Call an Erlanger flat roofing contractor who rebuilds low-slope roofs around drainage, so water reaches drains and scuppers instead of sitting on the deck.
Slope built into insulation
New drain rings and strainers
Moisture survey first
Scuppers re-lined and flashed
An Erlanger flat roofing contractor sorts each roof by what the core cuts and the drainage walk show, then matches the work to it.
| What the Roof Shows | Points to Repair | Points to Recover or Replace |
|---|---|---|
| Wet insulation | A few small wet spots near one curb | Wet boards across large areas |
| Existing layers | One roof in fair shape | Two roofs already on the deck |
| Ponding | One clogged strainer | Water standing for days over wide areas |
| Seams | One corner lifting | Laps opening across the field |
| Deck from inside | Clean, dry flutes | Rust through steel deck flutes |
| Drains and scuppers | Debris and a loose strainer | Rusted rings and failed liners |
A truly level roof holds water, and most flat-roof leaks trace back to where that water sits.
Water that stays on a deck for days after rain ages the membrane fastest right where it sits and keeps working at every lap underneath. Low spots usually come from a deck that sagged, insulation that crushed, or drains set higher than the field around them.
Usually Means: Tapered insulation and crickets designed into the new roof so water reaches the drains.
Leaves and grit block an interior drain and back water up over the clamping ring.
Old liners in the parapet opening leak into the wall long before water reaches the downspout.
Rooftop unit curbs block flow on the uphill side, where a cricket was never built.
Spongy areas show polyiso that has taken on water and lost its insulating value.
Flat roofs drain three ways, and each new roof is built around the path its water takes.
Water runs through drain bodies and down pipes inside the building. New clamping rings, strainers, and tapered boards around each bowl stop pooling where the membrane meets the drain.
Openings in the parapet wall send water to downspouts outside. Each one is re-lined with sheet metal and flashed to the new membrane, with overflow scuppers set higher as a backup.
Roofs without parapets drain over the edge into gutters. New fascia and gutters tie into the membrane at a height that matches the finished insulation.
Replacing a worn flat roof is the moment to fix the drainage that wore it out.
Without built-in pitch, water pools in the middle of each bay and behind every curb.
Boards cut to a pitch move water toward drains, and crickets turn it around curbs and chimneys.
Parapet roofs with only main drains flood when a single strainer clogs.
Overflow drains or overflow scuppers give water a second way off the deck.
A new surface laid over soaked insulation wastes the membrane and keeps feeding the deck moisture.
Wet boards are removed after a moisture survey, and the full stack is rebuilt from the deck up.
Thicker new insulation can leave scupper openings and edge metal sitting too low.
Measurements taken before tear-off keep scuppers, fascia, and curbs lined up with the new surface.
Snap a photo of where it pools and call. Tell us whether the roof drains inside, through the wall, or over the edge, and how long the water usually stays.
The drainage plan comes first, and the membrane goes over it last.
We walk the field after rain where we can, mark ponding, check every drain and scupper, and cut cores. An infrared scan or core grid measures how much insulation is wet.
High points and drain heights are measured across the deck. Tapered insulation is laid out so every bay pitches to a drain, with crickets drawn behind curbs.
Sections sized to what can be closed by evening come off to the deck. Soft wood and rusted steel get repaired, and each day ends with a night tie-in.
Drain bodies are cleaned or refitted with rings and strainers, scuppers are re-lined, and gravel stops are replaced with new fascia set to the new roof height.
TPO or EPDM goes over the tapered system and is flashed to every drain and edge. Water run toward the bowls confirms the pitch before the job is closed out.
Once the drainage is set, one of these systems becomes the waterproof layer on top.
Wide welded sheets suit big warehouse decks with long runs to each drain.
Learn about TPO membranes
Rubber stays flexible through freeze and thaw on schools and office roofs.
Learn about EPDM membranes
Retrofit framing turns a flat roof that ponds every year into sloped metal over the old membrane.
See metal retrofit roofsPlain answers about water, slope, wet boards, and when a flat roof gets replaced.
Pooling means the roof has no working pitch toward its drains. Decks sag, insulation crushes under foot traffic, and drains sometimes sit higher than the field around them. Tapered boards and crickets in a new roof correct that; on an existing roof, cleared strainers and rebuilt drain rings help where the slope itself is fine.
Tapered insulation is polyiso cut to a slight pitch and laid so each section of roof falls toward a drain or scupper. It adds insulating value while it builds slope. Crickets, small sloped sections, are added uphill of curbs so water turns around the unit instead of damming behind it.
Parapet roofs need a second way for water to leave. Overflow drains or overflow scuppers sit a little higher than the main drains, so a clogged strainer still lets water off the deck through the backup path. Replacement is the natural time to add them where they are missing.
No. A new membrane over soaked boards traps the water, wastes the new sheet, and keeps feeding the deck moisture. The Kentucky Building Code also bars a recover over a water-soaked roof. A moisture survey finds the wet areas, and those boards come out to the deck first.
One existing roof can take a recover if it is dry and the deck is solid. Under the 2018 Kentucky Building Code, a roof with two or more applications already on needs a full tear-off, and a core cut confirms the layer count before a plan is set.
Repair life depends on the roof around the fix. Rebuilt flashing on an otherwise sound roof holds for a long stretch, while patches on a membrane with many open laps and wet boards get chased season after season. Core cuts show which situation the roof is in.
Get a free estimate built on a drainage walk and core cuts, for repair, recover, or a full replacement.
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