Commercial Roofs in Mineral Wells: Keeping Flat Roofs Dry

Most commercial buildings use low-slope roofs covered by a membrane or a built-up system. These roofs drain through scuppers, gutters or interior drains. When a drain clogs, water sits on the roof. Ponding water speeds up aging and finds every weak seam.

Common membrane types on the market include TPO, EPDM and modified bitumen, and each one ages in its own way. Our article on TPO vs. EPDM roofing compares two of them. The right choice depends on the building, how people use the roof and what is under it now.

Flat roofs also hide problems well. Water can travel under the membrane or through soaked insulation for a long way before it drips inside. A leak over an office may start at a seam near a rooftop unit at the other end of the building. That is why commercial repairs start with a walk of the whole roof, not just the spot above the stain.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center logged 25 hail reports within 10 miles of Mineral Wells from 2015 through 2024. Nine were 1.75 inches or larger, and the largest was 2.5 inches on March 16, 2023. On a flat roof, hail can puncture or bruise the membrane and crush the insulation board underneath. That damage is hard to see from the ground and often shows up later as a leak far from the impact point.

Buildings in Parker County and Palo Pinto County see the same storms, so owners with property on both sides of the county line should check all their roofs after a large event.