Flat commercial roofs after ponding

Strip-center roofs in Houston hold lakes after a tropical dump. That pond is weight, and it is a slow leak into the dentist office and the taqueria.

If you manage the building, this is a same-day walk, not a Monday email. If you lease a suite, this is a same-day photo to the landlord.

Do not step onto a soft bubble of membrane because you want a hero shot.

Do this now

1. Photograph ponding, interior stains, and any collapsed ceiling tile from a safe floor.
2. Notify the owner or property manager in writing. Tenants: do this even if you already called.
3. Have a qualified commercial roofer clear drains and scuppers if access is safe. No solo walks on a wet, unfamiliar deck.
4. Move stock and records off the wet line. Open a claim if you have business insurance.

Ponding is a structural problem, not a puddle

Water that sits has weight. Old Houston built-up roofs and tired TPO both sag into a birdbath. If the deck feels bouncy or you hear cracking, get people out from under it. A commercial walk should be someone who does this for a living, with fall protection if the parapet is low. Your cousin’s shop vac on a 20,000-square-foot roof is how you meet the fire department.

Drains, scuppers, and the parking lot

Leaves, contractor trash, and gravel clog the only exits the roof has. Clearing them is the cheapest save you will get this week. Then look at interior units for new stains. Tell tenants not to pop a soaked ceiling tile with their face under it. If the roof drain dumped into the suite, that water may be relatively cleaner than street flood, but it is still a claim and still a slip hazard.

Tenants vs landlords on a commercial lease

Many Houston retail and warehouse leases put the roof on the landlord and the contents on the tenant. Triple-net deals get messier. Read the maintenance exhibit. Photograph your inventory with SKUs if you have them. Business interruption is a policy question, not a vibe. Do not wait for the property manager’s weekly recap while product is swelling on the pallet.

Do this next

1. Blue tarp basics that keep more water out tonight
2. When roof leaks and flood are both happening
3. Commercial providers hub

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