What Causes Ponding Water
Fixing ponding water starts with understanding what causes it, since the right repair depends on the cause. Several common issues interfere with a flat roof's drainage. Here is what causes ponding water on a Gas City commercial building.
Inadequate Slope
A common cause of ponding is inadequate slope, since a flat roof needs a slight slope to drain, and where that slope is insufficient, water does not flow to the drains and pools instead. The slope may have been inadequate from the start or lost over time. For a Gas City building, inadequate slope is a frequent ponding cause, since without enough slope, water sits. The slope fails to move the water. This inadequate slope is a common cause of ponding, since a flat roof needs a slight slope to drain, and where that slope is insufficient, whether from the original design or changes over time, water does not flow to the drains and pools on the commercial building.
Clogged or Insufficient Drains
Ponding is often caused by clogged or insufficient drains, since drains blocked by debris cannot carry water off the roof, and drains that are too few or poorly placed cannot drain it effectively. The water has nowhere to go and pools. For a Gas City building, clogged or insufficient drains are a frequent ponding cause, since drainage depends on working, adequate drains. The drains fail to clear the water. This clogged or insufficient drains is a common cause of ponding, since drains blocked by debris cannot carry water off the roof and drains that are too few or poorly placed cannot drain it effectively, leaving the water with nowhere to go but to pool on the commercial building.
Low Spots in the Roof
Ponding is frequently caused by low spots in the roof, depressions where water collects because the surface dips below the surrounding area. These low spots trap water that cannot flow out of the depression to a drain. For a Gas City building, low spots are a common ponding cause, since water naturally collects in any depression. The low spots hold the water. These low spots in the roof are a common cause of ponding, since depressions where the surface dips below the surrounding area trap water that cannot flow out to a drain, creating localized pools that linger in the low areas of the roof on the commercial building.
Deck or Structural Deflection
Ponding can be caused by deck or structural deflection, where the roof deck or structure has sagged or deflected, creating low areas that collect water. This deflection can develop over time, sometimes worsened by the weight of the ponding water itself. For a Gas City building, deck or structural deflection is a ponding cause that can compound, since the sagging creates low spots and the water's weight can deepen them. The deflection traps water. This deck or structural deflection is a cause of ponding, since a roof deck or structure that has sagged or deflected creates low areas that collect water, a problem that can compound as the weight of the ponding water itself worsens the deflection over time on the commercial building.
Settled or Compressed Insulation
Ponding can be caused by settled or compressed insulation, where the insulation under the membrane has settled, compressed, or been damaged, creating depressions in the roof surface. These depressions collect water like other low spots. For a Gas City building, settled or compressed insulation is a ponding cause, since the insulation shapes the roof surface and its settling creates low areas. The settling forms depressions. This settled or compressed insulation is a cause of ponding, since insulation under the membrane that has settled, compressed, or been damaged creates depressions in the roof surface that collect water, forming the low areas where ponding develops on the commercial building.
Diagnosing the Actual Cause
Because ponding has several possible causes, fixing it requires diagnosing the actual cause, determining what is interfering with drainage on your specific roof so the right repair can be applied. The cause determines the solution. For a Gas City building, diagnosing the actual cause is the necessary first step, since the repair depends on what is causing the ponding. Gas City Commercial Roofing diagnoses the cause before repairing. This diagnosing of the actual cause is essential to fixing ponding, since the problem has several possible causes and the right repair depends on which is interfering with drainage on your specific roof, making a proper diagnosis the necessary foundation for an effective drainage repair on the commercial building.
The Causes of Ponding
Ponding water is caused by inadequate slope, clogged or insufficient drains, low spots, deck or structural deflection, or settled insulation, and fixing it requires diagnosing the actual cause. The right repair depends on what is interfering with drainage on a Gas City commercial building.
It helps to understand why flat roofs have slope at all, since the term flat roof is somewhat misleading. A properly built flat or low slope roof has a slight slope rather than being perfectly level, often a quarter inch of fall per foot or similar, specifically so that water drains toward the drains rather than sitting on the surface. This slope is designed in, frequently using tapered insulation that is thicker at the high points and thinner toward the drains. When a roof ponds, it often means this designed slope is inadequate, was never properly built in, or has been lost to deflection or settled insulation. For a Gas City building, understanding that slope is supposed to be there clarifies what ponding repair often involves, which is restoring or building the positive drainage the roof was meant to have on the commercial building.
Find Out Why Your Roof Ponds
Want to know why water pools on your roof? Call Gas City Commercial Roofing at (765) 676-3491 for a free inspection of your Gas City commercial building. We diagnose the actual cause of your ponding, whether slope, drains, low spots, or deflection, and repair the drainage to fix it properly.