When you buy a commercial building to set up as a shop, one of the first things you'll want to do is have a commercial roofing contractor check the roof. You'll probably have an inspection as part of the buying process, but it's still a good idea to have a roofer do a thorough inspection too, especially if you'll be storing expensive inventory in your building. Here are some things the commercial roofing contractor might check.
The Type Of Roofing
You'll want to know the type of roof you have. It's also helpful to know the age of the roof so you can estimate when it will need to be replaced. However, age isn't as important as the condition of the roof. Different kinds of roofing materials last longer than others.
You'll recognize if your roof is metal, but if the roofing is a membrane, you might not be able to tell the difference between membrane types unless the roofer tells you. Different types of membranes have different good and bad points, and they're repaired in different ways, so knowing what's on your roof is important.
The Amount Of Damage
If your roof is getting old, it will probably have at least some type of damage. Punctures are fairly common in membrane roofing from foot traffic. If your roof has air conditioning equipment on it, then there will be occasional foot traffic, and the risk of damage to the membrane increases.
The commercial roofing contractor notes the amount of damage if any, the number of old repairs, and how well the old repairs are holding tight. They'll also check for signs of water puddling up on the roof, and they'll check flashing and the roof drains.
Test For Moisture Damage
If your commercial building has a flat roof, the roofer might check for moisture damage, since water puddling is a common problem with flat roofs that don't drain properly. The commercial roofing contractor might use a moisture meter or infrared camera to check for hidden moisture.
They might also take core samples from the roofing to test for water in the insulation boards. If your roof has a certain amount of moisture under the membrane, the roofer might recommend getting a new roof even if your roof hasn't reached its age limit yet.
Once your commercial roofing contractor has checked your roof, you'll know if the roof needs any repairs and you'll have an idea of when you should plan to put on a new roof. Understanding the condition of your roof is important so you can start a maintenance plan that will help your roof last as long as possible and that will prevent leaks and other damage to your building that might even cause water damage to your goods.
Once you watched someone put a roof on a home, you have a much deeper understanding of what's involved in this sort of work. Roofing is not easy. There's a big mental component since the roofers need to decide how how many shingles to use, how to best lay them out, and so forth. Then, there's the physical aspect of roofing. Lugging packages of shingles onto the roof is not easy, and nailing them down take a lot of work, too. With that in mind, we welcome you to read more about roofing on this blog. Let the articles inform your opinion of the profession.