10 Commercial Roof Maintenance Tips to Extend Its Lifespan

Image of Canuck Roofing worker on commercial roof

Is your commercial roof getting enough love? Some regular TLC can ensure the longevity of your roof, preventing and dealing with damages before they cause serious and expensive issues. Here are 10 commercial roof maintenance tips to extend its life and your savings.

1. Have a professional inspect your roof twice a year

Having a professional inspect your roof ensures that you have every corner and potential issue covered. This is important because not all leaks, cracks or weak spots are detectable to the untrained eye. There are also different elements of your roof that need general inspection such as skylights, joints and vents, whose problems may go unnoticed; however, could cause significant leaks having gone untreated.

2. Get leaks fixed immediately

Leaks have the patience of a toddler. If they don’t get the attention they need right away, their behaviour will get worse and worse until they’re satisfied. And they get more expensive the older they get! Leaks also affect multiple areas of a building such as electrical units, other building equipment and structures, with the severe potential of making the roof collapse.

3. Avoid walking on the roof unnecessarily

To increase the longevity of a commercial roof, it’s important to have it bear the least amount of foot traffic as possible. So maybe best to not sneak up there for a breather or a spontaneous date. If it is a space that needs to be utilized regularly, it’s best to install walking pads designed to buffer the weight and damage caused by frequent walking.

4. Check the roof after storms!

It is important to check your roof after storms. Especially in autumn and winter as you may need to remove debris caused by the changing of seasons. This includes removing leaves, dirt, and any other blockages from drainpipes. Clogged drainpipes can cause severe damage, weighing on the roof potentially resulting in cracking or flooding.

5. Keep it clean

Keeping your roof clean helps avoid issues such as algae, moss, and other unwanted organisms. Such issues can deteriorate some of the parts of the roof system such as sealants so it’s important to keep it clean.

6. Prune neighbouring trees

Although trees may not be residing on your commercial roof, if they’re neighbouring, it is important to keep them tidy and pruned. This will minimize the work needed to be done when
it comes to clearing debris from your roof. It also allows less access for animals to relocate their homes. Sorry squirrels, no free rent!

7. Snow, Snow Go Away!

As previously mentioned, weight on your roof isn’t ideal and can cause stress to membranes with the added pressure and potentially cause leaks. Here in Canada, snow is an additional weight that is too common to roofs in the winter. With each snowfall, it is important to clear your roof in order to ensure no damage occurs.

8. Make sure all your roof mounted equipment is working

It’s important to regularly check in on the exposed equipment on your roof. This includes but isn’t limited to air conditioning units, vents, gas or electrical lines and electrical units. Faulty wiring or exposed structures can cause potentially fatal dangers and are incredibly important to resolve immediately.

9. Inspection Reports

When having your roof inspected, it is extremely valuable to have written inspection reports. A professional inspection report will include all areas in need of immediate repair and as well future preventative repairs. The report should have photos showing the areas in need of repair as well as a write up explaining the repair in detail. These reports should be reviewed for future budgeting of repair and maintenance costs. This will ensure your roof system lasts as long as possible, helping budget for a roof replacement down the road.

10. Hire Professional Contractors

Most roofs have a workmanship warranty provided by the company who installed the roof. This is typically a 10-year warranty. Sometimes you may need to install a new A/C unit on the roof or add an exhaust vent. It is very important to check with the company that installed the roof before installing anything on or through the roof as this might affect or void your warranty. The company may require one of their team membranes to complete the waterproofing work or they may require a post inspection to ensure the work completed was done properly. This might come at a cost to the building owner.

Taking care of your roof is an essential part of building management. As much as some of these tips have the potential to be done on your own, it’s best to leave roof maintenance to the professionals considering so many systems are involved. Safety first, always! Consult a contractor here at Canuck Roofing to ensure the best quality service and roof care.