Roof Inspections Can Save You Thousands

Three Ways That Skipping Commercial Roofing
Inspections Can End Up Ruining Your Budget

It’s Easy To Plan For Regular Roof Inspections. But
Emergency Roof Replacements? Not So Much!

It’s well known that Houston commercial businesses have to plan ahead. Payroll, operating costs, and supplies can be forecasted and planned for in your budget.

But, while you may have a modest fund set aside for unexpected repairs, rarely is that fund big enough to cover the replacement of a commercial roof. Yet, even knowing that truth, regular commercial roof inspections, and maintenance are often left off the operation budget of most commercial buildings – which is a lot like playing roulette with your money.

At Houston Roofing & Construction, we understand the difficulties of running a commercial business and have made our inspection and maintenance services affordable.

The last thing we want to tell a commercial client is that, after years of being ignored, your roof needs replacing, and it needs it right now. So, we make it easy on your budget to keep your roof maintained and inspected so that easily solved issues don’t become disastrously expensive problems.

Builders Aren’t Roofers – So Get That New
Addition Inspected By A True Roofing Pro

Some of the biggest nightmares we’ve run into are at shell buildings where retail buildout spaces are constructed. The buildout contractor will make penetrations at the roof for mechanical equipment. Without proper flashing and sealing of these penetrations, the roof can’t fully protect the interior space. And the building infrastructure, as well as the roof itself, will deteriorate quicker.

The reason we are such a successful commercial roofing contractor is that we pay attention to the small details. We understand that it’s the little stuff that can cut a roof’s lifetime by half (or more). So, we know where to look to find those hidden problems that would otherwise crop up a few years down the line as sudden and expensive repairs.

Often, a small repair or maintenance package is all that is required to keep your roof in shape. But neglecting your roof can damage the decking beneath, as well as your interior finishes, if left unchecked.

Low Slopes + Minor Debris = Big Problems

Low-slope roofs are the most common problem for a commercial business, and unfortunately, small problems can quickly turn into big problems if they aren’t installed correctly and professionally maintained.

Yes, even your “flat roof” isn’t flat, so the trick is to ensure that all water has a gravity-fed pathway off your roof.

The slope is often as low as a few degrees, but it’s constant and it’s efficient. So, the slightest dip in the middle of your roof system can cause water to pool.

Pooling water is the #2 enemy of your low-slope roof – we’ll talk about #1 next.

When water sits on a membrane roof, it degrades the membrane, making it more susceptible to splits and tears from any contact. That contact can be wind-bourne debris or a maintenance worker simply walking across a weak spot.

But the most common reason for pooling water on a commercial roof is simple debris. Leaves can pile up, get wet, and then form an unmoving dam for water to sit behind.

And how much fun would you have telling your CEO that you need a new roof because nobody ever bothered to clean it up?

Our guess? Not much.

But with a regularly performed roof maintenance program, that conversation will never need to happen. When you contact Houston Roofing, we’ll walk your entire roof system, looking for problems and removing all debris from its surface.

And when we’re finished, you’ll receive a full report on the condition of your commercial roofing system.
And you know what that means – no surprises!

Contractors Don’t Know Or Care
About Your Commercial Roof

Roofers aren’t the only people you can find walking on a commercial roof. HVAC technicians, plumbers, sign installers, and builders often need roof access to do their jobs. These hardworking folks can be your roof’s #1 enemy.

And when they are up there for major work, the danger to your roof goes way up.

HVAC techs may need to replace a large piece of equipment, plumbers may need to install a new vent, and builders can be up to virtually anything. And when they look down, all they see is a white or black surface that lasts ‘forever.’

But the reality is that they’re strolling along a thin membrane that, while tough, can still be punctured or torn if care isn’t taken. And if you think “carefully consider commercial roof surfaces” is in their procedure manual, think again.

We’ve seen roofs with 100-foot-long drag marks from pallets many times. Usually, their access to cranes is limited, so other companies will drop the thousand-pound pallet as close to the goal as possible, then drag it to the final position.

They have no idea how much damage can result from even micro punctures or tears in your roof’s membrane, so they take no steps to prevent this damage.

Other contractors know they need to seal any penetration they put in your roof but generally have no idea how to do it properly. The roof slope is so subtle they most likely have no idea which direction is downstream or whether the cheap vent boot their boss gave them needs extra care to keep from leaking.

None of this is malice, though – it’s just a lack of knowledge.

So, we highly recommend having your commercial roof inspected after any roof-based work is done by anyone other than roofers. And the roofers should inspect it themselves once their work is complete – including inspections completed by us.

If you are having trouble with your Houston area commercial roof or simply want to know what’s going on up there, contact us at Houston Roofing & Construction to ensure all is well.