You might think that roof preventive maintenance solutions are nice but not necessary for your business operations. Plus, starting one can be stressful as you think of all the little details that might affect your building. Your priority is on your business and doing what you do best. But when your poorly maintained roof leads to leaks, cracks, and structural damage, you’ll be out thousands of dollars. Don’t wait for your roof to become your largest expense to start your preventive maintenance system for commercial roofs.

Take the stress and worry away by collaborating with a partner who will understand your priorities and put your building at the top of their list! Schedule your roofing estimate today to easily start your planned maintenance system and keep your business safe.

Do You Need a Preventive Maintenance System for Commercial Roofs?

Absolutely. Sometimes, a preventive maintenance system for commercial roofs schedules will be necessary to comply with your roofing manufacturer’s warranty. But besides this, you should consider the money you spend yearly for roof maintenance an efficient and wise investment. A regular planned maintenance system can save you thousands of dollars every year by catching cracks, leaks, and drain blockages before they cause damage. Keep reading to find out the four biggest reasons why you need to schedule your preventative maintenance.

1. Saves You Money

Your roof protects the structural integrity of your building’s interior by keeping the elements out. But weather, animals, and simple accidents can cause small cracks and holes that might lead to larger tears and leaks. Eventually, these issues can lead to complete roof failure and require you to replace the roof entirely.

A preventive maintenance program works for your business by keeping an eye on any potential damage and fixing issues before they need expensive repairs.

Regular inspections will catch these cracks and punctures, as well as monitor for other common roof problems such as:

• Cracks in the roof surface or subsurface
• Standing water and water stains
• Detached or damaged flashing
• Leaking and broken seams

A preventative maintenance solution makes these small issues a priority for a longer roof lifetime. Roof inspections and maintenance plans will make the well-being of your roof a priority in the eyes of a professional.

2. Protects You from Interior Damage

If you were working with a customer and they slipped in a puddle, what would you do? Or how much would your worker’s compensation insurance increase if an employee slipped and injured themselves? How would you manage a power shortage if electronics got wet? Preventative maintenance systems for commercial roofs will promote public safety as well as keep your business safe.

Using a commercial roof maintenance plan can keep leaks, water stains, and damage from affecting your bottom line. Upkeep and patching on a roof membrane will keep a safe and dry interior, so you can keep your employees and customers safe. A good maintenance plan is more than just an investment in your business. It’s the right thing to do to prevent further damage and injury to others.

3. Lengthens Your Roof’s Lifespan

A poorly maintained roof will last nowhere near as long as a well-maintained roof. Small dings and scratches on a roof can quickly lead to long-term damage that will shorten the time you have a stable roof. Some roof lifespans are upwards of 25 years or more, but this can be extended even further by keeping up with a preventive maintenance system for commercial roofs.

4. Shrinks Your Energy Bill and Keeps Your Climate Controlled

It’s easy to see how roof a preventive maintenance system for commercial roofs will save you money by saving you from making costly repairs and roof replacements, but your energy bill is also strongly affected by your roof’s health. If your roof is unhealthy, you might find yourself putting on more layers during the winter or languishing in the heat. Your roof has a massive surface area, meaning it is a large heat exchange with the outside air.

Proper roof maintenance promotes better insulation and efficiency by preventing both water leaks and air drafts that will push your air conditioning and heating to their limits. When trying to budget out your roofing expenses, always consider the cost of the worst-case scenario.

Preventive Maintenance Systems for Commercial Roofs: What to Expect

Every maintenance system is different, but there are some general and basic expectations to look for in a good program. A roofing inspector should collect baseline data. This data collection should include a report and will help you track problem areas and ensure roof maintenance is working.

This inspection should provide every building and roof with a priority list of repairs needed and the cost of each option. These actions will serve you by giving you actions to take toward extending your roof’s lifetime.

Lastly, a good preventive maintenance program will include the implementation of recommendations. You should receive a complete schedule of what to do and when, a routine maintenance plan, and regular inspections moving forward.

A preventive maintenance program gives you the benefit of having comprehensive support on hand for your roofing system. Much like you might invest in IT support to protect your network or a security system to keep out thieves, a roofing maintenance program puts your roof in the hands of professionals.

What Is Included in Preventative Maintenance?

Proper roof maintenance covers a wide variety of potential problem areas that are easy to miss, including:

• Roof Cleaning for Commercial Properties – Algae, dirt, leaves, and trash can all gather on a roof, no matter how tall or well-covered a commercial roof is. These can harm the heat efficiency, as well as be unsightly or cover up more critical damage. Deep cleans and should be done at least once a year.
• Gutter and Drain Cleaning For Commercial Properties – Gutters and drainage pipes are often the least favorite part of commercial roof maintenance. Trust a professional to best handle the more complex drainage systems of your building. They will have the right tools and techniques for handling complicated systems.
• Roof Membrane Repair and Maintenance – Small tears and punctures can be dealt with via simple maintenance. A roofing professional can also monitor your roof sheet for signs of aging and keep you updated on when a repair will be needed. Your roof membrane is critical to your roof system.
• Flashing and Seam Maintenance – Seams in your roof’s surface are points of water entry, which can lead to damage to the underlying structure. The same applies to the metal flashing around the roof’s edge. These can often become detached due to severe weather but can be kept healthy by regular inspection.

Should Winterization Be a Part of Your Roof Maintenance System?

Winterizing your roofing can be very helpful in preventing damage and reducing wear. During winter, ice dams can form and prevent proper drainage on your commercial roof. These hazards can lead to large amounts of water and snow build-up that can cause large problems and damage to occur. Winterization keeps your roof healthy through the cold months and can also prepare you for the spring thaw.

