FROM THE ROOFTOP

Many times, preventative maintenance and regulated evaluations of your commercial roof are overlooked based on the simple reasoning of "no leaks." The “no-leaks, no-problem” reasoning often allows the roof system to go unchecked. This can allow small problems to grow within the system’s assembly, often to the point where total replacement is the only available option. In cases where new roof systems have been installed and expensive warranties implemented, this system is often left unmonitored until the inevitable roof leak occurs. More times than not, once the roof leak becomes evident, interior damage to the roof-system assembly has already taken place.

This interior assembly damage often destroys large areas of the roof system, and will void your warranty. Your commercial-grade roof system is continuously subjected to a multitude of surface-degrading occurrences. These surface problems begin when the system is regularly subjected to environmental elements. Some of these inclement-weather elements include ultraviolet-ray degradations, excessive winds, hail stones and even acid rains. All of these weather factors are destructive in nature to the roof-system components. As if damage to the roof itself wasn’t enough, these elements can also damage your rooftop equipment.

The roof-mounted equipment presents a host of new problems. These can result from increased rooftop traffic in conjunction with the regular operation of such equipment. We all understand the importance of efficient HVAC operation, certainly on those smoldering days of summer. It is during this time that the roof’s surface is particularly vulnerable to damage. Many times, this damage is unavoidable by service personnel as interior temperatures rise or fall due to a roof-mounted unit failure.

Having survived many years in the construction industry, we often relate construction-type preventive maintenance with that of automobile maintenance. Each season brings with it the certain types of travel, adding many miles onto the family vehicle. Often, this vehicle receives an extensive service check-up prior to the trip in an effort to avoid expensive and delaying problems.

The comparison of automobile maintenance with that of the commercial roof system differs only by the original cost and potential savings to each facility. In an effort to maximize the effectiveness of your company’s dollars, it is important to understand that roof-maintenance expenditures correlate directly to profits through avoidance of other interior damages, which can include something as minute as a loss of productivity in a damaged facility.