Spring Cleaning for your Roof!
Spring Cleaning for your Roof! Why is Spring the Time to Perform Roof Maintenance? Whether you have a residential or commercial property, maintaining your roof is an essential part of preserving the beauty and structure of your property. Most experts in the roofing industry recommend performing routine maintenance on your roof twice per year. As is the case with many commercial or residential upkeep practices, one of the best times to complete routine maintenance is at the change of a season. According to Facilities Net, a site devoted to maintenance management, spring and fall are the best seasons to inspect, evaluate, and execute necessary upkeep on your roof. Spring and fall are the prime seasons for roofing maintenance because the extreme weather conditions in the winter and summer are oftentimes what initiate roofing issues. So before summer hits, do a little spring cleaning for your roof! Step 1: A Routine Inspection
The first step in spring cleaning your roof this season is a routine inspection. First, find an authorized roofing contractor. This roofing professional will typically perform a visual examination of the roof system by walking around the perimeter of the roof to evaluate the edge detail and inspect each penetration of the roof field. If your property is older or if you have not maintained your roof biannually for the past several years, you might want to have a comprehensive roof inspection. If you opt for a comprehensive roof inspection, the roofing professional can identify long term deterioration through a more detailed assessment using more advanced processes, such as infrared scanning.
Step 2: Evaluate the Issues – Common Roofing Complications
Winter weather creates a number of hazards to your roof, which is why spring is an ideal time to perform roof maintenance. Some typical roof challenges to expect as a result of the winter season relate to trees, animals, and temperature fluctuations. When tree limbs fall during the winter, they can puncture or gash your roof. The accumulation of tree limbs and leaves on your roof can also prevent water from draining off your roof properly and cause standing water. Depending on the type of roof you have, standing water can either cause a leak into your property or deteriorate your roof. In the winter, animals seek warmth and shelter from the harsh conditions. This may cause them to claw, scratch, or tear at your roof in attempt to get into your property. Temperature change always results in contraction and expansion in the structure of your property. You may notice this in your doors or windows. They may open or close more easily in certain seasons more so than others. These changes are also impacting your roof. If your property resides in a part of the country that has more volatile temperature fluctuations, your property may be more susceptible to contraction and expansion. As portions of your roof move back and forth they deteriorate, potentially causing holes, separation, and leaks. According to Service Manager Tracy Donels of KPOST, an industry leading commercial roofing and waterproofing contractor, “There is a lot of value in walking the roof before the spring rains set in. After that first big rain is when leaks will appear, many that might have been avoided if a basic inspection was done prior.”
Step 3: Take Action! Resolve Your Roof Problems!
The three primary roofing problems listed above are typically easily repaired by a roofing professional. Normal wear and tear on your roof is expected as your property ages. The key is regularly keeping up with roof maintenance and resolving issues with your roof when they occur before they become exacerbated. “Think of it like performing maintenance on your vehicle before a road trip,” suggests Donels, “You don’t wait until you are on the trip to perform the maintenance. You do it in advance of the long drive. The same is true of roof inspections between major seasonal changes, particularly before the April rainy season.” Letting a roofing complication go undiagnosed or failing to repair a roofing problem could result in a more major issue with your roof or even the interior of your property. Needless to say, these repairs could become quite costly, and if you have a commercial property, this could result in unhappy residents. “When you own or manage a commercial property, the last group you want to be first reporting a leak is your tenant,” says KPOST Director of Business Development Scott Bredehoeft, “By that point, the tenant is already in pain, and the property manager is under duress to make emergency repairs, which are usually more expensive. It’s far better to be proactive than reactive – to be ahead of the culprit rather than behind it. You will want to eliminate as many potential problems as possible before your tenants have to report water in their space. That can be accomplished by a visual inspection of the roof in early spring to look for obvious deficiencies and needed repairs.” So, be sure to keep up with routine roof maintenance biannually each fall and spring!
The first step in spring cleaning your roof this season is a routine inspection. First, find an authorized roofing contractor. This roofing professional will typically perform a visual examination of the roof system by walking around the perimeter of the roof to evaluate the edge detail and inspect each penetration of the roof field. If your property is older or if you have not maintained your roof biannually for the past several years, you might want to have a comprehensive roof inspection. If you opt for a comprehensive roof inspection, the roofing professional can identify long term deterioration through a more detailed assessment using more advanced processes, such as infrared scanning.
Step 2: Evaluate the Issues – Common Roofing Complications
Winter weather creates a number of hazards to your roof, which is why spring is an ideal time to perform roof maintenance. Some typical roof challenges to expect as a result of the winter season relate to trees, animals, and temperature fluctuations. When tree limbs fall during the winter, they can puncture or gash your roof. The accumulation of tree limbs and leaves on your roof can also prevent water from draining off your roof properly and cause standing water. Depending on the type of roof you have, standing water can either cause a leak into your property or deteriorate your roof. In the winter, animals seek warmth and shelter from the harsh conditions. This may cause them to claw, scratch, or tear at your roof in attempt to get into your property. Temperature change always results in contraction and expansion in the structure of your property. You may notice this in your doors or windows. They may open or close more easily in certain seasons more so than others. These changes are also impacting your roof. If your property resides in a part of the country that has more volatile temperature fluctuations, your property may be more susceptible to contraction and expansion. As portions of your roof move back and forth they deteriorate, potentially causing holes, separation, and leaks. According to Service Manager Tracy Donels of KPOST, an industry leading commercial roofing and waterproofing contractor, “There is a lot of value in walking the roof before the spring rains set in. After that first big rain is when leaks will appear, many that might have been avoided if a basic inspection was done prior.”
Step 3: Take Action! Resolve Your Roof Problems!
The three primary roofing problems listed above are typically easily repaired by a roofing professional. Normal wear and tear on your roof is expected as your property ages. The key is regularly keeping up with roof maintenance and resolving issues with your roof when they occur before they become exacerbated. “Think of it like performing maintenance on your vehicle before a road trip,” suggests Donels, “You don’t wait until you are on the trip to perform the maintenance. You do it in advance of the long drive. The same is true of roof inspections between major seasonal changes, particularly before the April rainy season.” Letting a roofing complication go undiagnosed or failing to repair a roofing problem could result in a more major issue with your roof or even the interior of your property. Needless to say, these repairs could become quite costly, and if you have a commercial property, this could result in unhappy residents. “When you own or manage a commercial property, the last group you want to be first reporting a leak is your tenant,” says KPOST Director of Business Development Scott Bredehoeft, “By that point, the tenant is already in pain, and the property manager is under duress to make emergency repairs, which are usually more expensive. It’s far better to be proactive than reactive – to be ahead of the culprit rather than behind it. You will want to eliminate as many potential problems as possible before your tenants have to report water in their space. That can be accomplished by a visual inspection of the roof in early spring to look for obvious deficiencies and needed repairs.” So, be sure to keep up with routine roof maintenance biannually each fall and spring!
