10 Reasons Roofs Should Be Inspected

Roofs are often said to be like tires. We only think of them when a problem arises, and we only replace them when we absolutely must. But, when we do think of tires and maintain them regularly, we can extend their useful lives. Similarly, we need to ensure that the roof receives the proper maintenance to increase its useful life.

Extending roof life starts with regular inspections. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends inspecting all roofs twice a year: once after the coldest weather, once after the hottest weather. (And it's always a good idea to inspect the roof following any major weather event.) But why should roofs be inspected, and what do we hope to discover by doing so?

All roofs should be inspected whether they are low slope roofs or steep roofs. A low slope roof is one with a slope of less than 3:12 whereas a roof with a slope greater than 3:12 is considered to be a steep roof. All low slope roofs should have at least 2 percent slope, which is approximately 1⁄4-inch per foot.

What follows are ten pieces of advices — or the ten most common reasons — to inspect roofs at least twice per year.

1. Weathering and Aging
The benchmark life for multi-ply bituminous low-slope roofs is 20 to 30 years and approximately 15 to 25 years for most single-ply roofs. All roofs undergo normal weathering and aging, and the effects of those factors are usually visible. As roofs weather and age normally, openings may occur, leading to water infiltration. Regular inspections call attention to weathered areas and enable an owner to schedule maintenance on these deficiencies to prevent further damage.

2. Routine Maintenance Damage
If your roof is not protected properly, damage can occur from tradespeople performing maintenance on air conditioners and other systems. This sometimes occurs because of trades failing to close mechanical access panels on roofs or leaving refrigerant containers. In addition, maintenance trades often fail to clean up their debris. Items left on roofs can become flying objects in high winds. A regular inspection program incorporates roof cleaning into the ongoing maintenance cycle.

3. Storm Damage
High winds, hail, and other weather events can create damage to roofs that may trigger repairs or insurance claims. Roofs should be inspected immediately following weather events to prevent further damage due to water infiltration. Damage from winds or hail can be slight and require little more than minor maintenance, or the problems can be major and require roof replacement. Insurance loss adjusters have reported that a significant amount of storm damage is actually caused by material, components, or debris blown from roofs in high winds. Tree limbs and branches can fall on roofs creating significant damage. Roof blow-offs start at the perimeter, and when roofs are not properly designed or installed to provide proper perimeter securement, severe damage can occur. Storm damage may require emergency repairs costing even more money.

Regular inspections are a great way to keep the roof in good shape. Among other things, an inspection can help find leaks, drainage problems, and damage from vegetation.

4. Leak Assessment
Leaks after heavy rain are the primary trigger for most inspections. But a leak is only symptomatic of a problem that may have been building for some time. In some cases, if you're looking for a silver lining, a leak is actually good news. That's because without evidence of a roof leak, a festering problem of undetected moisture infiltration may continue to create unseen deterioration, such as rotting wood, mold, wet insulation, or corrosion.

It takes an experienced professional to conduct a thorough leak investigation and diagnosis, because the entry point for moisture may be far away from the visual evidence or detection point. Leaks can be evidence of serious roof problems or minor local issues. Many roofs in excellent condition occasionally have leaks due to minor flashing problems.

As a general rule, low slope roofs rarely leak in the open field of the roof. Leaks tend to occur around discontinuities, such as changes in elevation, penetrations, expansion joints, and flashings. On the other hand, severely deteriorated roofs may not show visible evidence of leakage, particularly over concrete decks where water may migrate a great distance before reaching an entry point through the concrete. When such a condition occurs, damage due to moisture saturation of the roof insulation may be so significant that the roof must be replaced.

5. Proper Drainage
Few characteristics are as important to roof performance as roof slope and drainage. Water standing on a roof increases the likelihood of leaks and moisture infiltration many-fold. Ensuring good drainage is a very important reason for regular roof inspections. Leaves, trash, debris, and thrown objects often clog or obstruct roof drains, thus creating standing water conditions. Regular cleaning of roofs can help remove such obstructions and permit water to drain efficiently, thereby reducing the likelihood of leaks. Moreover, water is heavy — weighing approximately 5 pounds per square foot per inch deep. Poor drainage also accelerates deterioration of roofing materials, leading to a shorter life of the entire roof assembly. If a leak occurs from standing water, insulation can become saturated over a wide area, requiring complete roof replacement.

6. Vegetation Damage
Vegetation can grow on roofs when gutters and other low areas are not cleaned regularly. Birds land and nest on roofs. They also deposit seeds, which promote the growth of vegetation. Gutters are a particular source of vegetation growth because of the accumulation of dirt, seeds, and moisture. In addition, tree branches scraping on roofs during wind can cause significant damage. Gutters should be cleaned regularly, and trees near roofs should be trimmed to prevent contact with roof surfaces.

