Owning or managing a commercial property is never dull. You have to monitor all you know and constantly learn new methods, strategies, and solutions to novel problems. Your day is a series of questions: Do we have enough rock salt for winter? When were the HVAC filters changed? What is considered preventive maintenance for the company roof?
Preventive Maintenance
Why do you get a suit dry cleaned? To prevent it from wearing out quickly and keep it looking good, right? Do you wait until your favorite suit has grease stains on both elbows and spaghetti sauce down the front before having it cleaned? Probably not. You perform preventive maintenance on it, week in and week out.
Your suit, cared for and expertly treated by skilled professional dry cleaners, will provide you years of good service. If you understand the value of dry cleaning, you know the value of preventive commercial roof maintenance.
Instead of waiting for a roof leak, you stay in touch with your nearby commercial roofer. You arrange a plan of regular inspections, spot repairs, monitoring, and more. You have your roofer perform preventive maintenance so no major problems can arise unnoticed.
Savings
Short-sighted bean counters may balk at the idea of spending money on preventive roof maintenance. Yet the small annual investment in a maintenance program pays off with huge dividends:
- Add years of useful life to an existing roof.
- Plan for roof succession on your own terms, with your own financing and schedule
- Preserve your building’s structural integrity.
- Ensure against damage or loss to inventory, equipment, and supplies.
- Keep employees happier and healthier by preventing mold and mildew caused by roof leaks.
- Maintain your commercial property’s value.
- Enjoy a productive, efficient schedule uninterrupted by roofing emergencies.
- Make your building more attractive and inviting to customers.
For most building managers and owners, the quick results of investing in just a year or two of preventive roof maintenance provide all the proof needed that the decision was a good one. You can push back the costly project of a re-roof or complete roof replacement; you save money.
When the inevitable time arrives that you have to invest in a new roof, you can work with your roofer to find the least expensive, longest-lasting solution on a time frame that suits your business.
All the Little Parts
What exactly is preventive maintenance? It is more than a concept, but it does begin with an idea:
- Have a commercial roofer always attentive to your roof’s many components.
- Keep visits frequent enough that no small problem turns big.
- Balance hands-on work with precise record-keeping and data collection.
Preventive maintenance is always uniquely designed around each client’s roof, but the various details can include:
- Establishing a building and roof history
- Identifying previous repairs
- Estimating the roof’s age, composition, and quality of installation
- Inspecting the roof at least annually for signs of impending problems
- Making fast repairs for all minor issues
- Planning larger repair projects on a schedule that works for your business
- Using materials and techniques to extend the life of the existing roof
- Designing a roof succession plan for the inevitable day when a new roof is needed
Every little part of your roof is part of preventive maintenance. No aspect of your low-slope commercial roof is overlooked, from seams to drains to HVAC curbs and more. Details are recorded, photographs and possibly video records kept, and careful logs established.
An excellent commercial roofer will also assemble as much documentation as possible, maintaining a repair history and warranty information portfolio. When you partner with a local commercial roofer for preventive maintenance, you buy a whole package of protection.
You give up worrying; you transfer any qualms about your low-slope (or steep-slope!) commercial roof to your roofer. You rest easy knowing the roof has your contractor’s full attention. You have the peace of mind that your roofer houses all the vital paperwork for your company’s roof.
And, perhaps best of all, when budget time draws near, you know your roofer can help document expenses, clearly describe anticipated outlays, and provide projections for re-roof or a new roof.
Results May Vary
Preventive maintenance is not a magic diet pill. That means your results and costs with your commercial roof may vary. Programs are custom-tailored, with fees and outcomes based on many factors:
- Your roof’s age
- The roof’s condition, including its repair history or neglect
- The roof square footage
- Materials used in your existing roof
- Prevailing weather conditions
- The amount of foot traffic you anticipate
Your Fremont-area business has a protective partner in commercial roof management with Damschroder Roofing, Inc. Contact us today to learn more about preventive maintenance and our complete range of roofing services from spot repairs to total commercial roof replacement. Your roof. Our reputation.
