The Commercial Building Owner's Guide to Roof Repair and Maintenance
INTRODUCTION
With everything else a business owner has to worry about, it’s easy to understand how annual maintenance of their commercial roof can fall by the wayside. However, the failure to find and correct minor roof defects and deterioration in their earliest stages is the greatest cause of roof damage—damage that could necessitate roof replacement far earlier than normal.
Professional roofing contractors, designers and manufacturers all agree that a yearly roof system inspection, including necessary wear and tear repairs, will prolong the life of your commercial or industrial building’s roof. In fact, an annual maintenance and repair program can save your company thousands of dollars and greatly decrease the chance of devastating roof damage.
Roberts Roofing has assembled this guide to help building owners understand what to expect from their professional roofing contractors when it comes to repairs and maintenance, and offers ways to recognize early signs of damage.
The six chapters in this e-book are:
DOES MY NEW COMMERCIAL ROOF NEED MAINTENANCE?
Congratulations—you’re the proud owner of a new car. Along with the owner’s manual you receive a schedule for maintenance checks. As long as you follow that schedule, your car is covered for specific repairs within a given time period. Besides, you’ve invested a lot of money in the vehicle, so you also want to make sure it continues to run smoothly.
Just like an automobile, a new roof is a large capital expense. Think about it—you wouldn’t spend $30,000 or more on an automobile and never get it serviced. To get the most value out of your commercial roof investment, you need to maintain it.
Most commercial roofs are designed to last 15, 20 and, in some cases, 30 years. These designations should not be interpreted to mean that the roof will not require maintenance for the stated period.
Manufacturer warranties require the owner to undertake periodic maintenance and repairs to maintain the warranty. Maintenance and periodic roof inspections will also increase the life expectancy of the roof system, even potentially beyond the warranty period.
Roofs that are not well-maintained will, in all probability, require replacement at or even before the end of the warranty period, at the owner’s expense. Regular roof inspections can prevent costly problems from causes that are not covered by manufacturers’ guarantees, such as damage from vandalism, damage caused by other contractors on the roof or even structural deterioration.
Biannual Inspections
All commercial roofs, including new roofs, should be inspected every six months to ensure early detection of a problem. There are many external factors beyond your control that can contribute to damage—think in terms of severe weather, heavy foot traffic and accumulated debris from the surrounding area. Your contractor should look for signs of potential leaks, defects and threats from surrounding trees or other equipment and conditions that inhibit adequate drainage.
Know Your Warranty
Get your manufacturer warranty in writing and be sure you understand what the warranty covers when your new roof is installed. Just as you would with a new automobile, keep a careful record of all your inspections and any repairs made—you’ll be glad you did.
Careful maintenance of your commercial roof will identify issues before they become major problems. While you may incur some short-term costs to maintain your roof, investing in ongoing maintenance now will provide significant cost savings and add years to the life of your new roof. By conducting maintenance at regular intervals, you can have confidence that you are protecting all of your valuable assets inside the building.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT DURING COMMERCIAL ROOF MAINTENANCE?
Let’s go back to the car analogy from Chapter 1. Just Like a car, there are various aspects of roof maintenance that are necessary to extending the life and quality of your commercial roofing system. Knowing what to expect from your professional roofing contractor will help ensure your roof is inspected for the signs of damage we mentioned in Chapter 2.
When Roberts Roofing Company performs seasonal commercial roof maintenance on a built-up asphalt commercial roof system, we first conduct a visual inspection to identify any areas that look problematic. This includes the inside of your building where large or multiple ceiling stains can indicate a serious problem. Roofs with gutters will need to be cleared of all debris. In some cases, we need to further inspect a problem area using special instrumentation. Our inspection is comprehensive, including the following:
- Soil stack leads, HVAC penetrations and skylights will be inspected for cuts or holes and resealed where required with appropriate materials.
- Sealant voids in termination bars, counter-flashings and parapet caps will be touched up as required.
- Tears, splits and breaks in the perimeter and internal membrane flashing systems and flashing strip-ins will be repaired with appropriate repair materials.
- Visible membrane defects, which may allow water into the roofing system, will be repaired with the appropriate repair materials.
- Check and re-secure drain bolts and clamping rings. Check strip-ins around drain leads and gutter flashings; coat with approved mastics if required. Make sure gutter downspouts are secure and free of any debris.
Given the freeze-thaw cycles we experience in Northeast Ohio, there are specific signs of damage we look for during the spring inspection. They include:
- Loose seams, including edges and corners
- Damaged fasteners
- Bubbles in the membrane, punctured membranes or splits from freeze/thaw cycles
- Loose flashing or seals around vents or drains
- Soft or spongy spots in the roof field
- Clogged or damaged drains and gutters
- Signs of mold or algae
A word about recordkeeping: You and the commercial roofing contractor should keep records and full documentation of all maintenance that has been performed. Why is this important? If there is a warranty claim, the material manufacturer will contact the roofing company that installed the roof to see if regular annual maintenance has been performed—just like a mechanic would check to see if the oil has been changed if a car was having engine problems.
Lack of Maintenance Leads to Costly Results
Recently, a building owner called Roberts Roofing after noticing minor leaks and mold on interior walls. Since the roof was installed 10 years ago, the customer felt a repair was all that was needed. However, the roof had never been inspected after completion, and several matters had compromised the roof system:
- Leaves and debris from surrounding trees had clogged one of the roof drains and caused damaging ponding.
- Storms had caused tree branches to break open the perimeter wall flashings, resulting in the mold.
- An HVAC company installed a new unit without calling a professional roofer. The seal was inadequate, causing damage to the roof and insulation.
These three issues caused a situation where a repair quote turned into a major roof replacement costing the owner tens of thousands of dollars more than he expected and robbing him of 10 additional years of performance from his original roof installation. If inspection with maintenance had been performed annually for several hundreds of dollars per visit, he could have saved tens of thousands of dollars.
MANAGING YOUR ROOF DURING COLD WEATHER SEASON
No guide on commercial roof repair and maintenance would be complete without addressing Northeast Ohio winters and the havoc they can wreak on commercial roofs. Northeast Ohio winters can be hard on any commercial roof, no matter what shape it is in. For example, constant freeze/thaw cycles can lead to trapped moisture in seams that can eventually cause leaks. When drifting snow melts, it can create great pressure on the roof.
Overall, flat roofs are more susceptible to leaks because they don’t allow snow to easily slide off. Additionally, ice can be a real problem on flashings, seams and downspouts. So, what do you do when you spot signs that your roof is leaking this winter?
The good news is that there are ways to temporarily address problems like these so that they don’t lead to more costly repairs come spring. While access is obviously limited in the winter, there are a few quick fixes Roberts Roofing Company recommends to address winter leaks to buy you some time before your commercial roofer can provide a more permanent solution.