A further problem with vegetation growth is that roots can penetrate through the roof membrane and create leakage. Root damage to roofs from vegetation can be significant and pervasive. Regular inspection can help draw an owner's attention to a budding problem before further damage is done.

With the roof, out of sight often means out of mind. That's unfortunate, since regular roof inspections can help avoid long term costs. A better strategy is for facility managers to make roof inspections a priority.

7. Roof Cleaning
Regular roof inspections also draw attention to the need for regular roof cleaning. No task can provide a better payback than the low-cost practice of cleaning trash and debris from the roof. A clean roof is less likely to have wind damage. Loose trash and debris not only may cause wind damage in a storm, but trash tends to wash to the low points at drains or gutters. Trash obstructs proper roof drainage and creates leak problems that would otherwise not exist.

8. Security
Thieves often break into buildings through unlocked roof hatches or skylights. Regular inspections can disclose security breaches and enable owners to reduce the likelihood of vandalism or burglary. While a broken skylight is likely to be a source of water leakage, unsecured skylights can also present a security threat.

9. Warranty Repairs
Many owners pay for repairs that are covered under a contractor or manufacturer's roof warranty. Leaks can be caused by many factors, only some of which are covered under a roof warranty. However, when a leak is detected, an owner should have a qualified person perform an inspection to determine whether or not to file a warranty claim. When a roof warranty claim is filed, the contractor or manufacturer will visit the site and make a determination whether the leak or repair is covered. The key for the owner is maintaining possession and ready access to the warranty document, as well as timely filing of the claim.

10. Needed Improvements
Regular inspections highlight the need for continual building improvements, many of which affect the roof. For example, the increased presence of electronic equipment, computers, security systems, and video displays has encouraged many owners to install lightning protection on older buildings.

Roof access is an important provision for all buildings. It is well known in the industry that roofs that are accessible are maintained while roofs that are difficult to access are ignored. Regular inspections are facilitated with improved safe access to roofs. Installing permanent ladders and safety rails around roof hatches greatly facilitates safe access to roofs.

Establishing a schedule for routine roof inspections should be a priority for building owners. Inspections are inexpensive and can provide valuable information that can prevent expensive repairs later. In addition, regular roof inspections provide a checklist for routine maintenance work and enable owners to prepare budgets for future years. Roof inspections are the first step in a proactive roof management program that can help owners have planned and scheduled repairs instead of emergency leak repairs. Few other building maintenance procedures provide a better return on investment than regular roof inspections.

7 Tools To Help You Better Manage Your Roofing System In 2013

Preventative Maintenance – Star Program
We live in a world looking for short-term, quick fix solutions. We often compromise the end-goal by taking the road of least resistance. When it comes to our roofs, we frequently have the misconception that if our roofs are not leaking, we don’t need to bother with them. This out-of sight, out-of-mind perspective is one of the root causes for premature roofing failures and increased roofing budgets. The simple fact is that buildings do not get better with age. We’ve all learned that in order to get the maximum service life and utilization out of our hard assets, we need to perform regular and routine maintenance on them. We have learned these lessons in our personal lives with our homes, cars, appliances, lawn mowers, etc. These items last longer and perform better with routine maintenance and care. We have also learned the economic benefits of spending money to make money. Think of the comparison between the $19.95 oil changes in your car versus the $1,995.000 upper engine block replacement because we neglected routine oil changes. The fact is that it is always cheaper to repair and maintain almost anything in a building than it is to replace it. Get started on a cost effective preventative maintenance plan by visiting MyRAMCON.com and see the details.

Tenant Improvement Program
Whenever buildings are leased, owners and managers must deal with a whole range of issues. Tenant improvements can be one of the most difficult. It’s surprising how many roof leaks occur as a result of tenant improvements. This is because roof penetrations that are installed during tenant improvements are often done improperly. Quite often, problems don’t develop until much later. Sometimes the tenant has moved out before the problem is discovered...trust us, RAMCON fully understands this situation. To help avoid headaches, we’ve developed a program that can help. We call this simply our Tenant Improvement Program. There are several advantages in establishing this type of program. The most obvious is that you are assured that the roof will be sealed properly. When RAMCON is involved, “the buck stops here”. You don’t have to worry about going back to the tenant to recover the cost of repairing the problem later; it’s done right the first time. For more information, places to direct your tenants or letter templates to send to your clients informing them of the requirement of using your roofer for any roof work, visit ramconroofing.com/tenant-improvement-program.htm

Set Up Your Client Portal
Take control of your roofing investment and streamline your roof management. With your free portal, you can see every invoice, photograph, work order and much more from any computer, tablet or smartphone. Report leaks directly into the RAMCON system and track them until completion with live time updates. When storms wreak havoc, all the information you need is right at your fingertips and RAMCON can respond immediately. Visit MyRAMCON.com to set up your portal or contact us anytime.

