Preparing Your Flat Roof for Spring 

by | Mar 7, 2022 | Roofers

If you want them to be kept in excellent shape, flat roofs need routine maintenance and cleaning. Also, since spring is coming, homeowners with flat roofs will have to properly clean and inspect their flat roof in order to avoid several issues. Also, it might even be crucial to hire roofing contractors Bay City MI to help you make repairs if there are several winter damage on your roof.  

Here are several ways to prepare your flat roof for the upcoming spring: 

Examine for Punctures 

You need to properly examine the roofing membrane for tears, rips, or punctures. The kind of membrane will depend on what type of flat roof you’ve got. However, almost every roofing membrane is made from EPDM, modified bitumen, or PVC Membrane. 

Almost every single one of these materials is installed in layers and sealed to offer a watertight barrier. However, winter damage can create holes that enable water to leak inside. Of course, the materials will eventually deteriorate as your flat roof ages. Thus, these holes will become more common. Therefore, it’s an excellent move to monitor these problems and immediately contact a professional roofer if you think you’ve got a lot of holes that need to be fixed. 

Clean Every Outlet 

For those who don’t know, a flat roof isn’t really flat. They are made to gently slope towards drainage outlets. The key to keeping your flat roof from leaking is to keep these drainage outlets from clogging.  

Water will slowly back up and it will pool on the roof if your drain is clogged. This will put stress on the structural integrity of your roof and improving the chances that water will seep through the roofing membrane, inside the insulation, and through your ceiling.  

Because of this, it is crucial to clean and sweep your roof regularly throughout the fall and summer. However, this is more crucial during the months of spring. 

Get Rid of Debris 

Perhaps one of the aspects that make your neighborhood an enticing area to live in is that there are a lot of trees that line ravines, parks, and streets. However, all of these trees mean that debris can easily build up on flat roofs. That’s why gathering all the debris that has accumulated over the winter is the first thing you’ve got to do after the snow has melted.  

Also, if you do not want to run into more severe issues, you have to deal with the regular build-up of organic matter and dirt as soon as the snow is clear.  

Install a Flat Roof Deck 

If you really want to make the most out of your flat roof, you can simply install a floating roof deck during the summer months. A floating deck isn’t really anchored to your home’s structure. This means that you can easily get rid of it during fall and winter. However, before you install a flat roof deck, make sure your drains aren’t clogged, there are no tears or punctures, and the roof is clean.