of thumb, most single-ply manufacturers require 80% of water to be off of a roof within 48 hours of a rain event.
Flat roofing insulation systems are quite sensitive to water and degrade rapidly, causing the roof to lose shape and form indentation where water can form into pools. The problem escalates when the underlying insulation is completely damaged as the indentation grows deeper, which creates larger water pools. Flat roofing contractors near me may recommend replacing the insulation layer to solve the problem before the roof develops leakages.
These points should help you keep your flat roof in top-notch condition. It’s best to search for “flat roofing contractors near me,” and trust the professionals to help prolong your roof’s life. They have the knowledge and experience to identify problems early.
Always remember that flat roofs aren’t truly flat. Rather, they have a slight slope that allows rainwater to drain into the gutters. Ponding water forms when the rooftop doesn’t properly drain, leaving rainwater on the roof for two days or more, despite conditions that allow other areas of the roof to completely dry.
Thanks for reading this Menzel Roofing Blog Article!
Again – Thanks for reading this blog article by Menzel Roofing Services. We wanted to answer the question “What are the Most Common Roof Problems?” – we hope you enjoyed reading this and find the information useful. So keep up with us on Facebook or learn more about our company now by checking our home page. Thanks for reading this blog article!