Flat Roof Leaking After Heavy Snow

If a roof leaks whether it has rained heavily or not then there is a good chance that there is an easily identifiable eg broken roof tile or hole in roof cause.

Flat roof leaking after heavy snow.

Some metal building manufacturers will not warranty a roof with a 1 4 inch slope. The steeper your roof pitch the more ice it takes to create interior leaking see ice dam case study 09. Light fluffy snow is generally no problem for a well constructed home. Flat roof leaks are among the most common and the most undesirable.

But they also come with a reputation for leaks cracks and collapse. This article will discuss three of the most common causes of flat commercial roof leaks. Metal roofs leak under these circumstances. When the snow piled up on the roof melting occurred and ice dams resulted in water ponding 3 inches deep.

Heavy snow mixed with sleet and ice puts stress on your roof. Almost every home built over the last several decades is equipped with roofs that satisfy building codes for heavy snowfalls in that part of the country. We counted 90 stalagmites on the surface of the ice rink from drips coming from the leaking roof. Metal roofs can experience corrosion over time so some homeowners may be experiencing roof leaks simply because of wear and tear from their metal roofs.

First the good news. Excessive rain heavy snow and built up ice all pose extra challenges for flat roofed homes. Ponding water leads to leaks. Likewise a heavy blanket of snow can hide the significance of an ice dam making it hard to ascertain it s size.

If your roof vent leaks during heavy rain the rain may be blowing up under the hood and into the vent. But some roof air vents sit fairly flat to the roof with a mushroom style hood and unprotected sides. And on occasion a hard driving rain with whipping wind will cause roof vents to leak water. This is a particularly difficult problem to fix during seasons with heavy rain which can cause additional damage to a corroded roof.

If a roof only leaks in heavy rain then the above reasons come to mind first and it gives us an easy starting point to successfully track down the cause s of the leak s. If you have a low slope roof area accumulations as little as 1 thick can cause problems. If you own a commercial property that has a flat roof and would like to educate yourself about the threat of roof leaks then read on. Heavy wet icy snow is where homeowners start to encounter problems.