Protect Roof Around Your Mechanical Units
1,293. That’s the number of punctures or damage areas to your roofing systems we repaired in 2012 as a direct result of damage from HVAC work at, and/or near, the access panel of the HVAC unit. Install walkway pads around the service side of the HVAC units and we can help you eliminate 95% of these problems! Also, RAMCON can provide free stickers to apply to your mechanical units that warn your venders that they will be back charged for damage resulting from their actions (a little reminder never hurt anyone!) To learn more about surface protection and to get the free stickers, visit ramconroofing/membrane-protection.htm.

Use Your Manufacturer’s Warranty
You paid good money for your Warranty from the manufacturer…be sure to use it and protect it. When you have a roof leak and your roof is under warranty, there is a good chance that the manufacturer is liable and not you! Therefore, contact the manufacturer after you call RAMCON and tell them you have a roof leak and they’ll send us the required paperwork so they can eat the cost…not you. To assist, we have a dedicated page that shows you the ‘ins and outs’ of contacting practically ever manufacturer in existence. Visit ramconroofing.com/reportleaktomanufacturer.htm.

Accurate Budgeting Projections
‘Educated Guess’ and ‘Shot in the Dark’ are probably familiar terms to describe many owners and managers gut feeling when finally arriving at the bottom line figure for your roofing budget. It’s perfectly understandable, given the fact the roof is constantly evolving and roof budgeting is not an exact science. Good news is, we can help. We have dedicated teams who do nothing but comprehensive evaluations (free for our clients!) that will help you arrive at ‘exact’ numbers using historical documentation and live time condition updates. We’ll get you closer than you’ve ever been and show you ways to minimize the costs. Some pay thousands for a ‘educated guess’. We’ll get you even closer for free.

Take Advantage Of Our Thermal Imaging Capabilities
$1,716.00. $2,100.00. $2,450.00. Those are three prices we received in June 2012 to do a thermal infrared survey to identify moisture points in a roofing systems. Here’s the truth: we really didn’t need the service. We have our own Thermal IR Survey team with the latest infrared technology and we can help you out for absolutely free. From targeting nagging leaks, to identifying saturated insulation points and much more, RAMCON brings the complete package to your roof top. Just another added benefit of being a RAMCON client. Visit ramconroofing.com/thermal-roof-surveys.htm to learn more.

Supporting Your Roof Warranty

The goal of a warranty is to ensure a quality roof installation that provides long-term performance. But a warranty alone has never kept a building dry.

The best way to guarantee long-term performance once a roof is in place is to develop a comprehensive roof management plan. An effective plan includes periodic inspections, maintenance/repairs, and it promotes a proactive approach to guarantee long-term performance.

Consider this: Roof systems with no maintenance last 9 to 12 years on average, according to the National Roofing Contractors Association. A properly maintained roof system will provide service life that is more than double the time of a one that is not.

Roof management programs should include establishing a historical record, performing regular roof inspections, establishing routine maintenance programs, and developing policies and procedures to implement the program.

Managers should know the location of their warranty documents and refer to them periodically. Many manufacturers figure that 50 percent of managers either lose or forget about written warranties, which only benefits them. With RAMCON, we always keep a file on hand, so if you ever need it, it’s available immediately.

Regular roof inspections can identify small problems before they develop into leaks or become catastrophes. Manufacturers often recommend inspecting roofs at least twice annually, with corrective action taken on the deficiencies that exist.

A warranty includes both limitations and benefits, but it is not a substitute for proper roof design, quality installation, and a proactive roof management program. Give us a call and we’ll do a complimentary inspection and provide a comprehensive analysis of your roof with one of our signature roof maintenance programs; showing you the ‘math’ on the savings that exists in reduced leak expenses and extended roof service life. When it comes to the best proactive roof management, Florida’s top building owners and managers consistently turn to our pros at RAMCON.

Don’t Wait ‘Til It’s Too Late!

Most maintenance and engineering managers face the quandary of too many problem roofs for the money available. The problem might well be a lack of money, but it could also be the lack of a coherent roof management plan.

Most managers in commercial and institutional facilities agree that regular inspections are an essential part of a roof asset management program. They also recognize and agree with the basic roof management tenet that regular inspections and routine maintenance reduce ownership costs, reduce leak frequency and severity, extend roof life, and reduce management inefficiencies.

But, in practice, by the time many organizations think about starting a roof management plan, they need a roof-replacement program. The obligation to fund and implement roof replacements has supplanted the opportunities to maintain and repair. If organizations can extend the life of each built-up roof under management one year, they break even on the roof-management plan costs. If they can extend each roof by two or three years, the plan can reduce roof expenditures by a multiple of its costs.

So why don’t all organizations have a viable inspection and maintenance plan for their built-up roofs? Is it inertia or a fear of the unknown? The reasons are hard to fathom, but what is certain is that some plans never get started. Also certain is that even a minimal plan is better than no plan. The best advice for managers is to start now.