7 Tips to Extend the Life of your Commercial Roofing System
Owning and running a business is a consuming task, and on typical days, the chances of getting a minute to think about your roof are slim. The roof often comes to the mind of a business owner when there is a leak or similar situation. However, it’s a lot cheaper and easier to maintain than it is to repair a commercial roof. Proper commercial roof maintenance may come at a cost but consider the expense of closing down because of the leaks, losing inventory, or even worse, accidents that result from poorly maintained roofs. Adopting habits that maintain your commercial roof can extend both your roof and your business’ life span. So, how do you maintain a commercial roof?
1. Annual Inspection
Create a list of all the important details about your roof: how old is the roof? When was the last commercial repair? Which commercial roofing contractors did the repairs? What is the dominant roofing material? etcetera. Update the information on the list every time you have some maintenance works done. The information will keep you on track with every repair done and the impact of the repairs on the life of your roof.
Knowing the status of your roof makes it easy to assess and make a diagnosis of the damage. For instance, a freshly installed roof that is leaking may probably result from a gutter problem. On the other hand, an older roof experiencing the same problem may be due to a more severe problem built up over time.
Hiring a local roofing company to carry out these inspections can take this weight off your list of things to attend to. The company will maintain a written analysis of your roofing system’s condition. Schedule a timeline at which the roofing company will be coming to have the roof inspected to track its age and wear patterns. Once they conduct the regular inspections, you can now plan how you wish to carry out your maintenance to extend your roof's overall lifespan.
The additional advantage of conducting regular maintenance is that you'll have a clear prediction to determine a commercial roof's lifespan, that way your business won't face a financial ambush when you need a new roof.
2. Clean Your Commercial Roof Regularly
Debris such as gravel and leaves can fall on the roof of your building depending on its height. When you do not regularly clean your roof, the debris will build up and add extra weight to the roof. If the weight on your roof includes standing water, piles of leaves, and other debris, the combination can create a conducive environment for vegetative, mildew, and mold growth.
Keeping your commercial roofing system clean involves regular cleaning to remove any of the collected debris from the surface. If you have gutters anywhere around the roof, it’s essential that you also clear any build-up of leaves and debris in there; this way, the water will easily drain away from the roof as it should. If you have a reflective coating, then regularly cleaning your roof will be an added advantage. Reflective coating roofing systems are either silver or white, and they are designed to reflect rather than absorb the sun’s rays. The cleaner such a roof is, the more it will reflect sunlight effectively.
3. Prune And Trim Any Overhanging Branches
Trimming branches hanging over your building is a preventive measure to avoid damage when such branches are knocked down by strong winds due to harsh weather. Besides that, pruning and trimming the overgrown trees and clearing their foliage contributes to a cleaner roof, thus preventing clogs in your building’s roof system. One great way to attend to this is hiring a professional tree service to maintain and manage the trees on your property.
Trees in a commercial property offer multiple benefits; they help save on cooling costs, provide shade during summer, and make your business premises more welcoming and inviting. However, consider how high the trees will go when planting some new trees close to your commercial building. If there is a chance that the trees will overhang when they mature, you might want to reconsider their impact on your commercial roof's lifespan. A tree service can also help you pick out the best locations to plant the trees concerning your roofs and other building factors.
5. Drain Any Stagnant Water
Standing water is a common issue on commercial roofing. However, if the drainage system of your commercial roof is working as it should, then stagnant water shouldn’t be a problem. A proper roof drainage system should efficiently divert rainwater from your roof and prevent water overflow. A well-done commercial roof has a low slope to ensure that the water flows into the drains. Irrespective of this, if the drainage system is blocked, the water will pool on the roof’s surface. A pond of water on the roof increases the risk of your roof leaking.
Static water shouldn’t be left unattended for more than two days. Flat roofs are not designed to maintain the weight of standing water for an extended period. Additionally, standing water amplifies the effect of ultraviolet rays which may cause premature aging.
6. Keep The Drainage System Unclogged
A clogged drainage system is a major cause of roof deterioration and can drastically shorten your roof's overall lifespan. This will ensure that rainwater is effectively diverted away from your building’s commercial roof. To ensure this, you will need routine maintenance for your gutters, which is often something that a casual laborer or independent contractor can handle.
7. Conduct Regular Commercial Roof Maintenance
Many of the problems that develop on commercial roofing are easily avoidable by having a regular maintenance plan. Hire a contractor to conduct all the elements of roof maintenance. They will inspect the roof’s perimeter for punctures, cracks, and leaks, clean out debris, clear the roof when there are snowstorms, and fix any minor issues detected.
The more you procrastinate fixing a problem on your roof, the more likely it is for the problem to spread or even develop to more complex damage needing major repairs. Some common times that your roof may have experienced damage include after a snowstorm, thunderstorm, or unusually heavy rain. It’s always a good idea to have the roof checked out after such instances.
If the roof shows any damage, give us a call as soon as you can, and we will fix the problem early enough. The faster you have the roof repaired, the less likely it is for your leak to end up causing significant water damage.
How Often Do Commercial Roofs Need To Be Replaced?
Commercial roofing has a lifespan of between 20 to 30 years, depending on the material used. However, many commercial roofs need replacement way earlier than their expected lifespan. The difference between how long commercial buildings hold on to their roofs is their commercial roof maintenance level, frequency, and quality.
With proper maintenance, you may have your roof for up to 30 years. Make sure you hire a company that gives you a roof warranty.
Install Your New Commercial Roofing With The Team Of Specialists In Greater Atlanta!
The best ticket to a long-lasting, well-maintained commercial roof is contracting well-equipped and able roofing specialists. Our roofing specialists at Dusty Greer Roofing are locally available here in Atlanta. Therefore, after installation, we can conduct regular maintenance to help extend the life of your commercial roof.
Contact us to have a roofing professional give you a free estimate for the cost of your flat roof replacement. We advise our customers on the best roofing materials to use with the thickness of your roof membrane and the climate of your area. Its also highly recommended that you follow up with your roofing maintenance services.
Send us a service request today for a roof inspection, maintenance, or replacement.