When it comes to commercial roofing the last thing you want to do is let a problem get so out of hand that it causes extensive damage. As everybody knows, the more damage, the higher the price tag will be in order to fix it. Issues that seem like they might not be such a big deal can grow as time passes or weather changes so it is wise to keep an eye on anything that might seem like a problem with a commercial roof.
Sometimes issues aren’t so noticeable until there is extensive damage that shows up in the form of a hole in the ceiling, or worse. In any event, we want to let you in on a few things to keep an eye on that may need you to get in touch with a commercial contractor as soon as possible.
1 Heavy Storm
Sometimes the weather can get extremely intense. If you experience a heavy storm with large gusts of wind, rain, sleet, hail, and any other kind of water assault it is a good idea to have your roof inspected afterward. In the event that water pours so quickly and heavily onto the roof if there is not enough sufficient drainage, the water can pool up and cause leaks into the material underneath.
Depending on the type of roof that the building has, there could be the potential for leaking and water damage that you would not know about unless you took a physical look at it.
Between strong winds and heavy rain or snowfall, the potential for extensive damage is pretty high. It is always best to have a commercial roofing contractor take a look at anything that might be an issue.
2 Summer Heat
Some places get much hotter during the summer than others. For example, they say that the coldest winter ever is a summer in San Francisco. However, there are places during the summer that exceed 114 degrees for over 10 hours a day.
Heat like this dries things out and can cause damage to a roof that you would not be aware of until after the first heavy rain. In fact, even after the rain, you might still be unaware of any issues because they can start out small and grow as time passes.
It is important to get the roof checked out after an extended period of hot summer days. The heat can cause some materials to dry out and crack, or get weak and be on the verge of cracking.
The great thing about contacting a roofing contractor before an issue has the chance to get out of hand is that they can identify the problem and provide a solution before it turns into a situation where the entire structure of the building becomes compromised.
3 People on Roof
Although commercial roofs are built much sturdier and stronger than ordinary roofs, when people walk on them that don’t know how to walk on them they can cause damage that remains undetected until something goes terribly wrong.
Sometimes people like to climb onto rooftops just for something to do, while others get on the roof to find ways to break into the building. In any case, when somebody gets on a commercial roof and walks around there are a number of things that can happen.
Depending on the type of roof, and the extent of the activities that came to pass while the people were up there there is the potential for substantial damage to happen. Whenever there have been people on a roof that do not know what they are doing, it is best to have a roofing contractor take a look and see if there are any issues because of it.
4 Noticeable Debris on Roof
If you are standing on the ground and can see debris on the roof that you know is not supposed to be there it is best to get ahold of your roofing contractor to check it out. You never know how things end up on a roof. Sometimes wind can blow debris from trees or other nearby structures.
In addition to winds blowing debris onto the roof, there is also the possibility of vandals throwing objects up there as well. It is not uncommon for people to toss things up onto roofs for various reasons from hiding evidence, to just being drunk and stupid.
5 Ice Buildup on Roof
If your building is located in an area that is prone to freezing and ice it is best to get a roof inspection by a roofing contractor if you can see globs of ice anywhere on the roof. Big, long, chunks of ice on a roof are known as “ice dams” which can cause water to back up on the roof. When water has a chance to pool up on a roof it can cause serious problems and result in extensive damage.
In the event that you can actually see an ice dam on the roof it is time to get a hold of a contractor to go up there and remove all of the dams before they cause even more problems than just being a big eyesore.
6 Moisture Under Eaves
Whenever you see moisture under the eaves of a roof it is time to get in touch with a contractor and have it assessed. Although moisture can build up underneath the eaves because of external condensation, if there is a chance that the moisture is seeping through a crack in the top of the roof, it has to be taken care of as soon as possible.
Small leaks in the outside of the roof will lead to big leaks and big-time damage.
7 Mold or Dryrot
If you take a look around your structure and notice any mold or dry rot that could be the result of a small roof leak you should get in touch with a roofing contractor as soon as possible. Mold and fungus will not stop growing if the conditions are right. Your tiny patch of rot could easily turn into a whole panel of the roof collapsing because of the damaged wood.
Even if the problem does not seem like anything to be alarmed about, it is worth spending a little bit of money to help prevent a disaster from happening. Call the contractor and get it taken care of before it goes from sort of bad to horrible.
8 Missing Shingles
If your commercial roof is the kind that has shingles it is best to keep an eye out for empty slots where shingles once were. When a rooftop depends on shingles for protection and there are some missing it can throw off the whole balance of the roof. Once shingles start disappearing the integrity of the roof starts to diminish. Get in touch with a contractor as soon as you possibly can.
9 Visible Water
If you are in the building that the roof covers and you see water leaking through the ceiling you need to hire a roofing contractor to come out and figure out what is going on. Water dripping from the ceiling is not a small problem. This is a situation where something needs to happen fast or the entire roof of the building could collapse under the weight.
Now, whether or not you immediately call a roofing contractor will depend on the severity of the leaking. If you feel that there is an issue that could endanger the people within the building you may want to dial the emergency number for your area first and get everybody out of the building.
10 Smoke
One of the worst things to see is smoke coming off of the roof of a building. There is never a good reason for smoke to be there. This is one of those situations where the roof is actually on fire and the entire building is at risk of burning up. It could also be that one of the air conditioning units on the roof is having issues. In any event…once the situation has been cleared of being an emergency situation it is best to get in touch with the contractor to see what damage has happened up there and the best way to fix it.
