With a multitude of responsibilities and concerns that you must deal with daily in your business, building upkeep sometimes becomes the least of your worries — especially if things seem to be in order. However, even the way your commercial building can affect the quality of work and your daily processes, so it’s imperative that you are up to date with your building maintenance.
One of the most significant areas of focus should be your roof, as it serves as your first line of defense against external factors that can disrupt operations within your establishment. The best way to ensure that your commercial roof continues to protect your employees, customers, and investments is by making sure that it stays in good shape and lasts long.
To prolong the lifespan of your commercial roof, here are the four tips that you should follow:
- Formulate a roof maintenance plan
It’s relatively easy to forget to check on your roof and make sure it’s in tiptop shape when you have a multitude of other responsibilities to attend to in your business. However, you can develop a roof maintenance plan that you can integrate within your company’s yearly schedule that can make it easier for you to remember that your roof is due for inspections or maintenance. This also helps you keep a dedicated roof maintenance budget by anticipating your earnings versus the proximity of the upcoming inspection or repairs.
When creating a roof maintenance plan, plot out the times of the year that you’ll have a roof inspection and maintenance scheduled with your contractor. Ideally, you should have two instances in a year that your roof is scheduled to be looked at, though you can also schedule more. Afterward, include the hours that inspections will be done, especially if you anticipate that this can disrupt daily work in your commercial building so everybody can adjust their schedules accordingly. Finally, indicate any other vital details, such as what areas of concern are due to be re-inspected or which problems will you report to the contractor beforehand.
As a general guide, consider enumerating these details within your roof maintenance plans:
- General information about the roof, such as when it was built, what materials were used, roof type, access systems, previous roof repairs and updates, and problematic areas
- How often will roof inspections be done
- Parts of the roof to be inspected
- The process of roof inspection and maintenance (i.e., safety requirements and systems)
- Damages or problems to look out for
- Action plan depending on what damages or weak areas are found
- Schedule regular inspections
Like mentioned above, regular inspections are necessary to make sure that your commercial roof lasts long without compromising its durability or integrity. They take far less time and costs lesser than investigations or maintenance work done sporadically or when you only feel that the roof is already heavily damaged. As the adage goes, “Prevention is better than cure.”
Biannual inspections and maintenance should be your minimum range, as this can already account for possible damages due to seasonal changes and circumstances. Regular inspections also make it easier for you to track the last time you’ve had your roof looked at, and if it’s time to schedule another inspection.
- Don’t delay repairs
One of the most common yet the most dangerous mistakes that any property owner does is let their roof stay damaged if it’s not yet falling apart at the seams or collapsing. Leaks are often temporarily plugged with roof sealants, mold and mildew growth are left unattended, etc. These damages, however, are damaging more than the exterior of their roofs the longer they are left to worsen. Unbeknownst to the property owner, they may already be telltale signs of internal damages that have exacerbated to the point that they show in the roof’s surface.
If you suspect that your roof has sustained damages for whatever reason, don’t wait around until they become more pressing concerns that can take a chunk out of your time and budget to fix. If they can’t be fixed right away by your contractor, ask for temporary solutions that will avoid the problem from evolving before your roofer can come and fix it. Damages that are addressed early can go a long way into ensuring that your roof stands the test of time and regular wear-and-tear.
- Inspect your roof after significant weather events
If a hurricane, tornado, or other calamities passed over your area, make it a point to inspect your building, especially your roof. Because it is one of the areas that can take the most beating from the forces of nature, there’s no telling what sort of damage severe weather events have inflicted on your roof.
Not only that, but regular seasonal changes can also damage your roof with their natural phenomena, so don’t sit out inspections when the seasons have changed. Snow buildup, standing water from seasonal storms, and other debris that found their way to your roof should be taken care of as soon as possible to ensure that they won’t clog your gutters, seep into cracks or holes, and corrupt your roof materials.
To ensure that quality roofing contractors address all your commercial roof concerns, check out all our commercial roof services now, or call us at (304) 736-7663 to learn more.