What Ponding Water Is and Why It Matters
Ponding water is a specific problem with a specific meaning, and understanding it explains why it deserves attention. It is not the same as water that drains normally after rain. Here is what ponding water is and why it matters on a Avon commercial building.
Water That Does Not Drain
Ponding water is water that does not drain off the roof, remaining in pools after the rain has stopped rather than flowing to the drains. It is the water that sits and lingers, distinct from the runoff that drains normally. For a Avon building, understanding that ponding is water that does not drain identifies the problem, since the issue is the water staying. The lingering is the problem. This water that does not drain is the essence of ponding, since the problem is water remaining in pools after the rain rather than flowing to the drains, distinguishing ponding from the normal runoff that drains properly off a healthy roof on the commercial building.
The Common Definition
Ponding is commonly defined as water that remains on the roof more than 48 hours after rain, a widely used threshold for distinguishing problem ponding from water that drains in a reasonable time. Water still standing after a couple of days indicates a drainage problem. For a Avon building, the common definition gives a practical benchmark, since water lingering past about 48 hours is the concern. The threshold flags the problem. This common definition of ponding as water remaining more than 48 hours after rain gives a practical benchmark, since water that has not drained in that time indicates a drainage problem rather than normal runoff, helping identify when standing water is a concern on the commercial building.
Flat Roofs Are Designed to Drain
Ponding matters because flat roofs are designed to drain, with a slight slope and drainage meant to move water off the roof, so pooling water means that intended drainage is not working. A flat roof is not truly flat, and when it ponds, something is interfering with its drainage. For a Avon building, understanding that flat roofs are designed to drain explains why ponding is abnormal, since the roof should shed water. The ponding signals a failure. This fact that flat roofs are designed to drain is why ponding matters, since the slight slope and drainage are meant to move water off the roof, and pooling water means that intended drainage is not working, signaling a problem to address on the commercial building.
A Sign of a Drainage Problem
Ponding water is a sign of a drainage problem, indicating that something, whether clogged drains, inadequate slope, or low spots, is preventing the roof from draining as it should. The ponding is a symptom pointing to an underlying drainage issue. For a Avon building, recognizing ponding as a sign of a drainage problem directs attention to the cause, since fixing the ponding means fixing the drainage. The symptom points to the cause. This being a sign of a drainage problem is key to understanding ponding, since pooling water indicates that something is preventing the roof from draining as it should, making ponding a symptom that points to an underlying drainage issue to diagnose and repair on the commercial building.
A Problem That Worsens
Ponding water is a problem that worsens over time, since the standing water progressively damages the roof and the ponding can deepen as the damage and any deck deflection increase. Left alone, ponding does not stay static, it causes accumulating harm. For a Avon building, understanding that ponding worsens explains the urgency, since the longer it sits, the more damage it does. The problem compounds. This being a problem that worsens is important to understand about ponding, since the standing water progressively damages the roof and the ponding can deepen over time, meaning the problem accumulates harm the longer it goes unaddressed on the commercial building.
Worth Addressing
Because of the damage it causes and the drainage problem it signals, ponding water is worth addressing rather than ignoring. Fixing the drainage stops the damage and resolves the underlying issue, protecting the roof. For a Avon building, ponding is worth addressing, since the cost of fixing the drainage is far less than the cost of the damage it causes over time. Addressing it protects the roof. This being worth addressing is the practical conclusion about ponding, since the damage it causes and the drainage problem it signals make fixing the drainage a worthwhile investment that stops the harm and protects the roof, far less costly than letting the ponding damage the roof over time on the commercial building.
Understanding Ponding Water
Ponding water is water that does not drain, commonly defined as remaining more than 48 hours after rain, a sign of a drainage problem on a roof designed to drain. It is a problem that worsens and is worth addressing on a Avon commercial building.
It helps to understand why flat roofs have slope at all, since the term flat roof is somewhat misleading. A properly built flat or low slope roof has a slight slope rather than being perfectly level, often a quarter inch of fall per foot or similar, specifically so that water drains toward the drains rather than sitting on the surface. This slope is designed in, frequently using tapered insulation that is thicker at the high points and thinner toward the drains. When a roof ponds, it often means this designed slope is inadequate, was never properly built in, or has been lost to deflection or settled insulation. For a Avon building, understanding that slope is supposed to be there clarifies what ponding repair often involves, which is restoring or building the positive drainage the roof was meant to have on the commercial building.
Address Ponding on Your Roof
Seeing water pool on your flat roof? Call Avon Commercial Roofing at (765) 676-3491 for a free inspection of your Avon commercial building. We diagnose why your roof is ponding and repair the drainage to fix it, protecting your roof from the damage standing water causes.