Flat roofs for your business
As a business owner, you have options when it comes to your roofing decisions. One of the most common commercial roofing options is a flat roof. Flat roofs provide a multitude of benefits to businesses and business owners, but they are not always the best option for everyone. Luckily, most of the common problems with a commercial flat roof can easily be avoided by choosing a professional roofing contractor, like our team at Stay Dry Roofing, or having routine maintenance performed on your roof. Living in Florida, there are many ways mother nature can hurt your investments, but don’t let your roof be one of those concerns. Get a free consultation with our team for your commercial flat roof in Tampa, FL or surrounding areas!
Why flat roofs are common for businesses
Many businesses choose to have a flat roof because of the additional benefits they offer over traditional steeped roofs. A flat roof is often more cost effective because they use fewer material overall than a steep slope roof. Additionally, flat roofs can be quicker and easier to install. This is a huge benefit to business owners who are trying to get up and running right away. And one of the leading reasons businesses choose a flat roof is because it is a functional roof! This means that you are able to actually install structures, like HVAC units or storage on top instead of around your building.
Common problems associated with flat roofs in Florida
Pooling water
Many roofs are sloped to prevent water pooling, which can severely damage a roof. With a flat roof, there is no slope for the water to run off into a gutter or to the ground. If your flat roof is not installed properly, or there are unmaintained problems, it can easily start to pool water. When water sits on the roof for long periods of time, it will start to soak into the roof and the support structures. Eventually, this can rot away the roof, leading to leaks, water damage, and even the need for extensive repairs or a re-roofing!
A properly installed flat roof is actually not totally flat! Our professional roofing contractors install a very slight slope to the roof to allow water to run off and down towards a drain. If you are noticing water pooling on your roof, there might be a problem with the slope or drain and our team can help repair that damage.
Flashing or edging damage
Along the edging of your commercial flat roof you will have flashing installed that is supposed to protect the joints. Over time, this flashing, or edging, can constrict and expand which eventually causes little gaps to form. If water starts to gather inside these gaps, it can travel along the roof and start causing leaks inside other areas of your business. This can also occur just from damage due to falling debris or a big storm or hurricane!
By repairing and maintaining the flashing around the edges of your flat roof, our team at Stay Dry Roofing can prevent water damage from affecting your business. This can often be accomplished during routine maintenance or we can replace all your flashing if you’ve inherited a very old roof.
Alligatoring
No, this doesn’t mean you have a gator on your roof (which might not be the most unbelievable thing, living in Tampa, Florida!). Alligatoring is a term that is applied to an old, damaged flat roof that has not been maintained. When the asphalt to your flat roof becomes damaged, it begins to buckle, bend, and shrivel. This appearance is similar to that of the skin of an alligator.
When your roof is alligatoring, this means it is long past its chance for repair. A complete re-roof is often necessary at this stage. But when you have Stay Dry Roofing helping you, we can help give you an affordable price on a new roof and ensure it is installed properly for many years of successful coverage!
Cracks in roofing
Since flat roofs do not have a drastic slope and often have structure built on them or have people walking over top, they can easily develop cracks. This is due to pressure being constantly exerted on the structure. Many times, these cracks start small and hard to see, but if they expand and get much bigger, it can be a serious problem! You want to address these cracks right away!
A good way to prevent cracks is to have your roofing contractor let you know what areas are safest to install structures or where you should walk when on the roof. As always, routine roofing maintenance can prevent these problems from developing or identify them before they become dangerous.
Get a free estimate!
We understand that many of these problems can lead to a big cost for you. This is why Stay Dry Roofing is always offering a free estimate for your roofing needs. Our honest team has over 30 years of experience and can identify if you will just need simple repairs or if a re-roof is necessary. Our goal is to keep you and your business safe with your commercial flat roof and can answer any questions you may have or repair damage or concerns as soon as possible. Give us a call today to get started!
