Here’s Why You Should Not Neglect Your Roof’s Maintenance

The roof is the most important structural element of any commercial building. This is clear because any problems with a commercial roofing system (think a crack or leak) can have a negative impact on all other parts of the building.

For example:

• A leak in the roof will allow water to enter the roofing structure and gather, causing expensive damages or even harming building occupants and destroying expensive equipment.
• Water accumulating in an egress path could also cause individuals to slip and fall, leaving you open to personal injury suits, while water in unmonitored areas will allow allergenic fungi to grow.
• Cracks in the roofing structure are just as problematic as they weaken the overall structure and provide an entryway for insects or other living pests.

Those who have to spend money on expensive roofing repair work to fix the problems mentioned above will wish that they had taken the time to schedule regular commercial roof maintenance checks.

Below are some of the most common reasons that a roof fails prematurely, and all of these problems can be detected with regular commercial roof inspections:

• Poor workmanship
• Poor overall design
• Faulty materials and weathering
• Trapped moisture and mechanical damage
• Excess roof traffic

When property managers or owners notice a problem in their commercial roofing structure, they act quickly to bring in a commercial roofing repair company to reverse the problem. However, most property managers or owners never set foot on their roof, so most issues are not found in time to keep damage to a minimum. Property managers or owners, therefore, can only protect the investment they have made in a building and its contents by scheduling regular commercial roof maintenance and evaluations.

Conventional wisdom says that building owners should schedule one roof inspection each year, but today’s roofing experts actually recommend two inspections. Since each season brings a different climate, it is best to schedule one commercial roof maintenance check in the fall and one in the spring. A fall inspection will look for problems most commonly caused by summer temperatures while looking for vulnerabilities like cracks that can become problematic in the winter. A spring inspection checks for problems generally seen in colder climates while preparing the roof for warmer summer temperatures.

An inspection should prepare the roof for the next season’s harsh temperatures because one of the primary purposes of this structure is to regulate temperatures. During the summer, the roof will keep cool air inside the building, while during the winter, the roof will keep warm air inside the building. If the owner has neglected to hire a roof repair company to fix cracks and leaks, then the roof will be unable to keep that air inside. Consequently, the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units have to work harder, which results in higher energy bills for the building owner.

Individuals who want to protect their roof and everything that it covers while avoiding expensive roof repair bills and high energy bills should hire a roof maintenance company to perform semi-annual inspections.

R&R Industries is a leader in the Commercial Roofing and Sheet Metal Industry. We have provided excellent service for more than 70 years and will continue to do so for many more years to come.