Extending the Life of Commercial Roofs

Why encourage building owners to maintain their roofs? Whether the expected lifespan of the commercial roofing system is 15, 20, or even 30 years plus; regular, proactive roof maintenance can help avoid larger, more expensive repairs; and can also exceed their roof’s life span. Regular roof maintenance can help the building owner save money as well.

The Roofing Alliance for Progress published these statistics around roofing maintenance:

• Roofs with regular maintenance cost $.11/ft less over the lifecycle of the roof
• Roofs with regular maintenance lasted on average 8 years longer than a roof that had a reactive maintenance program

So how do you get started? First, regular roof walks are recommended. Encourage building owners to walk their roof; or request a roof evaluation; at least twice a year, after any major weather event, or any time their roof has been serviced.

When performing a roof evaluation for a building owner, here are some things to look for:

• Loose metal edging and termination
• Loose flashings (wall flashing, curb wraps, inside/outside corners, etc.)
• Check gutters and drains
• Make sure roof is relatively clean and nothing can potentially harm the roof
• Ponding water areas

A roof inspection should start inside. Check to see if there are any areas inside of the building that indicate there might be a roof leak. Next, walk the perimeter of the roof and then check penetrations and drains. Clogged drains during the spring and fall seasons are more prevalent and can be one of the more common issues that gets overlooked. Finally, do an overall walk-through of the roof and look for loose membrane, loose flashing, and ponding water areas.

For more information on what to look for when performing regular roof maintenance, please contact your Carlisle Manufacturer’s Representative.