Keeping your commercial roof well-maintained is crucial to protect your building from the elements and preserve your property value.
Maintaining your roof will prolong its lifespan and prevent costly repairs and damage, which can protect your business’s bottom line.
Here are some best practices in the form of a commercial roof inspection checklist to keep your roof in tip-top shape.
Schedule Regular Inspections
The first step towards ensuring your roof is well-maintained is to carry out regular inspections. These will help you identify minor issues before they become major problems.
In Johannesburg, it’s crucial to inspect your roof before the rainy season hits in October. Ideally, you should also do a follow-up inspection after the rainy season in March to check for any damage that may have occurred.
If you schedule these inspections regularly, you will catch issues before they escalate.
Conduct a Thorough Visual Check
The first part of a roof inspection involves a thorough check for visible signs of damage.
You will want to inspect the condition of the membrane to see if there are any punctures, bubbles, or tears. You’ll also want to ensure that the flashing and seals are still intact, especially around protrusions such as vents, skylights, and chimneys.
Make sure your drains and gutters appear to be in good condition too. They need to be cleared of any blockages and attended to if damaged. This will ensure proper drainage and prevent water accumulation on the roof, which can lead to leaks down the line.
Check for Water Damage
After the rainy season, checking for water damage is important, as it is a serious issue in commercial roofs. Any signs of leaks, mould, or moisture ingress should be addressed with urgency to avoid expensive damage to your stock, interior and office equipment.
Telltale signs of water damage are blisters in the roof membrane, discolorations, soft spots, or pools of water.
Inspect Roof Attachments
If your commercial roof has any structures on it, such as HVAC units, skylights, satellite dishes, aerials, or chimney stacks, you should make sure that they remain securely fastened and that the fastenings are not rusted. You also need to ensure that the flashing is still in tact, as this will prevent water from seeping in.
Monitor Roofing Materials
Your roofing materials might have deteriorated over time due to weather damage, UV radiation, or temperature fluctuations.
Check whether any of the roofing material is ageing by looking for signs of cracking, peeling, or warping. If so, affected sections will need to be repaired or replaced.
If you notice any problems when carrying out this commercial roof inspection checklist, it is advisable that you call in the professionals to carry out repairs pronto. For all of your roof maintenance and repair requirements, contact Roof Surgeon today.
