FS Roof System Blog

Importance of Preventative Flat Roof Maintenance

For many building owners and property managers, if the flat roof isn’t leaking, its fine. This is not necessarily the case, and this mindset can end up costing thousands of dollars in future repairs. With our economical climate in the state that it is, too many commercial building owners are neglecting the routine flat roof maintenance required to save a few bucks. Unfortunately, this is an all to common mistake. One which can cost you dearly in the long run. It is much simpler, and cheaper, to hire a contractor to perform preventative flat roof maintenance, than it is to hire one in an emergency situation.

Many negatives can occur by neglecting proper flat roof maintenance. One of the largest being a possible void in your manufacturer warranty. Many roofing product manufacturers will have a maintenance clause in their warranties. If you neglect to fulfill your side of the contract, you may end up loosing out. These maintenance clauses are included for a reason. Assuming that your flat roof was installed correctly, the only way to preserve its lifespan is to provide the roof with regular and sufficient maintenance.

The cost to hire a contractor to carry out this flat roof maintenance is a fairly reasonable one, which is why the choice to forgo this maintenance is often confusing. Just a few of the benefits of having preventative flat roof maintenance include:

  1. Extending the lifespan of your roofing system. Considering the cost of a full roof replacement, why wouldn’t you want to ensure that it can function effectively for as long as possible?
  2. Preventative maintenance will help to reduce the number of repairs needed over your flat roofs lifespan. Large scale flat roof repair can be both expensive, and stressful. By catching any small issues early, you can stop these large problems before they start. Hence, preventative maintenance.
  3. This preventative flat roof maintenance will help to protect both the employees, customers, and assets within the building itself.
  4. By preventing leaks, you also prevent the likelihood of mold development within your business or commercial building.

If you choose not to hire a professional for your regular flat roof maintenance, you may experience some of the following:

  1. Loss of revenue. What’s worse than the costs associated with preventative maintenance? The loss of revenue that you will incur after your flat roof collapses due to neglected maintenance.
  2. Personal injury/property damage. There is a fairly high likelihood that at some point there will be an injury, or some type of property damage caused by your unmaintained flat roof. Whether by falling snow/ice, or unfastened roofing material, you will be liable should your neglect to maintain your property cause injury or property damage.
  3. Assuming that the contents within your commercial building are important to your everyday business, in the event of a large leak situation, you may incur thousands of dollars worth of damage to your equipment and merchandise.

These are only a few of the issues that may befall you by brushing off the importance of preventative flat roof maintenance. And if by now you are starting to warm up to the idea, here are some ways that preventative flat roof maintenance helps to lower the risk of issues.

  1. Snow/ice removal. In a climate such as ours in the province of Ontario, snow and ice can be quite plentiful through the winter seasons. While it may be pretty, it can also be heavy. The weight of this snow/ice build-up can prove to much for your flat roof, and a catastrophic failure is a possibility. A proper maintenance plan should include snow removal.
  2. Proper drainage. By providing regular preventative maintenance to your flat roof, ponding water should not be an issue. Improper drainage, or blocked drains will be taken care of quickly, preventing roof leaks and roof deterioration caused by standing water.
  3. Clearing Debris. By regularly clearing miscellaneous debris from your flat roof, you will reduce the likelihood of clogged drains, and punctures that can lead to the development of leaks.
  4. When you have regular, preventative maintenance performed by a professional, most, if not all issues big and small should be discovered and rectified quickly. This will save you exorbitant amounts of money in the long run.

Save money, increase energy efficiency, improve the environment both outside and within your commercial building. Contact a reputable flat roofing company for a thorough inspection, and to begin your valuable preventative flat roof maintenance plan.