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The blistering heat of last summer followed by ice and extended cold experienced during this winter can create a significant amount of stress on the materials within your commercial roof system. Radical fluctuations in temperature cause expansion and contraction of the roof and building envelope resulting in conditions such as splits, gaps, holes in the membrane and issues with flashings that must be detected and addressed prior to the spring season’s first gully-washer.

“There is a lot of value in walking the roof before the spring rains set in. After that first big rain is when leaks will appear, many that might have been avoided if a basic inspection was done prior,” said Tracey Donels, KPost Company Service Manager.

Tracey went on to say “Think of it like performing maintenance on your vehicle before a road trip. You don’t wait until you are on the trip to perform the maintenance. You do it in advance of the long drive. The same is true of roof inspections between major seasonal changes, particularly before the April rainy season.”

According to predictions, North Texas is expected to have more rain this season than normal with the rest of Texas continuing drought conditions. Neither bodes well for commercial roofing if appropriate inspections and preventative maintenance are not completed.

April Showers Bring…Angry Tenants?

“When you own or manage a commercial property, the last group you want to be first reporting a leak is your tenant. By that point, the tenant is already in pain, and the property manager is under duress to make emergency repairs which are usually more expensive. It’s far better to be proactive than reactive – to be ahead of the culprit rather than behind it,” said Scott Bredehoeft, KPost Company Director of Business Development. “You will want to eliminate as many potential problems as possible before your tenants have to report water in their space. That can be accomplished by a visual inspection of the roof in early spring to look for obvious deficiencies and needed repairs.”

A simple visual inspection will identify obvious leak sources or contributors such as clogged drains, splits or holes in the roof membrane and flashings, and missing or loose tiles or shingles.

“Rather than taking your chances and putting the roof to the test during a heavy rain, an inspection will provide a basic punch list of items that are in need of repair. Performing these repairs in a single maintenance call will save time and money as well as eliminate the headache later on caused by a leak,” said Tracey. “Waiting until you see a leak means not only fixing the roof problem but also repairing any internal damage, making the repair more costly and invasive to the tenant.”

Commercial Roofing Weather Preparedness is Important

To perform a simple inspection is not difficult but does require some knowledge of what to look for as well as the best way to document. The following checklist provides items that should be observed during a visual inspection. It is important to ensure that these items are well-documented and photographs included so that a proper decision can be made as to the priority of the repair.

Checklist

  • Clear drains, scuppers, gutters and downspouts of debris.
  • Clear roof of debris.
  • All HVAC access panels installed and secured.
  • All hoods on vent pipes secured and in place.
  • Roof hatch or ladder cage closed and locked.
  • Any splits or punctures in the roof membrane or flashings.
  • Any open seams or laps in the roof membrane and flashing membrane.
  • Cracks in exterior walls.
  • Split or open sealants on the building exterior.
  • Missing or loose roof shingles or tiles.

Inspect for obvious damages to HVAC, TV or Data Satellites, gas or electrical conduits (for reporting purposes only).
“Now is the time to be proactive since we have been through a heat cycle and freeze cycle. Whatever impact the weather has had on the roof should be quite obvious, allowing for identification of any suspect issues prior to their exposure by a heavy rain,” said Scott.

As you are preparing for the spring rains, remember to schedule a commercial roofing inspection. Having an experienced roofing professional perform the inspection will provide better insight and uncover challenges that may not necessarily be discovered by someone without direct roofing experience.

“I believe in getting these inspections done now so that expensive repairs can be avoided later,” said Tracey. “This will likely ensure less calls from tenants due to leaks, and more peace of mind to get through the upcoming rainy season.”

FAQs

Late winter and early fall are the easiest windows. Spring brings the storm season and the demand surge that follows it, and midsummer roof deck temperatures slow crews down and restrict some material applications. Late fall works well for anything that needs to be complete before winter. If the work is discretionary rather than urgent, booking it outside the post-storm rush usually means better scheduling and a crew that is not being pulled toward emergency work.

Further than most owners plan for, and the lead time moves with the weather. After a significant hail event across the Metroplex, commercial capacity gets absorbed quickly and stays that way for months. Material lead times add to it, particularly for insulation and anything made to order. For planned capital work, starting the conversation a season ahead of when you want the crew on the roof is realistic rather than cautious.

In three tiers. Active water entry and anything that is a safety issue gets fixed immediately regardless of budget cycle. Conditions that will become water entry before the next inspection, such as open laps, failing sealant, or a blocked drain, go in the current period. Everything else, meaning general wear that is being monitored, goes into the capital plan with a date attached. A list that is not tiered gets read as one large number and usually gets deferred entirely.

Check the lease, since many commercial leases require advance notice for work affecting the premises, and notification is good practice even where it is not required. Tenants need to know about noise, odor from certain materials, roof access restrictions, and any interruption to rooftop equipment serving their space. Sensitive operations may need work scheduled around them. Notice given a week ahead prevents complaints that a notice given the morning of will not.

Protect people and property first, then document. Move or cover what is beneath the leak, place containers, and photograph the affected area with a timestamp before anything is cleaned up, since that record supports both the insurance claim and any tenant claim that follows. Note the date, the weather at the time, and the exact location within the space. That detail is what lets a roofer narrow the search, because the entry point is rarely directly above the stain. Our commercial roof repair team works from that detail when tracing an active leak.
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