Most people don’t think about their roof until something goes wrong. However, the type of roof you have will determine how we at Guaranteed Roofing in Cincinnati, Ohio, tackle the issue. Want to know what to expect and look out for? Let us explain the difference between flat roof repair and sloped roof repair.
Sloped Roof Repair
Sloped roofs, also called pitched roofs, typically develop problems around shingles. They get blown off during storms and expose your home or business to the elements. Even if a leak starts slow, it can damage anything under the roof and lead to a roof collapse.
When temperatures go back and forth, as they often do in the Ohio River Valley, the wood in a sloped roof expands and contracts. This causes nails to pop out and leads to loose shingles and leaks.
To repair these issues, roofers will often take off many of a roof’s existing shingles. This is because on a pitched roof, shingles overlap to allow rain and melted snow to drain safely into gutters and onto the ground. If shingles aren’t laid properly, you could be opening yourself up to leaks down the road.
While many people replace shingles themselves, a professional roofer can help you get the full 30-year lifespan out of a shingled sloped roof.
Flat Roof Repair
Unlike a sloped roof, flat roofs can’t rely solely on gravity for drainage. Because of this, flat roofs are often topped with tar or rubber. There are tiny spaces between shingles, which is fine for sloped roofs, but water pools too easily on flat roofs to use them.
For flat roof repair, and even low slope roof repair, roofers will patch the problem area with the same material the rest of the roof is made of. They smooth the area and ensure the patch fits seamlessly into the rest of the roof.
Because drainage is so vital to the life of a flat roof, they will also ensure the drainage system is working properly and unclogged. Some flat roof drainage systems have pipes under the roof while others are sloped slightly to push runoff to gutters and downspouts.
If drains, leaks and pooling aren’t repaired properly, the damage could be catastrophic. In 2018, the flat roof of a Cincinnati apartment building collapsed when rain pooled on top of it. Fortunately, only one person was hurt, but 30 or more people had to be evacuated.
Keep Your Roof In Good Repair With Guaranteed Roofing
At Guaranteed Roofing, we don’t just provide sloped and flat roof repair in Cincinnati — we protect your roof’s future. If your flat roof drainage system isn’t performing properly, let us take a look and advise you. Need a full roof replacement? We can cover that, too. Contact us today to protect your home, business and loved ones.
