Commercial property managers and building maintenance workers have five basic facts that they must know about the roofing system of their building in order to take the best possible care of it. Knowing these fundamentals will make the decision easier to make and will allow managers to make informed decisions and make wise judgment calls that will benefit everyone involved. For optimum commercial roofing system care, the following five areas of focus will help make maintaining commercial roofs less stressful and more affordable in the long run. Here at Stay Dry Roofing, our years of experience and our teams of skilled and licensed roofing contractors can help you stay on top of all of your commercial roofing needs!
Composition
It is important to know the style of your roofing as well as the materials used in making it because each one will have different wear and tear patterns, different lifespans, and different care and maintenance needs. Typical commercial roofing materials that managers and grounds maintenance crews may encounter include:
– Single-ply membrane
– Built-up roofing
– APP or SBS
-Flat or low slope
– Metal
-Shingles
If you are uncertain about the materials used in your industrial roof’s composition, try to contact the company that installed it if you have those records or call in a professional roofer and have them assess your roof. Not knowing the composition of the roof is like not knowing if you are driving a Hummer, a sports car, a minivan, or a pickup truck. Proper care and maintenance is critical and if repairs are needed doing it the wrong way can destroy the entire roofing system.
Age
Regarding the majority of commercial roofing, the roofing system can age in two basic ways:
– Chronologically- measured in the number of years since installation and accumulated weather, wear and tear, and natural degradation of the materials.
– Chemically- exposure to heat and cold, dry and wet conditions, snow, hail, pollution, seawater, and other elements can chemically erode the materials too.
Areas with extreme temperatures or a wide range of temperature fluxes throughout the year can take a major toll on the roofing system. Heat and cold can cause some materials to crack or become brittle. Pollution, sea water, and sun exposure can dry out materials and make them more prone to weather damage. Snow and ice can cause major damage to roofs at times and seasons storms can also impact the lifespan of the roof. There is a lot that has to be considered for commercial roofing system care and understanding how your roof ages and what the approximate chronological and chemical age of the roof is will go a long way in helping managers with maintaining commercial roofs.
Repair Record
Just as you keep records for the work done on your vehicle, your office, or your equipment, keep records showing repairs and work that have been done to your roofing system. This information needs to be as detailed as possible and includes diagrams, descriptions, and photos whenever possible. This helps provide a trail you can go back and review in the event anything is missed during and inspection or there are problems with a repair or other work down the road. This is one of the biggest issues we see with commercial roofing repairs here at Stay Dry Roofing– there is no track record for what has been done, when it was done, how it was done, and who did it. This makes our work all the more difficult and makes things much more stressful on the managers too.
Repair Budget
Know what the monthly and yearly building’s repair budget is and what the plans are for repairs and work throughout the year will help you plan and prepare. Spending half the budget in the first few months of the year might be ok once but doing such every year and not following a good maintenance and care routine can leave you open to future problems and leave you with money to cover the work. Building managers often neglect the roofing system until something goes wrong so it is important to know how much of the budget can be pushed to the roofing system. It is also important to use that money as needed to keep your commercial roofing system in tip top shape.
Manufacturer’s Warranty
Most of the time, your commercial roofing system will be covered by some sort of manufacturer’s warranty that will protect against manufacturing defects and, sometimes installation errors. It is important to know the terms of the warranty and what can and cannot be done under the warranty. Make certain you know what is covered and for how long. Check to see who is able to do inspections and repair work because many warranties will become voided if a non-professional does anything to the roofing system or if a contractor outside the approved listings of the warranty provider is used.
Quality Service
Contact Stay Dry Roofing today for inspection, repair and other commercial roofing services. We understand how important commercial roofing system care and maintenance is to the overall security and safety of your business. We have made it our business to help professionals like you with every step of maintaining commercial roofs. So contact us today and let us help you keep your roofing system in good working order all year long!