Winterizing a roof is a special assessment and inspection that takes place before winter weather sets in and ensures that your commercial roof maintenance prepares your roof for rough weather. This inspection focuses on cracks and tears that might let ice wreak havoc on your roof system. Don’t mistake this for fall maintenance, though they can often go hand-in-hand.

Start Your Preventative Maintenance Program for Commercial Roofs Today!

Your business’s commercial roof isn’t just a flat surface. It’s a shield. Your inventory, your employees, and your customers all rely on the stability and reliability of your roof. A commercial roofing system can require a huge amount of time investment to ensure that it stays well maintained.

Avoid major issues in your commercial roofing by investing in a preventive maintenance system for commercial roofs that will provide your structure with the proper maintenance it needs. A new roof is a massive cost that is easy to avoid. Call the professional roofing contractors at Heidler Roofing, who will make your business a priority—just like you do!

Now that days and nights have finally turned colder and summer is officially over, it’s clear that winter is coming once again. Is your commercial building’s roof ready for the snow, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures?

If you’re not sure, now is the time to take action and prepare your roof. Membrane damage, clogged drains, and ponding water, among other problems, could be waiting to cause leaks this winter, and without a thorough inspection, you may not have advance warning.

So, how can you winterize your building’s roof to assure that leaks (or worse) don’t threaten your livelihood or safety? Let’s take a closer look. Continue reading →

Commercial roofs can come in a variety of shapes, colors, and materials. The roof you decide on has to be one that not only matches your budgetary needs, but the needs of your commercial building as well. While many of the most common roofing systems are single-ply, not all of them can weather the same conditions—from foot traffic to the chemicals vented through the roof. Understanding the nature of your commercial building and its effect on the roof will help you determine which one to go with.

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When a major storm is in the forecast most people plan accordingly. They might secure loose items around the house or even inspect their roof/shingles to ensure everything looks good. As a business owner, do you put the same consideration into how your commercial roof will fare during inclement weather? Reality is, we can’t control the weather; but we can control how we prepare for it, and that includes making sure that our commercial roofs are able to survive sudden downpours intact.

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It’s tempting to start designing your commercial roof by choosing a color, but your roof’s appearance is just one of many things to factor into the color choice. White roofs and black roofs have vastly different properties, and are likewise more or less appropriate for your building depending on where you’re located and the local weather and temperatures.

There’s been a long-standing debate between black and white commercial roofs, but the environmental benefits of ‘exposed-membrane, low-slopping roofing systems with high solar reflectance and thermal emittance have already been well established by the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC). This means white roofs or roofing with white surfacing reduces the amount of solar radiation (heat) collected by roofing surfaces, lowering the amount of energy used to power cooling systems—and reduces contributions to global warming.

All that being said, you might immediately think, ‘then a white roof is best’ but there’s so much more to choosing between the two than that.

Why the color of your commercial roof matters

For those living in colder climates, having a white commercial roof could lead to higher heating costs. This is because the less heat your roof retains, the more you’ll need to rely on your heating system to warm the building. Another reason white roofs aren’t ideal for northern climates is because of the snow and ice. With a cooler roof, snow and ice is likelier to collect and build up, which can be problematic if you’re in an area that receives significant snowfall during the winter.

White roofs have a tendency to stay icy and snow covered for long periods of time, which can make maintenance of mechanical units dangerous or difficult. Ice and snow that lingers on white roofs also has a higher chance of sliding off of sloped roofs and causing damage.

As you can see, the color you go with will largely depend on your climate, but it still may not be as simple as white roofs for buildings in the South and black roofs for buildings in the North.

The difference between white and black roofs

Black roofs are known for their ability to absorb a great amount of the Sun’s heat energy, which causes the roof surface to become extremely hot. They’re typically made out of rubber or EPDM roofing. White roofs on the other hand reflect most of the Sun’s heat energy, cooling the roof surface. White roofs are commonly constructed out of TPO or PVC. That means blacks roofs in the Northern USA might provide lower heat costs compared to buildings with white roofs in the North during winter; and white roofs stay cooler, potentially lower cooling costs in the summer.

Does that mean a black roof is ideal during the winter, and a white roof is better during the summer? Not necessarily.

Other factors involved in deciding between a white or black commercial roof

Several other elements should be taken into account when determining roof color. Things like the building proportion, geography/climate, and the amount of insulation in the new/existing roof all need to be considered. Keeping the decision between black and white alone could be a costly mistake.

Generally speaking, matching the roof color to your climate will deliver the best results; but building proportion/roof surface ratio and the amount of insulation present can also affect energy efficiency, heat retention, etc. Speaking to a knowledgeable roofing contractor can ensure you make the best decision possible for your commercial building, so don’t hesitate to let us know how we can help you.

If you haven’t noticed, fall is upon us—and winter will be here soon enough. To keep your roof in tip-top shape, it’s always good to refresh yourself on some best practices for preventative maintenance in the fall. This is a critical time for most roofs. Many roofs have been exposed to a lot of heat and UV rays, and they’re about to be subjected to cold weather, freezing rain, and snow (depending on where you live). Continue reading →

Roofers have to take special care while on the job to avoid personal injury and damage to a client’s buildings. This is why it’s so important to develop, implement, and maintain effective safety measures while a roof is being worked on. Roofs by themselves are dangerous, simply because of how high they often are, their slope, and the uncertainty of your footing. Gravel rooftops can be uneven and provide unsteady footing, and so professional roofers have learned to exercise great caution when attempting repairs or inspections, especially on commercial roofs.

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