Ponding Water

Roofing terms · plain-language definition, with its source

Roofing terms · definition

Standing water on a low-slope roof 48+ hours after rain. Accelerates membrane failure and adds structural load; corrected with slope or drainage.

Source: Wikipedia — Flat Roof (Ponding)

Where this comes up on this site

  • Power / Solar Attic Fan

    A motorized attic exhaust fan. Useful where passive venting is inadequate, but can backdraft or pull conditioned air if intake is insuffi…

  • Pipe Boot

    The flexible flashing collar sealing a plumbing vent pipe. The rubber gasket is a top failure point — cracked boots are a very common lea…

  • Public Adjuster

    A licensed adjuster the homeowner hires (for a fee) to represent their interests in a claim, independent of the insurer.

  • Penetration

    Any object passing through the roof (vent, pipe, skylight, chimney). Every penetration is a deliberate hole that must be flashed to stay…

  • PVC Membrane

    A single-ply thermoplastic membrane with heat-welded seams and strong chemical/grease resistance, used on low-slope roofs.

  • Parapet

    A low wall extending above a (usually flat) roofline. Its cap and counter-flashing are common low-slope leak points.

  • Rake

    The sloped edge of a gable roof from eave to ridge. Rake edge gets drip edge and is a wind-uplift starting point.

  • Overlay / Re-Cover

    Installing new shingles over one existing layer. Cheaper and faster but hides deck problems, voids some warranties, and code limits it to…

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