They say nothing lasts forever, and it’s true. Not even the strongest commercial roof has an infinite lifespan, but with a solid maintenance plan and proper repairs, you can extend the life of just about any roof.
When you own commercial property, roof repairs are inevitable, but they aren’t always cheap. If you don’t handle small repairs before they become bigger issues, you could end up paying thousands more than you should.
For example, if you catch a leak when it starts, it might only cost a few hundred dollars to have it fixed at the root. If you ignore the leak for months or even years and apply frequent surface-level patches each time it rains, you could end up with tens of thousands of dollars in damage, and you won’t know until you look deeper.
What if you could take great care of your roof and avoid common issues? It’s possible. The following tips will help you keep your roof in good shape with minimal repairs.
Get Professional Roof Inspections
Regular professional commercial roof inspections will help you address problems before they grow into nightmares, like small leaks that can damage entire rooms.
Inspections give the pros a chance to look at your entire roof to see what’s going on in full. You never know what they might find:
- Pooling water
- Punctures
- Flashing problems
- Punctures
- Shrinkage
- Surface erosion
- Substandard installation
Professional commercial roof inspections will uncover these and other issues so you can fix them right away.
Never DIY Your Roof Repairs
We live in a do-it-yourself culture where you can find tips and tricks for doing just about anything, including roof repair. While some of this information can be extremely helpful, it’s not advised to rely on DIY tricks alone.
Water damage is one of the biggest risks with self-repair, and it’s one of the worst problems to deal with. Nobody knows the devastation of water damage like these homeowners who haven’t had a real roof in over a year. They’ve been winging it with tarps and it’s not enough to keep the rain out.
This is the harsh reality of DIY solutions – they don’t really work. When you hire a pro you’ll get a professional roof repair or replacement that will keep all the elements out and your roof will last for many years to come.
There are a handful of reasons not to perform your own commercial roof repairs:
- Risk for injury. You’re at risk of falling off the roof and becoming injured when you do your own repairs.
- Expensive repairs. If you don’t handle an issue properly, it could end up costing you more money in the long run.
- Repetitive fixes. You’re at a disadvantage when you aren’t a roofing professional. The fixes you implement might need to be redone over and over again.
- Not targeting the root. When you try to fix a problem yourself, you might not actually be fixing it at the root. The problem will then reappear frequently.
- Not knowing how to spot growing issues. Professional roof repair teams can look at a commercial roof and spot areas of weakness and disrepair. If you get up on your roof to fix a small issue and don’t know how to do a full roof inspection, you’ll miss issues that would have been spotted by a pro.
Be Proactive With Landscaping
Being proactive about cutting back tree limbs by a tree service and removing plant debris is one of the simplest ways to prevent roof repairs. Branches and twigs can puncture shingles and tiles, and accumulated debris can create holes that allow water to flow down into the structure.
Don’t Use the Bandage Approach
If you want to reduce the number and frequency of your roof repairs, don’t use bandage solutions. A bandage solution covers the symptom but doesn’t address the problem. For example, drying up pools of water doesn’t stop it from happening again. Likewise, using tar to patch a roof leak will stop the water from getting inside, but it won’t fix the rotting wood and/or drywall on the inside.
Temporary fixes can be good when you’ve got a professional roofer scheduled to fix the issue, but they never make good long-term solutions.
Minimize Commercial Roof Repairs With Professional Services
Ultimately, the best way to minimize roof repairs is to use commercial roofing services. Get your annual inspections and follow their recommendations. They’ll be able to work with any roofing system you have. Professionals know what to look for and can either extend the life of your existing roof or replace it entirely. Both options will preserve the value of your commercial property and keep it in good shape for many years to come.