Maintaining A Commercial Roof
When it comes to commercial roof maintenance and repair, Kauffman Roofing in Jamesport can do it all. We understand how your roof protects your building, its contents, and your employees from the wind, rain, fire, hail, ice, snow, and sun. All of these natural hazards can cause your roof to decay and deteriorate, as well as a leak. Regular maintenance and repair will prevent damage to the roof and thereby protect your employees and your business.
Of course, if you need a new commercial roof, we can help you with design, materials, and proper installation. But a new roof is more costly and we can help you keep your roof in good condition with regular maintenance and repair and improve the life of the roof. Our roof experts can inspect your roof, identify trouble spots, and fix the problems before they get out of hand causing major problems.
Inspections
You can’t see the problems if you don’t get up on the roof and take a look. We can come to your commercial building and inspect your roof. Of course, there may be signs inside your building that make it obvious your commercial roof needs repair. For example, you may see moisture stains or water inside the building which points to a leak. It may be caused by a crack or hole in your roof. Even a small leak can be big trouble. Another example is if your building has mold or odors. This may be caused by water getting inside from a leak as well.
Roof Flashing
Your roof probably has strips of metal or other impervious materials installed around the perimeter of the roof edge where the roof cover meets the wall. This roof flashing is also installed around anything that protrudes from the roof like rooftop equipment. The flashing helps deflect water away from seams and joints. But what if you get a gap in the flashing or roof cover perimeter? Any gaps will increase the potential for roof cover failure during a high wind event, water leaks, and mold. Be careful because any tears in the roof cover or cracking seams, allow water to get in under the cover.
Skylights
For proper commercial roof maintenance and repair, check any skylights to make sure they are secure. Skylights need to be sealed and secured around the frame’s edge or they can cause your commercial roof to leak. When a skylight leaks it can become loose and let wind-driven rain and debris enter the building, particularly in high winds. We also examine the plastic domed panels which can crack.
Bubbles
If there are bubbles in the roof, it’s an indication that there is trapped moisture within the roof cover. This causes roof leaks, reduces the lifespan of the cover, prematurely ages the deck, and reduces the roof cover system’s effectiveness against uplift forces in a windstorm. Bubbles can also be caused by the release of gasses from the insulation board that gets trapped below the cover. Make sure this is checked during commercial roof maintenance and repair.
Lightning Protection System
If your roof has a lightning protection system we will check to see if it is loose or detached. If it is, it can cause a tear or puncture in the roof covering, usually when there are strong winds. In addition, if the metal cables or aerials are disconnected it does not give any protection from lightning.
Standing Water
If the roof has prolonged standing water or ponding it can lead to premature aging and deterioration of the cover. This kind of standing water can add heavyweight to your roof and it can weaken the roof deck. It can also lead to leaks that can rust steel roof decks, rot wood decks, and turn lightweight insulating concrete and gypsum decks into a thick paste-like substance. Any standing water found during commercial roof maintenance and repair should be addressed immediately.
Care and Preventative Maintenance
Of course, it’s always best not to let problems develop by letting us provide commercial roof maintenance and repair. You can prolong the life of your roof and repair it instead of replacing the entire roof. That saves money for your business as well. You should schedule inspections at least twice a year in the fall and spring and maybe more frequently depending on the age of your roof, problems already identified, roof foot traffic, and weather events.
Let’s look at some suggestions that can keep your roof safe:
- If you have a severe weather event, make sure you inspect the roof for damage, even if it seems to have survived. Multiple storms can reduce the strength of the roof and damage or weaken it enough that it will eventually fail.
- Always clear off any loose objects and accumulated debris. Leaves and other materials can hold moisture, causing deterioration of the roofing materials. It can also create a fire risk if embers from a wildfire get on your roof.
- Remove any leaves, twigs, and other debris from gutters and downspouts so that it can drain properly.
- Always seal any gaps around vents and equipment with flashing cement. If you find the metal flashing is damaged or deteriorated or the vents can wiggle back and forth, it may be time to replace them.
- Check the areas of previous roof leaks or other problems to make sure that all commercial roof maintenance and repair is holding.
- Make sure the gutters have gutter straps that resist uplift, particularly if your building is in a high, wind-prone area.
- It’s best to keep any nearby trees trimmed. These branches can cause damage by rubbing against the roof and the leaves can clog drains and gutters.
- If you’ve had a heavy hail storm, an inspection is necessary to determine if there is any damage. Contact your insurance if damage has occurred.
- Once you determine the problems, develop a repair plan to get them protected or repaired.
Commercial roof maintenance and repair are crucial to protecting your building and business. Kauffman Roofing in Jamesport can help prevent roof leaks and roof failure with inspections to identify problems and then fix them. Natural hazards like wind, rain, fire, hail, ice, snow, and sun can cause your roof to decay and deteriorate. Don’t let that happen. Call us and our roofing experts will make sure your roof is in the best shape possible to protect your building’s structure, contents, and people.