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Roofs: They're Definitely at the Top!

3 Top Reasons To Replace Your Commercial Roof

6 July 2021

Brian Riley

When you own a business, it's easy to neglect the actual building and solely focus on the product and customers. However, without regular maintenance, the building starts to deteriorate, which can affect your bottom line by upsetting employees and/or making customers feel unsafe or unwelcome.  

One of the most vulnerable parts of your business is the commercial roof. If you would like to know more, check out these three top reasons to replace your commercial roof.

1. The Roof Is Old and/or Severely Damaged

Even with great installation and regular maintenance, your commercial roof won't last forever. Many factors affect the lifespan of the roof, including installation, slope, ventilation, and maintenance.

As the roof starts to age, it develops weak spots that turn into leaks, which leads to mold and moisture. In turn, the moisture could attract pests and/or break down the building's materials, like the siding, insulation, drywall, etc.

Mold and pests can affect the work environment, making your employees less motivated. Plus, certain molds and pests can spread disease and/or worsen breathing complications, so you may have more employees calling in sick.

Sometimes, it's hard to tell if your roof is getting old and/or has experienced damage. Luckily, there are some signs that could indicate commercial roof damage. For starters, damaged roof flashing can be problematic. Flashing is installed anywhere two joints meet. This helps better seal the joints for moisture protection. Therefore, damaged flashing can easily allow water to enter the home.

2. You Need to Add Drainage

Standing water is often a problem on flat commercial roofs, especially if the drainage is lacking. Without adequate drainage, the water simply pools on the roof. Not only does this give the water plenty of time to cause damage, but it also adds weight to the roof. Ideally, you want drains directly on the roof that take away the water rather than gutters around the edge that collect water.

If your roof doesn't have adequate drainage, you may be able to add some, but it may be best to simply replace the entire roof. Since the roof hasn't been able to drain properly, there is likely underlying water damage. Adding drains can help the problem moving forward, but it can't fix the already existing water damage.

Regardless of the type of roof you have, if moss grows unchecked, you may have a drainage problem too. Even if you have a drainage system, the moss may block the water from reaching the drains and/or the moss can absorb water, prevent it from escaping the roof. Again, moss can be removed, but if it's been left unchecked for a long time, there may be underlying water damage.

3. Your Energy Bills Keep Rising

Finally, sometimes, your roof seems like it's in perfect condition, but it's still causing problems. You already know that on cold days, wearing a hat keeps you warm, and wearing a hat on a hot day makes you too hot. This is because heat easily escapes via your head, since heat rises. Similarly, heat easily escapes via your roof.

You can't put a hat on your roof, but you can use color to help reflect and/or absorb light as desired. If your building keeps getting too hot, get a white roof. On the other hand, if you live in a cold climate, and the building is always too cold, get a dark roof.

Don't neglect your business's building. A poorly maintained commercial roof can lead to serious and expensive problems, including moisture damage and heat gain. If you would like to know more, contact a commercial/industrial roofer in your area today.

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