Your commercial building is an investment. Nature and time are continual players in a game designed to eventually cause damage to your building. Roof leaks are among the most challenging issues that threaten your roof, your building and the value of everything inside. Not only can leaks be hard to find, they can exist for months before being detected, causing massive and expensive damage.
Understanding the causes of commercial roof leaks, how to detect them and what to do about them can help you manage leaks before the damage gets out of hand.
1. Installation Errors
The earliest potential for damage to your commercial roof that can result in leaks is actually during the installation process itself. No matter what type of roofing system your building has, improper installation leaves you immediately vulnerable to areas where water can get in.
Choosing an experienced roofing team that understands every aspect of proper installation of every type of commercial building roof is the best place to start. However, even experienced roofers can inadvertently make mistakes. Your roofing company should discuss the installation process with you and walk you through the finished product to illustrate the roof’s integrity, answering any questions you may have about areas that don’t look right or make sense.
2. Improper Maintenance
Maintaining your roof is not a passive job. Any time you experience intense weather — and here in Northeast Ohio that’s a lot — you should inspect or have a trusted professional roofing company conduct an inspection of your roof to check for damage. That doesn’t just mean during obvious times of potential damage such as after a big storm, but also during the summer, when months of high heat beating down on your roof for multiple hours a day can result in cracking or other flaws.
Along with post-weather inspections, your roof should be evaluated at least annually by a commercial roofing professional to ensure the roofing system is still completely intact and is properly protecting your building. They’ll do things like clean out gutters, address areas of weakness, check drainage systems and more.
A commercial roof is a big investment and you protect that investment by regularly inspecting and maintaining your roof.
3. Age
The age of your roof also influences it’s vulnerability to defects and leaks. You can’t simply go by a warranty timeline—even newer roofing systems can fail. Older roofs are more susceptible to damage from weather events and the ravages of time that will allow exposure to occur, creating a pathway to water. Water is the enemy of your roof. If your roof is on the older side, inspect it more frequently and proactively ensure drainage systems are working properly all year.
4. Damage
Whether caused by weather or a human, all roof damage should be addressed and repaired as soon as possible. Maintenance and repair workers may be on and around your roof and could damage the roofing system without even knowing it. Dropped items, heavyweight items stowed on the roof, tools and people walking on your roof can damage it, and that damage is an invitation for water to enter. During and immediately after any work that involves people being on your roof, inspect for damage—or better yet, have a roofing professional inspect it. Even a tiny crack in the flashing or a portion of broken sealant can be an opening for a leak that will damage not just your roof, but the interior of your building, leading to a costly repair.
Northeast Ohio’s Trusted Roofing Experts
The experienced team at Roberts Roofing has been a trusted provider to commercial building owners for more than 40 years. We install, maintain, service and repair nearly every type of commercial building roof on the market. Roberts Roofing is always available whenever we are needed, especially after an emergency or severe weather event. Contact Roberts Roofing online or call us at 440-946-2233 to discuss evaluating your commercial roof for signs of potential leaks.