If you own a large building, you likely know that commercial roofs are a huge investment. Like anything else, you want to get your money’s worth from this investment and ensure it remains functional and protective as long as possible. The best way to do this is to provide all required maintenance and arrange for frequent roof inspections.
While you will definitely want to have periodic inspections carried out by experienced commercial roof services, you can stay ahead of any developing problems in between by performing your own inspections. Learn how the professionals inspect roofs so you can do it yourself and keep a close eye on what is happening with your building.
Inspection and Assessment by the Pros
Before attempting to perform your own inspections, meet with commercial roof services. Professional contractors will go over your roof carefully to assess its condition, document any existing or potential concerns, and discuss repairs and maintenance concerns with you.
Naturally, you will want to make any necessary repairs at this time and develop a maintenance plan. Once all this has been done, you can then begin to perform your own inspections.
Inspection Frequency
Commercial roofs should be inspected at least every six months, with more frequent inspections being even more protective. The best time to inspect roofs is in the spring to check for any damage sustained over the winter. The fall is another good time for an inspection to ensure your roof's condition before the return of winter.
Always perform an additional inspection immediately after an extreme weather event such as a hurricane, tornado, strong winds, or a hail storm. As long as everything looks good, continue to perform your own bi-annual inspections in addition to the one done by professionals every one to two years. If you see damage, schedule repairs with commercial roof services right away.
Learn What to Look For
When inspecting commercial roofs, it is essential to pay particular attention to areas most likely to suffer damage or require some sort of repair. Begin by carefully inspecting the entire perimeter of the building to ensure the fascia and edging are properly adhered as well as that there is no evidence of anything that has come loose.
Include in your inspection: the condition of the flashing around all penetrations; the area around any equipment installed on the roof; and the status of all expansion joints to ensure it is still well sealed with no evidence of leaking. Go over the main surface looking for cracks, tears, bubbles, and any other evidence of damage or things that look out of place.
Inspect all drains and check for evidence of water ponding, then inspect the inside of the building looking for evidence of leaks. These are the main areas where building roofs tend to experience problems.
Frequent inspection is a critical factor in keeping commercial roofs in their best condition and addressing minor problems before they become major ones. While you may not be able to completely replace commercial roof services, you can help keep your roof in great shape by doing your own inspections in between a professional yearly one. It is impossible to inspect a roof too frequently. By checking your roof often, you can play an important role in making sure the investment you have made in your building is well protected!
