Roof drains have been designed to take water away from the roof and protect your roof from the many problems that can arise due to the waterlogging. A roof drain once installed can solve many of your roofing related problems. Roofing drains come in different shapes, sizes, and as per the requirement of the terrace and the building. When roof water drains are adequately designed and installed, they still require routine maintenance for regular jobs.
How to Choose the Right Roof Drain
To select the proper Roofing drain technique, you should consider the following factors:
- Roof size
- Roof pitch
- Roof location
- Exhaust and flow rate
- Safety requirements
- Amount of rainfall – average volume of rain and storm design criteria. Your local building code usually sets them.
- Drainage rate
- Overflow requirements from local or state building codes
- Roof load (that is, how much water the roof can hold). It is imperative because too much water can endanger the structural durability of the roof.
- Free space
- Resize
- Additional features like vandal proofing and others
How to Select the Size of your Roof Water Drain
- Your roof drain should be placed at low points in the roof or in the same place in an area where the water collects on your roof.
- To determine the shape of your drain size, you must first calculate the surface area of your roof that the drains will be covering and at which average position, they will be located on the roof.
Types of Roofing Techniques for Water Drain
Flat Roof Water Drain
If you have a flat roof on your property, then you will need to clear the flat roof. This type of drain can be installed on flat or nearly flat roofs that have less than 2% slope. The roofing drain will be connected to the downside way and will help remove the water from the roof. It is suggested that you set up a flat roof drain to prevent debris and other potential obstructions in the way of drainage from collecting on the roof.
Symphonic Roof Water Drain
A symphonic roof drain has been designed to drain the water at a higher rate than the other roof draining techniques. These roof drains allow the designer to establish a minimum number of roof drains and these roof drains are connected to the main drainage pipe. Siphoning is used as a mechanism to extract additional water from the roof.
This type of roof drain is usually costlier than the other roofing drainage techniques, but it works smoothly and reduces the need for maintenance. This kind of drain can be connected through the main drainage pipe rather than the slopes or the bottom pipes.
Green Roof Water Drainage
The new trend in the roofing groove is to replace the traditional roof with a green roof. A green roof reduces the noise and heat transmission inside the building and improves air quality. A green roof drainage system is designed to accommodate drainage while protecting the building structure also. There are two kinds of green roofs: intensive and extensive.
Intensive green roofs are used for small building structures and they are a little bit cheaper and need less maintenance.
Extensive green roofs are used for larger building structures and having a huge and complicated structure which requires more maintenance and costs more.
Conclusion
There are many types of roofing techniques in the market for draining water from your roof but choosing the right technique is not an easy task. So before purchasing any roofing drain, a consultation with an expert who will give you the best advice on going forward.