Some maintenance and rules to taking care of a flat roof do's and dont's are common sense, but you will be surprised what some flat roof owners do or let happen to their roof. The worst thing is to neglect the roof. Depending on how your roof is used and what type of roofing material you have will depend on how much time and effort you must spend on your roof. But either way these are somee tips or rules that flat roof owners residential and commercial should keep in mind to help tkae care of your roof so it can take care of your home or business. You can read more about common areas flat rofs have leaking problems here.
1. Keep the roof clean of debris, especially if you have trees around your roof, clean during and after the fall season.
2. Make sure any equipment that must be attached to roof is properly attached without causing punctures to roof materials. It is good for some equipment to be mounted on top of a platform of some kind that can limit damages to the roof materials.
3. Check draining systems and clean out any debris. Make sure you have adequate draining for your roof, if you notice a lot of ponding water you may need better drainage, clean them, or possibly have an area that needs something to stop ponding water. Some spots that have ponding water need leveling to help the water flow to the drain system.
4. Do not cause stress to the roof. Flat roofs can have issues with pressure from too much weight like too much heavy equipment for the way the structure of the roofs was built, snow and ice weight, water weight or even things on the roof that should not be there. You should have documentation from the builders and designers that explains the amount of weight your flat roof can handle. If there is an area that is not support well and there is too much weight there, the roof can eventually collapse.
5. Do not neglect your flat roof. If you have not inspected it or have repairs that need to be done, do not wait. The number one reason flat roofs have to be replaced is due to neglecting the roof of repairs and maintenance.
6. Do not have hazardous materials on your roof especially having the roofing system getting exposed to those materials; this can cause damage to the material or other damage to the roof decking. Some roofing materials can become damaged with other products.
