All roofing systems require periodic maintenance, service, or repairs at some point. The best thing you can do for your commercial building is to proactively prepare for commercial roofing service. In many cases, when a problem is identified early and properly repaired, the extent and cost of repairs will be significantly less than if problems are ignored.
After working with hundreds of commercial building owners and property managers across Tennessee and Alabama over the years, we’ve identified six tips to help you plan and prepare for any commercial roofing service or repair that your building may need.
1. Implement Commercial Roofing Preventative Maintenance Best Practices
When it comes to commercial roofing, the best defense is a good offense. Building owners and property managers who make preventative roof maintenance a regular part of their schedules will see benefits for their buildings over the long term. Your preventative maintenance plan should include everything from performing regular inspections and watching for potential leaks to regular debris removal and preparation for seasonal changes.
2. Keep Maintenance Logs & Record Previous Repairs
Keeping a record of any service activity can be incredibly helpful when it comes to roof maintenance. In the chance that you do need to hire a professional roofing contractor, this previous maintenance log becomes an extremely useful tool for them to quickly reference previous work. It can also be helpful for you when selling a property.
A maintenance log can help you keep a record of who goes up onto your roof, the day and time they are on the roof, where they were working, and why they were there.
3. Know the Fine Print on Your Warranties
Warranties are an important part of any repair job. It’s helpful to know if the parts or areas that need repair are still under a manufacturer’s warranty. The challenge that some commercial roofs often have is their materials are from a variety of different manufacturers. This is where finding a trusted roofing partner can help. Rather than having to keep track of all the various warranties and details, commercial building owners can work with a roofing company to help manage their warranties.
4. Decide How You’ll Choose an Experienced Reputable Commercial Roofing Partner
When you need someone to work on your building’s roof, be sure to hire only an experienced and reputable roofer. How do you choose a qualified roofing contractor? The first step is finding a contractor with proper licensing, insurance, and safety certifications. From there, it’s important to consider their reputation, the quality of their work, and their ability to support your greatest needs.
5. Recognize What Questions to Ask
Knowing what questions to ask before any repairs are needed can give you confidence that your roof is being properly repaired. In addition to knowing the common questions about commercial roofing projects, it’s also helpful to recognize what questions to ask before hiring a roofing contractor. Asking these questions can help maintain clear and open communication throughout the repair process.
6. Don’t Ignore Minor Issues
Our final tip to proactively prepare for commercial roofing service is to take every issue seriously. The idea that you can avoid addressing a “minor problem” is one of the biggest misconceptions about commercial roofing maintenance. Minor problems can add up over time, causing major problems for your roof or the structure of the building itself.
Whether you’re looking to proactively prepare for roof repairs or if you find yourself in an emergency situation that needs immediate service, our team at Maxwell Roofing & Sheet Metal can help. Our 24/7 emergency service is designed to address issues quickly and keep your building safe.
Contact our team to learn how we can support your commercial roofing service needs by finding the problem, fixing the problem, and looking for opportunities to improve the lifespan of your roof.