Ponding
Silt Rings After Rain
Rings of dried silt and debris lines after heavy rain show the low spots that need more slope.
Flat Roofing
Hopkinsville Flat Roofing Contractor
Protect Low-Slope Roofs Against Ponding, Open Laps and Hail
Hired as a Hopkinsville flat roofing contractor, we rebuild low-slope roofs from the deck up, with drainage fixed before the membrane goes on.
- First FixSlope to every drain
- Cover BoardFirm layer against hail
- OutletsDrains and overflow scuppers
- MembraneTPO or EPDM
Is This Roof A Fit?
How Should This Flat Roof Shed Water?
A Hopkinsville flat roofing contractor solves drainage first. These are the three ways a low-slope building gets its water off.
What We Install
Tapered Single-Ply
How water movesSloped boards toward each drain
Ponding riskLow, with crickets and saddles
Roof height changeEdges and curbs raised
Old roofRemoved, or kept when dry
Best onMost warehouses and offices
Option
Single-Ply On Flat Boards
How water movesOnly where the deck already slopes
Ponding riskHigh between drains
Roof height changeSmall
Old roofRemoved, or kept when dry
Best onDecks built with slope
Option
Metal Retrofit Framing
How water movesPitch built over the old roof
Ponding riskWater leaves at new eaves
Roof height changeLarge, a new roof line
Old roofStays in place under the frame
Best onSmall buildings with chronic ponding
Roof Conditions
Flat Roofing Failures We Check for on Hopkinsville Buildings
On a flat roof, these conditions decide how much of the old roof can stay.
Moisture
Wet Boards Under the Sheet
Insulation soaked through a pinhole holds water for years and shows up warm on a night infrared scan.
Hail
Dents in Soft Insulation
Without a cover board, hail and foot traffic crush the insulation and leave the membrane sitting in dimples.
Outlets
Drains Without Overflows
A parapet roof relying on primary drains alone holds water deep when one bowl clogs with leaves.
Laps
Seams Opening in Low Areas
Laps that sit in standing water age faster and start opening in the wettest part of the roof.
Edges
Low Gravel Stop at the Eave
Edge metal set for a thinner roof lets water back up behind it at open eaves.
Options
Flat Roofing Options for Hopkinsville Buildings
Rebuilding a flat roof comes down to four choices, made in this order.
Tapered Insulation Layout
Boards are cut and laid from the drain plan, rising from each bowl toward the high points of the roof.
Cover Board Over Insulation
A firm board over the insulation resists hail dents and boot traffic around rooftop units.
New Drains And Scuppers
Drains get new clamping rings and sumps, and overflow scuppers go through parapets where none exist.
TPO Or EPDM On Top
Welded TPO suits roofs with many curbs, and large-sheet EPDM suits wide, plain roofs.
Benefits
Benefits of Rebuilding a Flat Roof
Here is a flat roof before and after the drainage and layers are rebuilt together.
Before The Rebuild
- Water standing for days after a storm
- Overflow only at the roof edge, if anywhere
- Insulation crushed around units and hatches
- Drains sitting above the wet low spots
- Soft insulation crushed under foot traffic and hail
After The Rebuild
- Water moving to drains within hours of rain
- Overflow scuppers set through the parapet
- Cover board carrying foot traffic and hail
- Sumps dropping the sheet into each drain bowl
- A cover board layer spreading boots and hail across the roof
Rings of Dried Silt Around Your Drains?
Silt lines mark where water sat. Photos from right after a storm help lay out where the roof needs more slope.
Get A Free EstimateWhat To Have Ready
- Photos taken after heavy rain
- Drain and scupper locations
- Any leaks under low areas
- Interior access to drain lines
How The Work Runs
Work Order for a Hopkinsville Flat Roofing Contractor
Five decisions, in order, so drainage is settled before any membrane is ordered.
Inspect Your Roof
Core cuts and a moisture check map the wet areas, and every drain, scupper, and low spot goes on a roof plan.
Remove Or Keep The Old Roof?
Wet sections and roofs already recovered once come off. Dry, attached areas can stay under a recover.
Draw The Drainage
Taper, crickets, saddles, and sumps are laid out from the drain plan, with overflow scuppers added at parapets.
Build Up The Layers
Deck repairs come first, then insulation, tapered boards, and cover board, each fastened into the deck.
Seal, Flash, And Water Check
Membrane goes on with sealed laps, edges and drains are flashed, and the roof is checked after the next rain.
Related Services
Related Roof Work
A flat roof rebuild usually ends in one of these systems.
TPO Roofing
Welded white TPO over tapered boards covers most rebuilt warehouse and office roofs.
Welded TPO membraneEPDM Roofing
Large rubber sheets fit wide, plain flat roofs and stay flexible for winter installs.
EPDM rubber membraneCommercial Roof Repair
A dry flat roof with one or two open laps gets a matched repair instead of a rebuild.
Flat roof seam repairQuestions
Flat Roof Questions on Drainage and Layers
Questions on ponding, layers, and outlets for low-slope roofs.
How do you fix ponding water on a flat commercial roof?
By building slope under the membrane. Tapered boards rise from each drain, crickets split water around curbs, saddles keep the valleys between drains moving, and sumps lower the sheet into each bowl. The layout starts from where the drains already sit.
Why put cover board over the insulation?
Cover board is a firm layer that spreads the load of hail and boots. Without it, soft insulation crushes around hatches and units, and the membrane ends up sitting in dents that hold water.
Does a flat roof need overflow scuppers?
Parapet roofs that rely on primary drains alone get them, so water leaves through the wall before it builds up if a drain clogs. Each overflow sits a little above the roof surface at the drain.
Can a flat roof go over the old roof?
Only where the old roof is dry and firmly attached, and only if it has not already been recovered. Core cuts decide it, and the inspector has the final say on layering.
How long does a flat roof rebuild take?
It depends on roof size, the number of curbs and drains, and how much deck needs repair. Work runs section by section, and each section is closed watertight before the crew leaves.
What does a moisture survey show on a flat roof?
Where the insulation is wet and how much of the roof that covers. Core cuts read the layers at set spots, a capacitance or impedance meter maps readings across a grid, and a night infrared scan picks up warm areas where wet boards hold heat.
Should a rebuilt flat roof get TPO or EPDM?
Roofs crowded with curbs, pipes, and rooftop units usually get welded TPO, since its flashing details weld to the field sheet. Wide, plain roofs with few penetrations suit EPDM, whose very large sheets cut the number of seams.
Bring In a Hopkinsville Flat Roofing Contractor
Send photos of where the water sits after rain. We will start with the drain plan.