Flat roofs are a great choice for many commercial buildings. For starters, they are generally much cheaper to install and repair compared to sloped roofs. A flat roof also enables your air conditioning equipment to be placed on the roof. This can both prevent the units from being damaged and also drastically improve their efficiency. All of these are great reasons to choose a flat roof. Nonetheless, it is essential that the roof has a working drain, and here’s why.
Prevent Damage to Your Roof or the Structure
Although flat roofs should have a very minor slope, they are unable to drain water off them in the same way as a normal sloped roof. This means that if the roof doesn’t have a working drain system, water will pool up on the roof whenever it rains or snows. As you can imagine, all of this water sitting there isn’t good for the roof or the building.
When water continually sits on top of the roof, it can damage the caulking, tar, and roof membrane, which can eventually cause the roof to start to leak. If left unchecked, these leaks could end up damaging the entire underlying structure of the building. Too much water on the roof also puts additional stress on the building due to the added weight, and this can also cause numerous problems. For these reasons, professional roofing contractors always include some type of drain system whenever installing a flat roof.
Protect Furnishings and Electronics from Leaks
Leaks can not only damage the structure and building materials. They also pose a direct risk to your furnishings, electronics, appliances, and virtually everything else inside your building. Although leaks usually slowly develop over time, sometimes all it takes is a big rain shower or snowstorm to turn a minor leak into a major problem. In this sense, roof drains are vital to protecting your building and everything inside it from water damage and possible flooding.
Ensure the Building Doesn’t Suffer from Mold Issues
Small leaks in your roof can often go unnoticed for a long time. When this happens, it could potentially allow mold to begin growing inside the building. Having mold in your building can drastically reduce indoor air quality and could potentially harm your health. In this case, you’ll then need to hire a professional mold remediation company to clean up the mess.
As you can see, roof drains are an absolute necessity for any building with a flat roof. There are simply too many risks and too many potential issues that could occur without a working drain system.