Top 3 Roofing Concerns for Commercial Buildings

Commercial buildings have unique concerns when it comes to overall care and maintenance. Like residential buildings, commercial building owners need to maintain the building’s roof in order to protect the building and its contents.

By being proactive about inspections and maintenance commercial building owners can avoid larger issues down the road.

1. Standing Water

Standing Water is a serious concern for commercial roofs. It can cause damage to the roofing material and leakage into the building. Depending on the size of the pooling, the additional weight of the water can damage the structural integrity of the roof. Pooling water can also trap debris which over time can rot and damage roofing materials.

It’s extremely important to check for standing water before winter as temperatures on the Pacific West Coast can drop below freezing overnight, then thaw during the day. These shifting temperatures can speed up the damage standing water causes. Plus, with the heavy rain in the spring and fall, it can be more difficult to get standing water issues under control without consecutive dry days. More rain also means more water gathering in one spot, adding to the weight on the roof.

2. Shrinkage

Summers in the Pacific West Coast can get quite hot, especially on rooftops where there is little to no shade. Heat from the sun causes roofing material to expand, once the temperature cools down the materials shrink. The most common areas to look out for are flashing pulling away from the walls or cracking of the membrane.

When the flashing pulls away from the walls, it can cause leaks, which in turn can create more costly damage inside the building.

3. Surface Erosion

Age and weather greatly affect the erosion of a roof. Blistering, splitting and ridging are all examples of surface erosion. When a roof starts to show signs of erosion, it can speed up the ageing of the roof. The shifting temperatures and weather (rain, hail, heat, snow) can also play a major factor in erosion.

Poor workmanship is also a factor in how soon issues will start to show. Before any roof maintenance is conducted ensure you are working with a company that provides high quality work and ask for references of other commercial properties that have used their services.

With commercial buildings it is recommended that owners conduct at least two inspections every year – late spring and early fall – to ensure their roof is in its best condition and to be able to make fixes in a timely manner.

There are many other concerns and potential issues that are unique to commercial roofing. To learn more or to book your inspection talk to the Roof Tech team at +1.604.888.7663 or info@rooftechconsultants.ca.