A commercial building is surely a large investment for a building owner and it is necessary to ensure that all the contents and occupants of the building are safe. Moreover, the roof needs to always be in good condition. It is for this reason that routine roof inspections, as well as regularly scheduled maintenance, are extremely important and must be conducted.
Roofs, whether commercial or residential, are constantly under attack by weather, stresses, and structural movement. Although normal aging occurs on all commercial roofs, other small problems also stem from neglect, abuse, contamination, accident, or error, which can result in costly repairs or the premature failure of your roofing system. Also, extreme weather conditions can cause your roof to collapse and temperature changes can cause your roof to expand and contract, which may lead to cracks. Seasonal shifts may also lead to thermal shock and roofing failure.
During the cold months of the year, you can end up with roof leaks, frozen gutter drains, and excessive snow buildup. While during summer, summertime winds can cause tiny cracks that can expand during wintertime. There are so many things that can happen to your commercial roof throughout the year. While you have roof access doors benefits for when repairs are necessary, initial prevention of these types of problems is always better than repairing them later on. Whether you decide to do your own roofing maintenance or have a professional look at your roof, it is critical that you develop a checklist that you can use during inspections. Having a roof maintenance checklist will help ensure that you don’t overlook any of the elements that require inspection.
There are so many things that you should look out for but we only included 10 tasks that you should include in your commercial roof maintenance checklist.
1. Conducting a Detailed Roof Inspection
If you want to make sure that everything about your commercial roof is in good condition, your roofing contractor (or you, if you’re doing a DIY job) need to do a complete inspection. The only way you can fix a lurking problem is if you are aware that is there and a regular commercial roof inspection will give you the chance to spot problems before they even become a major issue. We actually advise you to contact a trusted commercial roofing specialist. They can conduct a thorough inspection of your roof and discover any areas that may be of concern. They will be able to identify problems like wind-related cracks as well as clogged gutters before the potential issue turns into more costly damages that need repairs. They will also be looking for any defective flashing, buckles, split seams, clogs, and other obstructions.
2. Cleaning of Debris
In this task, your inspector will check for and remove any debris from your roof. Debris includes branches, leaves, and other trash from roof corners and drains that will need to be removed so water can easily be drained from your roof.
3. Inspect for Ponding Water
It is also important to check for evidence of ponding by looking for slow-draining lines and areas that are blocked. Water that has sat for any length of time on your roof around drains may already have color changes or stains. By conducting an inspection, any underlying damage caused by standing water can be discovered.
4. Look at the Flashing
The next thing that an inspector should look at are the flashing details like stacks, walls, and curbs. The goal is to look for any cracks or crevices that should be repaired before winter comes around. Around transition points, cracks and other failures are more common. They are also particularly frequent in areas where the flashing goes from flat to vertical because of more stress on these sections of the building. Once there are flashing issues found, make sure that you get them repaired prior to the winter season.
5. Search for Any Cracks or Tears on the Field
The roofing field also needs to be thoroughly inspected. Because of any debris, any signs of cuts or tears in your roofing system must also be found before structural damages occur. A flood test can also be done to track down any damages if the inspector believes that there is an existing leak in the leak but is unable to find it.
6. Terminations in Parapet Walls
It’s also time for you to look at the terminations on your parapet walls. Such terminations should be properly sealed. A roof inspector will also look at the base of the wall to see if there are any signs of failure or cracking. These issues must be addressed to prevent much larger issues in the long run.
7. Checking the Edge Detail
The roof inspection that will be conducted must also include taking a look at the edge details. The edge materials should be secured down tightly and terminated. If they aren’t secured properly, the professional roofer will need to properly secure anything that’s coming loose to close gaps that allow elements inside.
8. Inspection of Roof Surfaces
Your roofing professional will also have to inspect the edge of your roof. This is important especially on the part near the windward edges since these areas are the most likely to lift or shift in case of a storm. Also, they should check to see if anything has blown lifted or loose because of strong winds.
9. Checking the Gutters
Take note that gutters and drains can also play a role in ponding water, and thus, needs to be checked as well. Water will more likely pool on your roof if your gutters are clogged. On other roof types such as those that are asphalt-based, this ponding can easily lead to roof failure, especially during the winter. In order to prevent this from happening, make sure to remove any debris that has built up in your gutters.
Gutters and drains can also play a role in ponding water and will need to be checked.
10. Downspouts
Lastly, the inspector will also have to check out your downspouts and downspout terminations at ground level. Such sections can become damaged or crushed from things like lawn maintenance or even passing vehicles. If they are damaged, they have to be replaced to prevent further problems from developing.
Preparing for Every Season
Now that you have an idea of what you should look out for during roof maintenance, you will be able to discover potential damages before they lead to hefty repair bills or interior damages. It is also advisable that you always prepare your roof for every season. Having scheduled inspections will help ensure that your commercial roof is always in good condition.
To top your checklist off, install the right roof hatch for easy access to your roof in case of roof maintenance! Check out our quality roof hatches at https://www.bestaccessdoors.com/roof-hatch/ today.
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