Your commercial building’s roof is its first line of defense against the forces of nature. The roofs on commercial property are designed to last a long time. Provided you take good care of its maintenance, your commercial roof can last over a decade before it requires a complete commercial roof replacement.
Taking good care of your commercial roof is crucial to getting a long life out of it, especially if it is a flat roof. Flat roofs offer plenty of advantages for commercial buildings with all the additional space they provide. Unfortunately, flat roofs also have their downsides. The most prominent disadvantage is their ability to drain water properly.
Handling flat roof maintenance responsibly can play a crucial role in helping it last longer and getting you the best value from your investment in the roof. This post will discuss some useful flat roof maintenance tips to prevent expensive repairs and prolonging its life.
4 Flat Roof Maintenance Tips To Prevent Expensive Repairs
Many commercial buildings have slanted roofs, and owners do not realize how different a flat roof is unless their building has one. Unfortunately, many of them do not realize that until their roof develops a problem. Here are some flat roof maintenance tips to prevent expensive repairs.
1. Give the roof breathing room
One of the best ways to keep your flat roof in good condition is to control its surroundings. You might have trees on the property around your building. As great as trees can be to add beauty to your property and help in keeping the air clean, overgrown trees can be very bad for your roof if they are too close to it.
Ideally, the trees on your property, especially if they are taller than your building, should be far enough so that none of the branches reach the top. If you do have trees that are close to your building, make sure that you hire a professional to trim the trees and keep their branches away from your roof.
If you have trees with branches hanging over the roof, high-speed winds can cause branches to break and fall to the roof, causing significant damage.
2. Keep your roof clean
Since your commercial property’s roof is flat and not slanted, it is likelier for debris to start accumulating on it. Gravity does wonders for slanted roofs by causing much of the debris on them to fall. Flat roofs can start accumulating dirt, leaves, and other debris over time.
Fortunately, flat roofs are much safer to walk on than slanted roofs. When you take care of your building’s cleanliness, make sure that you do not forget about the roof. Regularly cleaning your roof every couple of months can work wonders in keeping it clear.
Leaving the debris on your roof might not seem like a big problem. However, the debris can move around on the roof during weather events like storms and prevent your roof from draining water properly after rains. Large debris can damage the surface of the roof and cause leakages. Pools of water on the roof can also cause water damage that can compromise the structural integrity of the roof over time.
3. Do not skip protective coating for your roof
While California is not known for severe weather conditions throughout the year, storms and heavy rains can happen. Depending on the material used to make your commercial building’s flat roof, you might be able to use a protective coating for your roof to protect it from the elements.
These coatings can offer another layer of protection for your roof from weather conditions like humidity and heavy rainfall. The coating might cost a fair bit of money, but they last for a long time and can be an excellent investment to protect your building.
4. Schedule regular inspections
One of the most important flat roof maintenance tips to prevent expensive repairs is to schedule regular commercial roof inspection services. Your roof might give plenty of signs that there is damage, but you might not be able to tell because you do not have the expertise to notice them. A professional roofing contractor can determine if there are any problems with your roof, even if you cannot tell.
Schedule an inspection at least once a year and once after every major weather event to check for signs of damage. It might seem like an unnecessary expense. However, these inspections are worth the investment. A problem that requires a few hundred dollars to fix can become a major problem that could cost you thousands. Paying a professional to perform a thorough inspection can help you understand whether there is a need to schedule repairs or a replacement before the issue becomes too expensive.
Keeping The Roof Above Your Head In Good Shape
The roof is one of the most crucial structures in your commercial building. A failing roof could lead to several severe problems for your business and create dangerous conditions for everybody in the building.
The flat roof maintenance tips we have provided above can help you keep your commercial roof in excellent condition for years to come. If you see any signs that your roof is in major disrepair or suspect that there is a problem with the roof, we advise contacting professional commercial roofing contractors who can provide you high-quality commercial roof inspection services to determine the source of the problem.
Depending on the detailed report that the commercial roofing contractor provides, you may have to schedule repair or replacement services for your roof. The earlier you address the problem, the less likely you will face substantial problems at your commercial property.
The team at Central Roofing consists of experienced commercial roof installation professionals. Consider contacting the company to schedule commercial roof inspection services to determine the extent of the damage.
After performing an inspection, the roofing contractors will discuss the best course of action to fix the problem and ensure that your commercial property is in optimal working condition.