How to Maintain a Commercial Flat Roof

A flat roof can add beauty, functionality, and value to your building. However, these qualities depend on how well you take care of it. Use these practical tips to help you maintain your commercial flat roof.

Routine Inspections

Routine inspections can play a key role in maintaining your commercial flat roof. As a rule, you may find it helpful to have an experienced roofing company examine your roof at least once a year. You should also have it inspected for damage and wear after severe weather events like hail or windstorms.

Document Your Roof Inspections

Documenting your inspections can assist you in keeping your roof in good condition. After each inspection, you can make a note of the roofer’s findings and use that information to determine if your roof requires further professional service. It also allows you to determine when to schedule your next inspection.

Clear Debris

Debris such as tree branches and leaves can inflict damage like punctures and cracks to your roof. Every few months, you need to clear this kind of debris off your flat roofing. This task not only helps the roof look cleaner and more appealing, but it can also prolong the roof’s life span.

Check for and Remove Pooling Water

Pooling water can collect dirt, attract pests, and deteriorate your roof’s membrane, coating, and flashing. This can lead to costly damage not only to your roof but also inside your commercial building. You can mitigate the risk by checking for and removing pooled water.

Apply Coating

High-quality coating can protect the appearance and longevity of your commercial flat roof. The types of coatings you have to choose from include acrylic and silicone. You can also opt for polyurethane or a rubber asphalt membrane to coat the roof. Coating the roof at least every five years helps it last longer.

Inspect the Flashings

Part of maintaining your commercial flat roof involves inspecting the flashings around the skylights, vents, and edges for wear and tear. This helps you find and address damage before it gets worse. It can also save you money on roof repairs and help prevent structural damage to your building.

Clear the Drains and Gutters

Once or twice a year, you should also clean out the drains and gutters on your building’s roof. This helps water drain off your roof, preventing damage like rot and leaks. It also prevents pest infestations, prolongs the life span of your gutters, and contributes to a better-looking roof.

Repair Cracks and Blisters

Damage from cracks or blisters detracts from the appearance and functionality of your building’s roof. You should hire an experienced roofer to repair this type of damage for you. A roofer may use materials like cement to patch cracks and blisters and coat the roof to prevent future deterioration.

Seal the Seams

Because of the minimal slope of your flat commercial roof, it can develop water leaks and pools of water faster and easier than other types of roofs. Sealing the roof creates an effective waterproof barrier so water cannot penetrate the structure and cause expensive water damage inside your building.

Inspect for Vegetation

Flat roofs can also create ideal environments for vegetation to take root and grow. You need to inspect your roof regularly for vegetation like weeds, vines, tree seedlings, and other growth. Their roots can penetrate the roof, leading to moisture retention and aesthetic damage.

Maintain Your HVAC Unit

Routine HVAC maintenance plays a key role in keeping your commercial flat roof in good condition. This measure prevents structural damage to the building, mitigates the risk of water damage, and reduces weight stress. You should also securely fasten your HVAC unit on the roof to ensure parts of it do not blow around in high winds, causing damage.

Clean Mildew and Algae

Mildew and algae can ruin the look of your roof, degrading your structure’s curb appeal, and potentially impacting the value of your building. This type of growth can retain moisture that seeps into your roofing materials and causes interior damage. Cleaning it during routine maintenance protects your roof and the building beneath it.

Properly Ventilate Your Attic

You can maintain your roof’s function and look by properly ventilating the attic or top level of your building. Proper ventilation helps with temperature regulation, preventing excessive heat buildup that gets trapped under your roofing materials. It also reduces moisture buildup, minimizing risks like wood rot and algae growth.

Minimize Foot Traffic

High foot traffic can also inflict damage on your commercial flat roof and ruin the way it looks and functions. To take the best care of your building’s rooftop, you should minimize foot traffic on it and only allow experienced professionals like roofers to go there.

Look for Rust

Rust compromises the structural integrity of your building’s roof. It weakens the roof’s ability to support weight and withstand weather like high winds and snow. It can also lead to damage that allows water to leak inside your building and ruin the structure and fixtures. You should look for and remove rust during routine roof maintenance.

Inspect the Roof Edges

The routine upkeep of your commercial flat roof should also include a close inspection of its edges. The edges can deteriorate because of age and normal wear and tear. They can also suffer damage during thunderstorms and high winds.

Replace Damaged Materials

When you hire a roofing service to maintain your roof, you should replace any damaged materials the roofers find during their inspections. Replacing faulty materials prevents damage from spreading and becoming costlier to repair. This practical tip also protects the appraisal value of your property.

Inspect the Roof Membrane

Inspecting the membrane of your roof plays a key role in its upkeep. The membrane could consist of material like PVC, synthetic rubber, or modified bitumen. It can also experience damage like shrinkage, punctures, or the failure of its seams. You should have a roofer look for and repair these types of issues to protect the function of your roof membrane.

Be Weather Aware

Maintaining your commercial flat roof calls for you to be aware of the weather. When you expect bad weather like high winds or thunderstorms, you can take preventative measures like trimming tree branches that grow close to or over your roof. You can also make sure the gutters are clear and tightly in place to drain water off the roof.

Review Your Roof Warranty

If you have a warranty on your roof, you may find it helpful to review it periodically to remind yourself what maintenance tasks it requires of you. Hiring roofers to maintain your roof every six months to a year can keep your warranty active and also ensure the longevity and functionality of the roof.

Choose Our Professional Roofing Service for All Your Needs

Our team at Warren Thompson & Son Roofing & Siding has more than 50 years of experience maintaining commercial flat roofs in and around the Alpha, NJ community. We have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and serve the area as a GAF Master Elite certified provider. Our business can offer you exceptional service and quality when you hire us to maintain, install, or repair your building’s roof. We also handle siding and gutters. Contact us today to learn more about our roofing maintenance services!