Do you know if water ponds on your flat roof on your home or your commercial building?
Ponding water on flat, or low slope roofs, can signal a few different problems.
Garvey Roofing, headquartered in Monrovia, works throughout the San Gabriel Valley and offers free estimates on new roof installations and repairs.
Take the basic steps to prep your commercial roof for winter rains and summer heat
What is ponding water?
It’s standing water that lasts for about 24 hours to 48 hours after a rainfall. It collects in an area of a roof that has poor drainage.
What are the concerns?
The weight of the water can weaken your roof and cause the membrane to deteriorate. The water may be leaking through seams and you won’t notice.
If it’s leaking, then mold can grow during cool weather.
In our part of LA County, sunshine usually follows those short bursts of heavy rains. And when they sun comes out, so do the UV rays. Ponding water can act like a magnifying glass and amplify damage from UV rays.
What to look for.
Water always seeks the lowest point of where it’s flowing.
So ponding water is a clue that you have poor drainage, or a part of your roof is sagging structurally. Roof top HVAC units may have been a cause.
You may notice that older buildings around cities like Arcadia and Alhambra have dips that trap water.
This causes premature aging in roofs.
The rains are over. Why worry?
Sure, the winter rains are over. We may catch a few spring showers in the coming weeks, but we’re going to have mostly sunny days so why worry about ponding water now?
This is why.
If your low slope roof has weaknesses then the sun is going to weaken it further. When the rains hit again, more moisture can seep through the roofing materials.
This is why Garvey Roofing makes roofs for all seasons.
Our summer weather weakens seams and degrades older roofs, making them less able to fight off UV rays. Our mild winter weather finds those weaknesses and moisture will seep into seams and cracking sealant around vents.
We don’t get consistent rain like other parts of the country, but when it does rain it can pour hard, settle on an older roof, and gradually cause structural damage and wear.
Heat from may through October will transfer through the weak areas and into your home or commercial building.
One maintenance tip
During the summer, sweep off your low slope roof membrane. This keeps it able to reflect the sun’s rays back into the atmosphere.
Call Garvey Roofing
Call 626-358-9208.
Thomas Garvey and his team give free estimates.
Every new roof installed and roof repair comes with an industry leading guarantee:
All materials AND labor are guaranteed for your peace of mind.
Why Garvey Roofing?
Roofing is a craft taken seriously.
Thomas says, “When it rains and the winds blow, my phone doesn’t ring.”
