If you choose a flat roof for your commercial
or industrial building it is important to know what issues they could potentially have. This will
help you protect your investment, save money and avoid the headache of repairing
or replacing your roof before you should have to.
One of the main issues with the flat roof is
that without the proper drainage solutions, water can pool easily and cause a
host of other unwanted problems after spells of rain or snow.
Since flat roofs do not have a natural
downward orientation like sloped roofs, gravity cannot do the work to drain
water through a conventional gutter system. The good news is, there is a simple
solution to safeguard your roof against unwanted buildups of water.
Investing in the right draining system.
Here are a few drainage solutions you should
consider if you choose a flat roof for your commercial or industrial building:
1. Scuppers
A scupper (also commonly known as an edge
drain) is a circular or square hole that gets cut into the side of your flat
roof. It acts as a drain for water or debris that your flat roof is exposed to
and usually comes with a downward spout or gutter to direct the elements toward
the ground.
The proper installation and positioning of
scuppers is essential because otherwise they will not work efficiently. Here
are a few important things to know when it comes to installing scuppers:
- They should be installed on an
area of the roof that can be accessed easily for regular cleaning and
maintenance. - The size of the scupper matters
because it should be large enough that it can drain debris without getting
clogged. - Drainage will be more effective if
a scupper is installed at a point on the roof where water already naturally
accumulates.
2. Interior Drains
The purpose of interior drains is to feed the
water that collects on the outside of your flat roof to a central point, where
it then enters into a piping system under the roof for drainage.
Some benefits of this type of system are:
- Because the pipes are not
installed on top of the roof, they are well protected from the elements and
thus less likely to endure wear and tear overtime. - Interior drains are more flexible
because they do not have to be placed on a specific point of your roof like
scuppers do. - Since interior drains direct water
inward, your building is less susceptible to water damage.
Interior drainage systems are definitely a
good alternative to just regular gutters for your flat roof. However, they can
be even more beneficial if you pair your interior drain with scuppers.
By combining your interior drain with scuppers
you can increase your roof’s capacity to drain water and in turn help prevent
an unwanted emergency roof repair or replacement.