When you own a commercial building, having a written roof maintenance plan is important. Because when your maintenance plan is written down, then you have more of a chance to catch areas which need repaired. In addition, there are two steps in a good plan to keep the roof on your commercial property leak free. Plus, you need to make sure that your roof has regular repairs when needed and that the roof is inspected frequently by a professional contractor.
So, how often should you have roof inspections done so regular repairs can be done? Recommendations for inspections are for twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. This will let you catch any roof damage before it gets out of hand. However; if you live in a climate which has severe temperature changes or severely harsh winters, then you may want to inspect it more often. Also, a competent person should check your roof out after having any construction on the roof so you are assured it was done right; or above it and after any major storms. Plus; if you’ve had a fire, installation of any new equipment or vandalism, check the roof for damage. By keeping up with roof repairs, it saves you money in the long run.
In addition, you can do a roof inspection yourself or have a professional roof inspector do it for you. A roof inspector will inspect the following areas:
- The gutters, drains and scuppers
- The rooftop units and the penetrations
- The field of the roof or the surface area
- The expansions, control joints, roof edges, flashings and terminations
Now if a problem is found and you’re having vetted professionals fix your roof, you can relax knowing that they know what they’re doing. Also, you will receive a warranty guaranteeing the work for a period of time. If you’re handy and can perform the repairs yourself though, you still need to develop an orderly plan for the issues that you’ve identified. In addition, repairs on a roof should be analyzed individually to decide if the job can be done by you or outsourced.
Following a roof inspection plan will save you money in the long run.