Roofing

Common Flat Roofing Problems and Maintenance Fixes

October 1, 2020 by TGAR Admin

Having a flat roof offers several advantages, including energy efficiency and having it used as a secondary outdoor space. However, you also have to be more mindful of its maintenance, so you need to watch closely for any sign of damage, leaks and other problems. They should be addressed as soon as they’re spotted, or else they’ll get bigger over time and you’ll be forced to get a roof replacement sooner than expected.

If you’re not sure how to properly maintain your flat roof, our team at The Great American Roofing Company has put together below a quick guide to help you out.

Common Problems You’ll Encounter

Pooled Water – When it rains or snows, there’s hardly anywhere for the precipitation to go on your flat roof. As a property settles over time, the roof itself will shift a bit and not be as level as it was when it was first installed. This may cause rainwater to pool in divots and dips on your roof.
Of course, most roofing materials are manufactured to hold up to water, it’s still recommended that these pools should be drained as soon as possible and check to make sure that water doesn’t seep into lower layers of your roof. Otherwise, the pooling will deteriorate the exterior of your roof and shorten its lifespan.

Leaks – Just like any other roofing system, it can develop leaks over time, but since it’s a flat roof, the water doesn’t have anywhere to go but straight down. A leak can be caused for a variety of reasons, such as cracks in the sheathing, flashing issues, and fungus growth, as well as blistering and weather damage. If you’re already having this problem, hire a trusted roof repair contractor to address the issue immediately.

Helpful Maintenance Fixes

Sweep Your Roof Regularly – In some cases, flat roof owners have seen saplings take root after they let their roof maintenance go for too long. Leaving saplings as they are on your own flat roof isn’t ideal, as they tend to grow on existing cracks which only makes them bigger as they grow. Make sure to sweep your roof regularly to prevent this from happening.
Inspect Your Roof – Having a flat roof means you should have more regular maintenance performed if you want to keep it in its best condition. Keep in mind that rainwater outlets on your flat roof’s drainage system can be easily blocked by windswept debris. This is especially apparent in the height of autumn when the leaves are falling fast. We recommend installing a leaf guard on your gutters, but you should still have them cleaned from time to time to ensure that they’re completely clean and free of debris.

When it comes to excellent roof leak repair and replacement services, you can count on The Great American Roofing Company to get the job done the way you want it to. You can reach us by calling (201) 825-2955 or filling out our convenient online contact form. Talk to us today!

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Kathy Farley 2 months ago

Great roofing company to work with. Not only does the roof look great but they were on time day of scheduled roofing, kept me apprised of milestones, very easy to communicate with (from sales through completion) and top notch site cleanup.

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Alice Bausewein 3 months ago

Very professional company. Great work, clean up after the job. Highly recommend for work done at your home.

tamara hammer 4 months ago

Great experience! Highly recommend!

William Daly 4 months ago

Everything went perfectly from speaking with Ryan the salesman who was very professional to Steven and his crew who got the job done in a timely and professional manner also. I would highly recommend great American roofing

Galina 4 months ago

Thank you GARC for an amazing work!
The great company, indeed!
Would recommend to everyone who are planning to replace the roof.

steve Karow 4 months ago

When having to replace the roof on your home it can be a very upsetting process due to the extensive cost involved. We are 100% sure we made the right choice going with GARC.
We had seen at least 3 other roofing companies and only Ryan was interested in going into my attic to see how the structure of the home was and make sure there were no issues from the inside out.
He then explained the issues we were having and what GARC would do to fix these with their new roof system.

When we met with the other roof companies we felt they would replace the roof but were not comfortable with them.

Pricing was definitely and issue and when we weighed all we did not go with the cheapest nor the most expensive. GARC was very competitive and with their warranty we felt that was most important for the future.

Stephen and his crew finished our job in one day when we were told at least 2. They worked from dawn to dusk to get our job done.

A week later and we had 3” of rain fall. The home was perfectly protected and no issues.

GARC is a family run business and not a large conglomerate. They are extremely accommodating and friendly to work with.

I cannot recommend them more if you are looking to replace your roof.

Thom Herron 5 months ago

I highly recommend Great American Roofing for any of your roofing needs. Very professional and clean. The estimate process went very smoothly and Ryan walked me patiently through all the details. Steven was a great on-site Forman, kept the team on track and did an excellent job at completing the job on time and on budget. Thanks GARC! A job well done.

Stephanie Smith 7 months ago

I can’t say enough good things about The Great American Roofing Company. We now have a beautiful new roof, and we couldn’t be happier.
Larry, the owner, Ryan, the operations manager, Andrea, the office manager, and Stephen, the head foreman were all great to work with. They were knowledgeable, professional, honest, friendly, and helpful. No pressure, and no requests or questions were left unanswered. What could have been a painful and stressful experience, turned out to be a smooth and easy process.Their expertise and friendliness added to the overall positive atmosphere. And to top it off, the roof replacement cleanup was perfect. Larry and his team went above and beyond to ensure a seamless and satisfying experience.
So all in all, excellent customer service and quality craftsmanship. We highly recommend GARC to everyone.

Cailyn Lynn 7 months ago

Summary:
Highly recommend, especially for a newer homeowner who is still learning like us. They are a company you can trust to do a great job for a fair price.

Details:
After meeting with 3 other companies in the area, we ultimately chose GARC based on its Master Elite GAF status. We have a friend in commercial roofing who told us how distinguished and important it is. They unquestionably live up to the hype.

Ryan was our salesperson - he came to the house at our convenience. He thoroughly explained the entire process, let us touch the materials and ask questions. We were given a very reasonable quote (based on calculations our friend did for us ahead of time) to replace our home and carport roof with the highest standard shingle as well as replace all of our gutters and downspouts including leaf guards.

Andrea helped schedule us for installation and was understanding and accommodating when we had to reschedule. There was a 2-week lead time. They took care of all the permits for the dumpster, etc. (which the town made very difficult for them - definitely went above and beyond on this front).

Steven was our project manager and he came with a large team at 7am on our scheduled day. They worked hard all day long, finishing the project about 4:30pm just as daylight began fading. They were respectful of our property and landscaping, cleaned up after themselves thoroughly, and were courteous.

Roof looks great and we are very happy.

Common Flat Roofing Problems and Maintenance Fixes

Common Problems You’ll Encounter

Helpful Maintenance Fixes

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