Houston, TX – How Does a Flat Commercial Roof Drain Water if It’s Flat?

Is a flat roof really flat? Water needs somewhere to go so that it doesn’t find its way into a building and cause water damage. So how does a flat commercial roof make sure water drainage flows where it should?

“Flat” Roofing

While commercial flat roofing structures are most certainly not as sloped as a residential roof, there is still a slight slope in the roof to allow for proper drainage. A proper installer commercial flat roof will allow for quick water drainage and provide a pathway to allow water to drain off the roof. So while a flat roof isn’t necessarily completely flat, it allows gravity to do its job and keeps standing water from pooling and causing damage.

Flat Roof Drains

Because of the design of flat roofing systems, drains are essential for keeping water off. 

It is imperative to know where drains are and to inspect them regularly to ensure the water has a proper way to flow off of the roof. Interior drains are positioned at low points on the roof to allow water to drain from any direction. These drains are often covered with a leaf guard to collect sticks, leaves, and debris. 

Overflow drains may also be installed to allow overflow to drain should an interior drain get clogged. Edge drains will collect water from the roof’s perimeter so that it can flow to the downspout and off the roof. Scuppers are large rectangular drains at the edge of the roof that will also allow water to flow quickly through the downspout.

Maintenance

Because drains are essential to keeping water off of a flat roof, it is important to keep up with the maintenance of drains, gutters, and flat roofing systems in general. 

This can help avoid clogged drains and pooling water. Commercial roofing contractors can inspect roofs regularly to make sure nothing is standing in the way of water draining properly.  

To contact a certified roofing company you can trust to perform regular inspections, contact Certified Commercial Roofing and schedule your routine inspections as soon as possible.