Getting ready for the colder fall and winter months includes making sure your commercial roof is in good condition and doing any needed repairs before any bad weather hits. Taking the time to inspect your roof and addressing any issues for fall roofing preparation, will save you money and headaches in the future.
We’ve come up with the top five tips for you to follow for your roof improvements to ensure your roof will last as long as possible. And by protecting your roof and taking good care of it, you’ll also be protecting your commercial real estate investment, staff, customers, and inventory. And the good thing about these tips is many of them are very easy to do.
Five Fall Tips for Roof Improvements
Fall Roofing Preparation Tip #1: Know The Condition of Your Roof
Business owners have a lot to think about on a day to day basis. And, it’s easy to forget or overlook being well informed on the actual condition of your commercial roof. As part of your regular maintenance plan, make sure you have someone on your staff in charge of being up-to-date on the integrity of your roof. Don’t be caught off-guard after a storm by any emergency like a leak that can damage your building and valuable inventory.
If you’re located in an area with freezing temperatures, staying up on maintenance is essential. With varying temperatures from freezing to thawing, roof cracks, blisters, splits, and water damage can occur. Ensure you take care of these issues right away; otherwise, you might have to have significant work done or even a complete roof replacement.
Fall Roofing Preparation Tip #2: Take a Good Look
Although it’s crucial for someone on your staff to stay informed with your commercial roof condition, it’s a good idea to have a standard roof inspection done annually by a reputable company like Nations Roof. We will inspect the integrity of your roofing materials, the entire roof system including seams, any seals, and draining on rooftop units like HVAC to make sure they’re not leaking, skylight seals, and parapets. Our inspectors check for any signs of water pooling because of low spots. Handling low spots now will prevent the added weight from destroying your roof and leaking into the interior when water or snow pile in these areas.
Fall Roofing Tip #3: Get Rid of Any Debris and Dirt
This is something your maintenance staff should be doing regularly. It’s important not to let leaves pile up on the roof because they can wear out the roofing materials prematurely. The other thing to check is gutters and drains. You want to keep the water flowing – not backing up or pooling. Before and after storms, take the time to make sure you get rid of any branches, leaves, dirt, debris on the roof and in the gutters. During our annual inspection, we can check for this and let you know what we find.
Fall Roofing Preparation Tip #4: Tree Maintenance is Vital
If your commercial building has trees nearby, make sure no limbs are hanging over that are dead or damaged. If you do discover any, call a reputable tree trimmer. Maintaining your trees is a big way you can prevent significant damage during a storm. With that type of ongoing preventive maintenance, you can avoid costly emergency calls. Keeping your eyes open for dead tree limbs and accumulating leaves and debris is especially important for flat roofs. In addition, when you take good care of your trees, you’ll also prevent other damage from falling limbs like damaged vehicles, outbuildings, broken windows, etc.
Fall Roofing Tip #5: Make Needed Repairs
Avoid procrastination. As soon as you are aware of an issue – no matter how small, get it handled. By doing that, you can eliminate additional damage to your roof system. Plus, on the upside, you can feel confident that you’re doing everything possible to prolong the life of your commercial roof and your building. Tending to any clogged drains and gutters doesn’t take long, but ignoring them can result in standing water, damaged roof materials, and interior leaks. It’s also smart to keep a log of the repairs and inspections to make sure you’re on schedule.
We hope you’ve found these fall roofing tips helpful. When you choose Nations Roof, you’re not just choosing an award-winning contractor — you’re choosing honesty, quality, and safety. We’re one of the largest commercial roofing contractors in the country, with service in all 50 states. Our experienced and reliable team is here to handle your roofing and maintenance needs. Whether you’re a small business or large corporation with buildings across the nation, you can count on quality materials and a highly-trained crew.
Whatever your commercial roofing needs — from roof replacements to emergency leak repairs, we’ve got you covered. We look forward to serving you.
