Order of work when the roof opens up
Do these only when it is safe. Stay off the roof during lightning, high wind or icing.
Clear people from under the leak
Wet floors around machinery are slick, and ceiling materials, insulation or ponded water can come down without warning.
De-energize threatened equipment
Follow your lockout procedures for machines and control panels in the water path. Do not restart anything that got wet until it has been checked.
Cover and divert
Drape plastic sheeting over machines and work in progress, sloped to shed water toward a drain or a collection point away from electrical gear.
Find the opening from above
Once conditions allow, a roofer or qualified person can locate the breach and install a temporary cover. Inside drips often show up far from the actual hole.
Document as you go
Photograph the roof damage, the wet equipment and the floor before cleanup. Note the date and weather; it matters for the claim.
Why the drip is rarely under the hole
On a low-slope industrial roof, water that gets past the membrane or metal panel can travel along the deck flutes, purlins or insulation facing before it finds a seam to fall through. In buildings with insulation hung below the deck, the facing can hold a surprising amount of water, sag into a pocket, and release it later in one place. This is why a leak can keep dripping a day after the rain stops.
Along the Front Range, the usual triggers are hail that fractures or punctures roofing, high winds that peel back membrane edges or flashing, and heavy wet snow followed by a quick thaw that overwhelms clogged roof drains and scuppers. Ponding water on a flat roof adds weight and finds every weak seam.
Inside, the job is to stop water from reaching equipment, pull water off the floor before it spreads into other zones, and dry or remove soaked insulation so it does not keep dripping. Drying a production bay can be planned so unaffected lines keep running, but that needs a clear boundary and agreement on which machines stay down.
Inside the building, before restart
- Every machine in the leak path inspected per the manufacturer's guidance or by a qualified technician.
- Control panels, drives and junction boxes opened and checked for water, not just wiped off.
- Wet insulation above the bay removed or confirmed dry; pockets of trapped water drained.
- Floor dry and free of residue that could affect traction or floor coatings.
- Raw material and work in progress sorted into usable, questionable and scrap, with photos.
- Roof temporarily or permanently repaired, with drains and scuppers cleared.
Questions for the roofer and the restoration provider
- Who installs the temporary cover, and how long is it expected to hold?
- Is insulation under the deck wet, and will it be dried or replaced?
- How will the restoration work be sequenced around production lines that stay running?
- Which equipment needs a manufacturer's inspection before restart, and who arranges it?
General information for Commerce City, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.