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 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.
Why RoofCARE Uses SmartCARE for Roof Maintenance
SmartCARE is a comprehensive, user-friendly roof management program designed to proactively manage the lifetime of a building owner’s roofing assets while saving them the stress of unpredictable costs and problems. An added benefit to using this tool is that it also equips owners to gain a more active understanding of their roofing assets, as well as make better and more educated decisions as property owners and managers.
The program comes in three tiers, including Protected, Premium, and Ultra, to meet the client’s and roof’s needs in each situation.
Our Protected SmartCARE Plan includes:
- A standard inspection including:
- Performing non-invasive visual inspections of the roof system and flashing components, including penetrations, metal details, drains and associated roof components
- Identifying existing roof leaks and leak sources
- Compiling a roof inspection report which includes generation information of your roof, a written summary of its current condition, photo documentation, critical need recommendations and budgets for future corrective work
- Roof Clean Up
- Cleaning debris from gutters and drains to ensure unrestricted flow and disposing on-site
- Removing non-hazardous material, typical debris and trash from the roof and disposing on-site
- A 5-Year Roof Management Plan
- Providing a summary of all sections/buildings covered by SmartCARE
- Recommending actions/strategies to best manage roofing assets
- Offering budgetary figures, throughout the next 5 years
Our Premium SmartCARE Plan includes everything in the Protected Plan, as well as the following additional benefits:
- Preventative Maintenance
- Sealing deteriorating flashing laps, coping joints, corners, seams, minor defects at scuppers, penetrations and perimeters
- Tightening roof drain rings
- Touching up caulking at termination bars
- Repairing minor defects
- Wall Inspection/Maintenance
- Repairing minor defects at parapet walls and coping
- Repairing minor splits and voids
Our Ultra SmartCARE Plan includes everything in the Protected and Premium Plan, along with these additional advantages:
- Leak Free Warranty
- Rapid-response roof leak repairs
- Emergency temporary leak repairs conducted in inclement weather conditions will be replaced with permanent roof repairs when weather improves in accordance with National Roofing Contractors Association repair guidelines
We understand that every client’s needs are unique, so we also offer the following SmartCARE add-ons that can be added to one of the above plans for optimal customization:
Gutter care
Whether it is debris, nests, or pests that could be compromising gutter systems, our experts can clear it away to ensure water is draining properly.
Infrared roof inspections
This type of inspection uses modern infrared thermography to detect the presence of moisture trapped in flat roofs.
Pigeon problems
Just as pigeon droppings can be damaging to car paint, the acid in the excrement can also damage the roof. We can help get rid of pigeon droppings and nests that could be causing roof damage and drainage issues.
Pressure washing
Having pressure washing done can help prevent infestations and extend the life of a roof.
Why Choose RoofCARE for Your Maintenance Needs
We believe that professional roof care is more than our job, it is our passion, which is why we are one of the fastest growing roofing companies in New Mexico. We believe whole heartedly in giving back to the community, which is why we participate annually in the Roof Angel Project, donating roof repairs to a nonprofit in need.
Beyond the above roofing services, we also offer:
- Concrete and pavement renovations
- Skylight renovations
- Wall repairs and renovations
- Waterproofing below grade
For more information about roof maintenance for your commercial building, please reach out today to schedule an appointment.
