Do you own or manage a commercial building? If the answer is yes, this article is for you.
Commercial flat roofs represent huge investments for Vancouver business owners. So how do you protect their value while keeping costs to a minimum? It's easy: stay on top of your commercial roof inspections.
Naturally you want to reduce expenditures but still get the most life out of your roof. The best way to do that is to take care of it. That might sound like a lot of work for a busy owner or manager but it’s really not. To help you save money on your roof, we’ve compiled a list of best practices for commercial roof inspections. Follow these tips to ensure your flat roof is well-cared-for and as long-lived as possible.
Commercial roof inspections in Vancouver: Best practices
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Schedule regular inspections
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Hire expert, professional roofers
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Check all areas - flashing, seams, drainage systems, HVAC/pipes/skylights, ballast level
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Find something, fix it
Regular commercial roof inspections for Vancouver buildings are crucial. The amount of wind and rain we get here on the west coast can lead to huge, expensive problems very quickly. Therefore it’s important to catch problems sooner rather than later to avoid surprising costly outcomes. Budget for twice-yearly inspections, in spring and fall. Ordering extra inspections after severe weather events also falls within best practices.
Roof maintenance and repair is a serious job requiring skilled professionals. It’s not enough to have just anyone go up and take a look around. You want people with extensive knowledge of your type of roof who know what to look for. Hire a professional roofing team specialising in commercial roof inspections in Vancouver. Their knowledge and experience is invaluable when it comes to something as important as your commercial roof.
Professional roofers like Laurentian Roofing will check every square inch of your commercial roof. This includes flashing (which is susceptible to wind damage). They’ll check the drainage system for clogs and damage, including scuppers, drains and downspouts. Seals and seams will be checked as well as areas where there’s an entry into the roofing material (HVAC units, pipes, skylights, etc.). Ballast levels are checked and we will scan closely for signs of tearing, punctures, bubbling, cracking, splitting, blistering and ponding water.
When issues are found, no matter how small, best practice is to fix them ASAP. If there’s one universal rule for commercial roof costs, it’s that the cheapest time to fix an issue is 'right now'. That’s because material and labour costs are not going to go down over time. But the roof problem will grow, the damage will spread and costs will compound. Small problems are easy to fix. Big problems are painful.
We hope this list of best practices for commercial roof inspections in Vancouver is helpful.
Spring is right around the corner and is the ideal time to get your roof inspected. It’s also when we start getting busy! Give us a call to schedule a spring roof inspection for your commercial roof. Laurentian Roofing 604-345-7663
