5 Common Causes of Leaks in Commercial Properties

Regardless of the business, unexpected costs and expenses are bound to come up, no matter how hard you may try to mitigate any potential issues. This is true with commercial building leaks, where water gets into a building and causes damage. The most effective way to deal with this situation—besides regular maintenance to ensure that it does not happen in the first place—is to know the causes. With that in mind, here is the list of common causes of leaks in your commercial property that you need to keep an eye out for:

1. The roof’s gutters or drains are clogged

Your roof has gutters and drains around it to guide water away from your property. Over time, they can collect a variety of debris, including twigs and leaves from nearby trees, or birds building nests on your roof. These items can clog the drains, allowing water to pool up above and compromise your roof’s structural integrity. This can cause water to seep into the roof slowly, causing leaks.

2. Roof penetrations are not secured

Some holes in your roof are supposed to be there. These are known as roof penetrations and are generally installed for ventilation purposes. Roof penetrations are secured to prevent water from entering, but some are not installed properly. For example, it might be that there is not enough silicone to seal the gaps or that the silicone itself has already deteriorated. Whatever the case may be, water can seep through roof penetration fixtures, causing leaks.

3. The roof is allowing water to pool

While most roofs are designed to allow water to run off smoothly, some may be poorly installed to the point that there are areas where water can pool. When this happens, water can slowly seep into the structure, damaging the roof and the building in the process.

4. The roof’s membrane has deteriorated

A roof membrane’s primary function is to prevent water from seeping through the roof into the main building. However, as it ages, it slowly deteriorates and starts to crack and split. If the roof is compromised, the gaps in the membrane allow water to slowly penetrate into the roof and cause leaks to the rest of the structure.

5. The window seals are old or badly fitted

Roof problems are the most common causes of water leaks in your structure, but other areas like windows can also allow water to enter the structure. Window seals can cause leaks if they are fitted incorrectly or have already cracked due to age.

Conclusion

There are many possible causes of leaks in your commercial property, and the solution to most of them is the same: Maintain your building often. Doing so will ensure leaks will not occur. While it requires you to invest some time and money into building maintenance, it is a lot cheaper than having to fix the damage later on.

If you do not have the time to carry out building maintenance on your own, do not hesitate to reach out to professionals. They have the skills, knowledge, and equipment needed to reach and identify any problem your building may have, ensuring everything is leak-free.

Apex Facades is a construction company with expertise in glazing, construction, and maintenance of hard-to-reach situations. If you are looking for rope-access professionals in Australia to maintain your commercial property, work with us today!