It’s important for building owners to go through the details of their commercial roofing warranty at least twice. In particular, you need to find out the types of damage that are covered under your warranty and the things that can void your warranty.
Roof warranties can get too technical at times. Here’s a primer on some of the essential details about commercial roof warranties every building owner should know:
There are only two entities qualified to provide warranties: the manufacturer of the materials used to build your roof and the roofer who installed them. Warranties provided by roofers tend to be shorter than manufacturer warranties. However, in terms of coverage, the difference between the two isn’t as clear-cut. That’s mostly because there are four kinds of manufacturer warranties.
Here’s an overview of their respective pros and cons:
What are the types of roofing damage that aren’t usually covered by a commercial roof warranty?
How often should your commercial roof undergo maintenance? As a rule, your commercial roofing system should be inspected at least twice a year, ideally in spring and fall. Commercial and residential roofs should also undergo inspections after a storm or extreme weather event.
What if there aren’t any leaks? It would still be a good idea to have your commercial roof inspected. That’s because it takes some time for the warning signs of roof damage to appear. And by the time they do emerge, it’s already too late to mitigate damage.
Thanks to their low slope, commercial roofs are more vulnerable to leaks and moisture damage than residential roofing systems. (The term flat roof is a bit of a misnomer: they’re slightly elevated to ensure water flows to the drains.) If the drains are clogged, water will start to pond on its surface. As a rule, ponding water on a flat roof shouldn’t be left unattended for more than 48 hours. Otherwise, it will eventually start to seep into the roof’s underlayers. Remember: commercial roofs aren’t designed to handle excess weight loads for long periods of time
It’s highly recommended that you formulate a commercial roof maintenance strategy to keep track of your roof’s maintenance. Here are some tips on formulating one with your roofer:
Inform your roofing contractor about your long-term vision for your building – During the initial consultation with your roofer, you should inform them about the long-term vision for your building. Do you have plans to expand your building in the near future? And how integral is your building to your company?
Show your contractor your roof’s maintenance records – The records will help your roofer identify how frequently your roof needs to be maintained and if any of its components needs to be replaced.
Here’s a pro-tip: A roofing file can help you keep track of your roof’s maintenance history. It should contain the date of your roof’s installation, manufacturer or brand of the roofing materials (sticking to one brand helps keep your roof’s performance consistent), details about your roof’s warranty, and any changes or upgrades to the roofing components.
Discuss the budget for your maintenance routine – Some building owners think roof maintenance is an unnecessary expense. However, they often fail to take into account the costs of not maintaining their roof. Roof repairs might not seem that much, but the costs can quickly pile up. And no matter how you look at it, maintenance costs seem minuscule compared to the cost of a new roof. Remember: While it’s important to stay within budget, you shouldn’t get too preoccupied with the costs.
What are the things your commercial roofing maintenance strategy should contain?
For more maintenance tips, consult one of your local commercial roofers.
Kingdom Roofing offers a wide range of professional commercial and residential roofing services. To get a free estimate, call us at (941) 217-2411 or fill out this form.
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