Key Takeaways:
- Every industry has its own benchmark set of best practices that define a standard of delivered quality.
- In the commercial roofing industry, durability & strength are the two most vied factors.
- To uphold standards in commercial roofing repair, one has to understand the basis for roof damage & differentiate between human error & acts of God. That way, one can plan contingencies in their maintenance schedule.
- For roof maintenance, a bi-annual inspection & repair schedule is often deemed the best practice in the industry.
- Of course, hiring the right commercial contractor is also crucial to the success of a commercial roof maintenance run.
- HT Roofing & Construction, serving Shawnee, are roofing experts in the region. We offer exceptional roof repair services and many other home improvement offerings.
You might wonder about the weather from your windowless office when you should be taking a stroll to check the roof’s integrity. Commercial roofs are unlike residential ones, even if the same materials are used. And commercial roof maintenance forms a bulk of the building’s overall health; a weak roof means a potential cave-in, property damage, & loss of life.
A well-maintained commercial roof also means your business processes energy efficiently, thus saving utility & consumption costs. But how does this all happen from the perspective of a roofing contractor tasked with roof repair & maintenance?
In today’s blog, HT Roofing & Construction will tell you about the best practices in the commercial roofing industry if you want to maintain your commercial roof. But first, why is commercial roof maintenance such a big deal, even with something as tough as a metal roof?
Types of Commercial Roof Degradation
Incorrect Flashing Installation
The most typical kind of commercial roof damage is brought on by poor installation practices in the first place. Flashing is a galvanized roofing membrane that roofers use to direct water from critical areas of the roof, especially where the roof meets the walls. It usually surrounds commercial roof vents & skylights.
Incorrect installation means there is no allowance for expansion, which results in damages & leaks. If the flashing sealant is faulted, that can make matters worse too.
Damage from Wind Uplifts
The wind is a significant player in commercial roof damage, especially when roofing components are not installed right. Although flashing is hardly used in the more heavy-duty type of commercial roofs, on the rest, it tends to be torn off in a wind uplift. That can affect the entire seams, seals, anchors, & membranes of a commercial roof.
Punctures & Penetrative Damage
Sometimes, the tools might incur penetrative damages when an inept roofer is repairing a commercial roof. That opens the path to water intrusion, resulting in eventual mold, rot, and possible structural compromise.
Sometimes, a maintenance warranty could be rendered void if penetrative damage occurs because of a storm or at the hands of a contractor.
Stagnant Water Intrusion
Regardless of how strong commercial roof membranes are, they can still suffer degradation & deteriorate from exposure to stagnant water. That might be due to a poor or clogged drainage system, lack of a slope, or a structural flaw letting the water pool over a particular spot.
If the water begins to seep in via breach, that will defiantly affect all roofing materials in its path.
Exposure
The sun, freeze-thaw cycles, and acts of God are all factors that contribute to the deterioration of commercial roofing materials. Perhaps, UV exposure is the most damaging for plastics-based membranes & bitumen coats. It can cause the membrane to crack and even dries out various protective coatings, causing them to crack & weather off. That exposes subsequent layers to further deterioration & then leaks.
So, in retrospect, an essential attribute of a commercial roof is that it has to be installed by a capable roofing contractor. And then the second most critical point is to uphold appropriate roofing maintenance intervals to prolong the roof’s age. We now come to the best practices in the commercial roofing industry.
Best Practices for Maintaining Your Commercial Roof
Make sure to carry out a thorough study of the local roofing contractors before you decide to hire one for a commercial roofing maintenance project. You can also contact building inspectors to inquire about local contractors regularly meeting roofing codes.
Related: What You Need in Your Olathe Roofer Contractor?
- Maintain regular roofing inspections to detect minor defects & damages before they become bigger & costlier issues. Inspections before the fall & during the spring are ideal times to maintain your commercial roof.
- The ideal practice is to schedule your roof repairs after the harshest summer & winter months of the year and to leave it to be fixed by licensed & insured roofing professionals. That way, you can get the best coverage on warranties & materials. You also save a lot on repairs.
- If you are installing a commercial roof, consider making it accessible for future repair & maintenance runs. Permanent access components like ladders & steps are optimal for roof repair & set standards for roof safety.
- Commercial roofs have an intricate network of ducts & vents built into the ceiling. If they are clogged, they will cause the floors underneath to overheat, resulting in higher energy usage to cool the floors. A professional roofing contractor will not only maintain the roof but see to the cleaning of the roof ducts as well.
- Suppose your choice of roofing contractor does not regard commercial roof ventilation, insulation, and extra decking to reinforce compromised areas on your roof. In that case, you should not be availing of their services.
- Controlling access to commercial roofs is also a critical part of the maintenance process. Unauthorized or inexperienced personnel can damage the roof while covering any mechanical or electrical repairs, hence the need for an access policy.
- Utilize facility inspection technology to inspect your commercial roof for structural issues & damages. Often, technology can detect problems otherwise invisible to the naked human eye. These days, drones, infrared & thermal mapping, electronic leak detectors & electric impedance meters are successfully used to detect commercial roofing defects.
And lastly, attention to minute details is everything. A loose screw, torn flashing, or even a splintered plywood board can lead to multiple roofing issues. Commercial roofing systems utilize more intensive construction materials than TPO or other plastic membranes. Any ill-prepped bituminous seal coats can lead to early surface deterioration & eventually, water intrusion. And that always ends in structural damage.
Interested In More Best Practices in Commercial Roofing? You Can See Us in Action in Shawnee!
HT Roofing & Construction, serving Shawnee, KS, is an expert roofing contractor in the region. We offer roof installation, repair & maintenance services for both residential & commercial clients. Suppose you have concerns about upgrading your commercial exteriors with a fresh coat of paint. In that case, we can happily cater to that as well.
But rest assured, if you are looking for a general contractor & roofer with a penchant for best practices in the commercial roofing industry & project delivery, then we’re up to the challenge.
Feel free to browse our expansive offerings, and don’t forget to secure a free estimate on our services!
