Commercial flat roofs are not actually designed completely flat. For obvious reasons the roof is built with a slight pitch to keep water from ponding. Unfortunately though in time buildings shift, allowing ponding water, or in certain cases roofs are built faulty with small areas that water still ponds. The solution that is designed for this is called a cricket. So what you may ask makes a cricket a cricket? According to Wikipedia “A cricket or saddle is a ridge structure designed to divert water on a roof around the high side of a chimney or the transition from one roof area to another, the cricket is normally the same pitch as the rest of the roof, but not always.” This solution acts like a mini roof on the side of the chimney and prevents standing water from occurring next to your chimney or in between drains of a commercial roof. Other places you might see crickets includes the front of curbs and at walls to keep water from ponding. With proper slanting of the cricket the water will now run down to the roof drains and away from any areas it could cause damage to. Such a small little detail that lends such large results. Now how is that for a bug (err cricket) in your ear!
Alex Fourie
September 3, 2021
