Roof maintenance can understandably be out of sight and out of mind for many commercial building owners, but regular maintenance may be one of the most effective tools in extending the life of the roof and saving money.
Seemingly small problems can quickly escalate when regular roof maintenance is put off, often becoming expensive and eventually compromising a roof’s integrity. For example, a small roof leak could be allowing a large and growing patch of moisture in the insulation that can increase a facility’s energy losses by up to 70%, as well as damaging large portions of the interior. In severe cases, if left alone, the damage may eventually require roof replacement.
What Is Roof Maintenance?
All commercial roofs require regular maintenance to meet industry standards and keep the building and people inside the structure safe. At RoofCARE, our professional experts perform the following maintenance steps:
1. Inspect pipe boots for wear and tear. When a roof is subjected to wide temperature swings from hot to cold and vice versa, the material of the pipe boots can contract and expand, which ultimately causes cracks and tears in the synthetic rubber around a plumbing vent. This is a focus for our team because it is a common area for water to enter into a building.
2. Remove debris from gutters and drains to ensure flow is unrestricted and disposing on-site. If the debris is not removed, extraneous material can create a makeshift dam which will in turn restrict the flow of the drainage system and cause water to back up into places that moisture should not be.
3. Inspect for animal damage and droppings. Animal waste can accumulate, which can expose the interior of the facility to unhealthy contaminants and damage the roofing material. Flat roofs in particular are prone to damage from animals. The flat, open space makes it an excellent living area for critters to take refuge in and leave behind potentially harmful excrement.
4. Examine caulking and flashings. Caulking is used to make nail heads on roofs watertight. Roof flashing is a material used to redirect water away from certain areas.
Why is Roof Maintenance Important?
To prevent premature re-roofs, we provide a program called SmartCARE that allows our clients to avoid the stress of reactive roof management. Being reactive can cost building owners a great deal of money, time, and inconvenience to replace a roof.
However, by choosing to be proactive with regular roof maintenance, building owners can plan ahead to pay a smaller and more affordable sum while being confident the process is helping to extend the lifetime of their roof.
Some of the top reasons commercial roof maintenance is critical include:
Avoiding expensive damages that if addressed earlier would have been a smaller issue with a much smaller price tag
Circumventing interior building damage such as wet spots on ceilings, electrical problems, and mold growth
Growing energy savings by ensuring the roof is equipped to keep temperatures warm in the cooler months and cool in the warmer months
Without regular roof maintenance, building owners could be unnecessarily compromising the integrity of the roof and the safety of the people who are under it. This alone makes regular maintenance well worth the price.
