At first glance, commercial roof leaks may not appear to be cause for alarm. It may seem acceptable to ignore minor problems such as small ceiling stains or blisters in favor of something that seems more urgent. After all, it can’t possibly hurt to put them off until you’ve managed to squeeze in extra money for repairs.
However, you’d be surprised to know the amount of damage that comes with unaddressed roof leaks. A few business problems can be linked to a leaky roof. It can affect the operations of your company and even your bottom line.
Whether you own a small business or a large corporation, you need to prioritize the repairs of your leaking roof, or you can end up dealing with the following consequences.
Interior Damage
It might seem smart to put off roof repair in favor of something else. However, ignoring the leak can cause a massive financial blow. It takes a lot of money to create a beautiful and welcoming interior for your office. Still, a leaking roof can cause damage to your interior without your knowledge.
Water doesn’t mix well with almost anything. It wreaks havoc on construction components like insulation, causing your building to age much faster. The only thing that will make you aware of the damage is when the brown spots on your ceiling tile start to show, but the damage has already been done at this point.
If your property holds expensive pieces of equipment, a leak on your commercial roof can cause a lot more damage. Equipment such as carpet, ceiling tiles, electronic gadgets, and the products you offer can get exposed to water and sustain damage. You’ll be forced to spend large sums of money replacing these items.
Increased Utility Bill
With energy costs on the rise, the unexpected increase in energy bills can be a headache for any building owner or manager. A roof leak can have an impact on your heating and cooling costs. Any holes in the roof can let the water enter the building, which can get into the insulation. This can get saturated rather quickly and can take a very long time to dry out.
Saturated insulation reduces its effectiveness and lets the hot and cold air escape easily. As a result, the HVAC system needs to work harder to compensate for the loss of heat or cold air. In turn, this directly affects your energy bill.
Health Problems
A leaky commercial roof can cause health problems for you and your employees. When roof leaks go unnoticed or left unattended, it will encourage mildew and mold growth in just a short time. This can spoil your wood and ceiling tiles as well as create strange marks on the roof and floors, which won’t just be a turn off for clients, but it can also have some adverse health effects.
Mold can cause health problems like eye irritation, rashes, fever, respiratory disease, and cough. The presence of mold can trigger asthma attacks and initiate allergic reactions for any staff or visitor struggling with those. There’s no other solution for mold once it creeps in. You’d have to spend thousands of dollars for roof repairs and a full restoration of every item that has been exposed to it.
Besides mold growth, water leaks are the best breeding place for disease-carrying pests like mosquitoes, which can cause malaria or dengue fever. Leaking gutters can accumulate more than enough stagnant water where these pests can lay their eggs.
Slipping Hazards
Leaks should be addressed immediately by property owners to keep employees, visitors, and customers safe from harm, or this could be grounds for a premises liability lawsuit. When left alone for a long time, leaks become severe enough that water puddles begin to form on the floor. These wet spots and water puddles can create the risk of slip and fall accidents for your employees and customers.
Slip and fall injuries are no joke. Some victims of these accidents may get off with just bumps and bruises, but they can also sustain injuries like pulled or torn muscles, sprained joints, and even broken bones. As the property owner, you should do something about the leaks before they become a cause of slips, trips, or falls, or you can be held liable for someone’s injuries.
Loss of Business Revenue
A leaky commercial roof system can cause emergencies and unscheduled downtime. Unscheduled downtime is the most undesirable consequence of having a leaky commercial roofing system. The longer this paralyzes your normal operations, the more it affects your profit.
Aside from the operational downtime, you can lose a lot of revenue when clients would refuse to do business with your company. When leaks become visible, it can give the perception of an unsanitary environment. Customers wouldn’t want to conduct business transactions with those that don’t keep the work environment clean and tidy as it makes them appear careless and irresponsible.
Minor Issues Getting Worse
Many believe that repairing small leaks can be delayed because of the cost. However, you can’t expect that a roof leak will stay the same until you decide to work on it. Once roof leaks start developing, it can’t stop on its own. Unaddressed roof leaks can only get bigger, allowing in more water. This can shorten the lifespan of your roof system and lead to an early roof replacement.
A leak will continue to damage your roof when left unchecked. The worse it gets over time, the more it will cost to repair later on. Avoid a much larger mess in the future by having your repaired by commercial roofing experts. Certified roofing contractors can help you restore to its original condition and prevent expensive damage, hazards, and costs.
Fahey Roofing Contractors has the experienced and skilled contractors you need to help you with any necessary roof repairs and roof replacement. We serve various areas in West Virginia and Ohio. Visit our website today at www.faheyroofingcontractors.com or contact us at (304) 826-1323 for West Virginia or (740) 523-0380 for Ohio to learn more.
Sources:
https://www.jurinroofing.com/roof-leaks-affect-bottom-line/
https://msrs.com/service-and-maintenance/common-roof-leaks/
https://www.appliedroofingservices.com/blog/5-reasons-why-you-shouldnt-ignore-commercial-roof-leaks/