Extend the Design Life of Your Roofing System With Preventative Maintenance & Repairs

While winter brings its cold-weather challenges for the roofing and building envelope industry, Fall is the season when airborne debris, like leaves, pine needles, tree nuts, and those darn hickory nuts, start to build up on roofs and in drain bowls, downspouts, and gutters. Airborne trash and even dead animals can find their way onto our roofs all year round to increase the risk for ponding and leaks when the wetter months arrive. It’s no wonder that annual roof inspections and preventative maintenance programs are considered essential for extending the design life of any commercial building envelope or roof system.

 

An image of a gutter guard filled with dead leaves

Preventative Maintenance Is Better Than Cure

Semi-annual site visits and preventative maintenance are not only recommended but required for all warranted roofs whether they are low-slope assemblies (BUR, EPDM, Modified Bitumen, PVC, and TPO) or steep-slope roofs (Metal, Tile, Slate, and Shingle). Most importantly, a proper site visit allows a contractor the opportunity to view your roof (e.g., edge metals and rooftop penetrations) with the experienced eyes necessary to implement a comprehensive maintenance program.

Most contractors offer fall or spring (semi-annual) programs, including roof clean-up and removal of airborne debris, small general preventative maintenance repairs, and upgraded repairs to extend the design life of your roof. These services may include removing and replacing worn existing flashings or the recommendation of a liquid applied roof system. Upgraded repairs usually come with warranties from the product manufacturer and, in most cases, the contractor.

After a contractor performs repairs, they generally like to do a visual inspection within six months of completion.

Roof Inspection Checklist

Checklist items in an annual or semi-annual site visit by your contractor may include:

  • An on-site visual inspection
  • Photo reports
  • A customized maintenance program
  • A roof evaluation program and report
  • A roof condition assessment
  • Preventative maintenance and repair recommendations
  • A list of necessary upgrades
  • Suggested upgrades to extend the historical design life of the existing membrane/flashings
  • A record of new installations performed by others and not authorized by the property management company

Roof Systems Do Not Fail Overnight

Neglected repairs can be costly and possibly not included in the budget. A proper annual roof visit can result in thousands of dollars of savings by preventing emergency site visits or capital expenditures for an unexpected roof replacement.  Routine inspections and annual maintenance are recommended for all roofs and should always be discussed with your roofing contractor during their on-site roof visits.

Find a reputable roofing contractor with our online Contractor Search or contact a Polyglass Sales representative to find out how you can protect and extend the life of your commercial roof and building envelope system.