If the ceilings inside your building stay saturated with water or become covered with black mold, check the pitch pans on your roof soon. Pitch pans cover irregular openings on your roof, such as conduit lines and plumbing pipes. Over time, the glue fastening the pitch pans to your roof can deteriorate and leak water into your building. Learn more about pitch pans and how they affect your commercial roof below.
What Are Pitch Pans?
Pitch pans, or pitch pockets, are special types of flashing used to cover small, irregularly-sized openings on a commercial roof. The pans allow you to install various things on the surface of your roof, including plumbing pipes and cable lines. Commercial roofers use different types of sealant to secure pitch pans on the surface of a roof. If the sealant shrinks or cracks from age and heat exposure, leaks can form around the pans.
Leaking pitch pans can cause a number of issues for commercial businesses today. One of the greatest problems leaking pans cause is structural damage. The damage can occur on the surface of the roof or it can occur inside the building itself. Water can damage your roof beyond repair.
If you act now and repair your pitch pans, you can prevent structural damage to your roof and building.
What Can You Do About Your Pitch Pans?
A commercial roofing contractor will need to inspect the pitch pans on your roof before they make any necessary repairs. A number of other things can cause water to penetrate your building, including warped asphalt shingles or dented metal. Improperly secured nails can also cause water damage to your roof. A roofing contractor must rule out all of these issues before they repair your pitch pans.
If the roofing company discovers issues with your roof's main structure, they may recommend tearing off the roof and replacing it with something newer. Depending on your commercial roof's age and overall condition, a new roof may be the best option for you right now. Otherwise, you may face additional problems with your roof in the future.
If age, heat, or water damage have caused significant problems with your roof's pitch pans, a roofing company may replace the pans for you. They may recommend you upgrade the pitch pans to something stronger and less prone to water penetration. If the repairs concern you in any way, consult a contractor immediately.
Learn more about pitch pans and how they affect your roof by contacting a commercial roofing contractor, like Commercial Solutions, Inc.,