Does your house have a flat roof? Here are some things to watch out for!
Inspecting your property after a long, freezing winter is one of the oldest traditions of home ownership. If your home has a flat roof, you need to pay special attention to the drains and membranes that keep your home safe and dry year round. If you want to know where to start servicing your spring roof, here are five tips that can help you.
1. Check the roof for pond water
Once this is certain, you should check your roof for pond water. When the snow melts, it should drain to the edges or down into your central drainage system. However, over time, flat roofs can develop depressions that trap water and increase the likelihood of leaks.
If you find that there is pond water on your roof, contact a Scarborough roofer who specializes in flat roof repairs.
2. Sweep the roof terrace
Once the roof is dry, it is advisable to clean it thoroughly with a broom. Dirt and large pieces of debris can cause significant problems for flat roofs over time, accelerating the breakdown of the membrane or tar and gravel cover, and worsening pond water problems.
Dirt can also get into your sewers, slowing drainage and contributing to the formation of clogs.
3. Check the membranes or tar and gravel thoroughly
If the deck is clear, you can now look for any holes, cracks, cracks or punctures that have opened up over the winter.
While roofing membranes are designed for high resistance, stress points can be damaged by rapid temperature changes, hail and falling branches. Therefore, pay particular attention to the endangered areas such as seams between membranes, pipes and parapet edges.
4. Clean the dome covers / outlet shells
Flat roofs have many advantages over pitched roofs, but they also have a major weakness: drainage. Although modern flat roofs are designed to provide sufficient drainage capacity to ensure that water is drained quickly into pipes and gutters, these drains require regular maintenance, especially in the spring.
It is a good idea to remove the dome covers and remove any trash or organic matter that may be trapped in the case. That way you can also look at the baffles and outlet cup inside to make sure nothing is blocking the water flow.
5. Queue drains
If you've cleaned the dome cover and checked the internal mechanism, but are still experiencing pond water and slow drainage issues, it is possible that one of the internal pipes is clogged and needs to be removed.
The easiest way to do this is with a drain snake or a hydrojet. Many homeowners choose to do this themselves, although most plumbing companies offer this service as well.
Homeowners often use their flat roofs in summer as a place to relax, set up lounge chairs, and enjoy the sunshine and breeze. Before you can do that, however, you need to make sure your roof is ready by cleaning and checking all the essential features to make sure the roof is in the best possible condition before the season starts.
