Like every consumable thing, commercial roofs won’t last forever. However, they are designed to last for a fairly long time: up to thirty years or more, depending on the type of roofing system. The most effective thing you can do as a business owner to reduce your roof’s lifespan is to ignore it completely. A commercial roof that receives little to no maintenance is likely to give out after only fifteen years — a pretty short window in the grand scheme of long-term business operations, not to mention your personal ambitions.
Instead of waiting for your roof to collapse and compromise all your hard work, you can be proactive about your roofing care. Aside from scheduling regular maintenance inspections twice a year, you can stay on the lookout for common indications of damage. Since you see the inside of your building every day at work anyway, it shouldn’t be too much extra time to glance around for the common signs of interior damage. If you do catch any of these issues, you may be in need of a commercial roof repair project to address the problem immediately before it gets any worse.
Stains
Stains left behind from evaporated water are perhaps the most common and easily recognizable signs of commercial roofing damage. They appear as yellowish or brown marks in the shape of a puddle of water. If you see stains on your ceiling or walls, you’ll know your roof is leaking. Although, because water can seep through a long distance, you won’t be able to know the exact location of the leak in your roof based on where the stains show up.
Pooling Water
If water is leaking into the building from the roof, you’re also likely to find small pools of water on the floor. Similar to water stains, the location of the collected water will not necessarily help you find the leakage point. Anytime you see water stains or pooled water, give your roofing maintenance contractor a call immediately. Certified roofing professionals will know how to perform a controlled water test to reveal the leak’s location.
Mold & Mildew
Just as NASA scientists search for water on distant planets as a possible indicator of life, you can rest assured that life will grow anywhere in your building where water is present. Unfortunately for you, some of these life forms (alien or otherwise) can pose a severe health and safety threat to your employees and customers. Moisture from a leak can create the ideal conditions for mold, fungi, and mildew to grow. Stay on the watch for black spots on the walls and ceiling or any strange odors throughout the building.
Energy Usage
Water is the main culprit in most roofing damages. It can weaken your roofing structure, create sagging areas that turn into holes, and seep into the insulation. Holes in your roof and soaked insulation won’t do much to keep your office cool in the summer or warm in the winter. If you notice the HVAC system straining more than usual, yet it still feels a bit chilly or uncomfortably hot, then you might want to check in on how your roof is doing. Don’t forget to take a closer look at your energy bill this month. How much energy and money are you wasting on temperature management that could have been avoided if your roof functioned correctly?
Roofing Health Is Integral to Success
As a driven business owner, you’re already hyper-focused on a myriad of things, from marketing and sales growth to internal management and product refinement — which means you probably don’t think very often about the roof over your head. Yet ensuring your commercial roof’s longevity is one of the easiest and most financially efficient things you can do to set your business up for success. All it takes is regular maintenance and a keen eye for certain telling signs of damage to keep your roof in tiptop shape.