Damage Repair for Columbus commercial properties
Structural Roof Damage Assessment
The most visible indicator of structural roof concern is visible deck deflection — sections of the roof surface that have sagged below the plane of the surrounding roof. On a flat-roof commercial building, deflection that produces ponding water in the center of a roof bay (rather than at drains) indicates that the deck is carrying load beyond its design capacity. On Franklin County buildings with steel deck, this appears as a subtle concave depression between bar joists.
Less visible but equally significant is steel deck corrosion. Steel deck that has been exposed to moisture — from a chronic roof leak, from condensation on the underside of the deck in a building with high interior humidity, or from a specific flood event — develops surface rust that progresses to section loss if not addressed. Section loss in the steel deck flutes reduces the deck's load capacity without any visible surface indicator from above. We probe corrosion-suspect areas from the roof surface and recommend interior deck inspection when the surface probe indicates significant section loss.
