Commerce is defined as “the buying and selling of goods and services”. If you own or manage commercial real estate, you are responsible for a critical yet often overlooked facet of commerce – the building itself. This is the place that houses the workers and the products; the space where service is performed, customers are helped, goods are stored and technology is developed. Whether you manage warehouses, strip malls or shopping centers, factories, office buildings, schools, churches, or some other commercial, industrial, or institutional real estate, one of your most important responsibilities is to insure that everyone and everything in your building is protected against the elements. And that protection begins with the roof.
As a building owner or manager you really are dependent upon your roofing system to deliver safe and secure shelter. With inspection, maintenance and repair, you can extend the life and performance of your roofing system to maximize the return on your investment. According to the National Roofing Contractors Association, preventive maintenance adds 30%-100% service life to a commercial roofing system. Yes, you read the number right — 30% to 100%. Low-cost but well-planned preventative maintenance can double the life of a roof. And still another factor to consider is your energy management. Proper roof design and regular maintenance can also result in the most energy-efficient roof.
So where do you start? Have a professional inspect your commercial rooftop systems on a regular basis. Michael Sasse, owner of Commonwealth Roofing Corporation has this to say about inspection and maintenance: “At Commonwealth Roofing we are keenly aware of the value of roof maintenance. We’ve developed a 1-2-3 Maintenance Program that assures our customers that small roof problems don’t become major expenses. We schedule regular roof inspections and perform routine maintenance usually twice a year. And for the last few years we have been using GPS (the global positioning system) to help us compile and analyze information on our clients’ roof systems. From it we can develop a detailed record for each building or major section of roof with photos and notes keyed to scale roof drawings. GPS also allows us to gather, enter and send the information to a website while we’re on the roof. It’s more accurate and a real time saver.”
For your commercial roofing system, Sasse recommends you have a professional perform these steps at least once a year:
- Have your entire roofing system inspected. That includes flashings, drains, gutters, etc.
- Document each inspection. Techs should carry a digital camera to document suspect roof conditions.
- Remove debris, clean gutters, leaders and drain grates.
- Make minor repairs at the time of inspection – touch up flashings and caulking.
- Mark or replace missing, defective, or dislodged shrouds, HVAC components, and pipe covers.
- Provide estimates for roof repairs, maintenance, and/or replacement, especially for coating smooth asphalt roofing and painting metal.
- Comply with and document compliance with the maintenance requirements of the manufacturer’s warranties in effect. Most manufacturers require regular maintenance to keep their roof warranties valid.
- Add all documentation to your roof’s history file. With this kind of information, you can know years in advance when your roofing system will have to be replaced and what the projected costs will be.
The cost for a documented inspection can range from less than $200 for a simple visual inspection of a small to medium-sized building to several thousand dollars for a GPS-generated detailed report of a large or complicated facility. Either way, a well-executed inspection is money well-spent.
