Through our years of experience working on commercial roofs, we’ve come across some common roof issues. If you’re a property manager or building owner, you’ll want to be alert to these signs of roof damage and weak spots. We offer free onsite roof inspections and can help you determine if there are weaknesses in your commercial roof.

• Cracked Sealants

Sealants are a protective barrier around areas of your roof where there’s a penetration. If there’s a penetration, there is a susceptible area. You can’t really avoid having penetrations in your roof, however, since your building needs vents, utility piping, HVAC units, and similar items to make it operational.

When sealants become brittle and/or start to crack, that protective barrier begins to deteriorate. You want to make sure the correct sealants are used during your roof restoration and that any weak spots are detected. Our roofing professionals can spot cracked sealants, remove the bad, and replace it with sealants compatible with your commercial roof system.

• Loose, missing, or poorly sealed fasteners

Missing fasteners and nails in your roof system mean unstable installation and potential exposure to leaks. Is there ever a year when there aren’t high winds in your area? Likely not. And with missing fasteners and nails, those strong winds can break loose crucial parts of your industrial roof.  This can leave your commercial roof exposed and susceptible to water damage or pest infestation.

• Poor drainage

Puddles and water ponding on an industrial roof may seem like a non-issue but these are a real concern. These are signs that the slope of your building needs to be adjusted or that the scupper isn’t sufficient.  Our commercial roof coatings can repair roof ponding issues and leave your industrial roof with a pitch that effectively drains and redirects water for adequate drainage.

• Bad Flashing

Flashing is usually made of metal and it’s used to seal parts roof system edges, drains, and areas where there’s been an interruption (chimney, HVAC unit, ventilation pipe). Flashing surrounds these areas and helps divert water away.

Bad flashing can threaten your roof water diversion system.  If it’s not doing its job, water can end finding its way into the roof deck. Water seeping into the roof deck can end up being a huge repair need. Without a repair or roof restoration, bad flashing can eventually threaten the integrity of your entire industrial roof.

• Overall damage, age

When maintained properly (and installed correctly), a commercial roof can last up to 40 years. Roofing materials, environmental stressors, and installation are just a few variables that will impact the duration of your industrial roof. If your industrial roof is nearing its “retirement age,” or you’ve purchased a property with a roof that hasn’t been well maintained, it might not require a complete replacement. Our commercial roofing contractors can assess the condition of your building’s roof to see if an ultra-efficient, cost-effective cool roof system is the solution. Get started with a free roof inspection.