Home » Commercial Roofing » Commercial Roof Failures: Leading Causes
Preventing roof damage in time can help you save up a bunch of money on repairs, replacement, and restoration. The cost of replacing or repairing commercial roofs can be substantial unless you act in time and keep the problem from exacerbating.
Sometimes, drastic measures are unavoidable. But prevention can help you make statistically significant savings in most cases, and if that is the case, you’ll need the services of competent and experienced commercial roofers in Greenville.
Understanding the major causes of commercial roof damage and failures can help you take appropriate steps and avoid bigger losses down the road. Of course, all materials have limitations in terms of performance and reliability, but you can do a great deal to prolong the life of your commercial roof in Greenville.
With a combined experience of over 100 years, Lanier Roofing can help you with all sorts of roofing projects including installation, repair, maintenance, replacement, and renewal, irrespective of the scale of operations. We deal with both residential and commercial projects and serve our clients with great competence.
But for now, let’s take a look at the common causes of commercial roof failures:
Rainstorms can leave volumes of water on the roof, and standing water is cause for great concern for the occupants of any building. If water pools up on the roof, the risk of a complete collapse is quite high, and damage is almost inevitable. If you notice water stagnated on your commercial roof, reach out to our professional team for problem resolution.
Rainstorms are not the only reason for water damage on a commercial roof, other causes include a breakdown in the structure of the roof, problems with the slope of the construction, clogged up drain pipes, or serious issues with the HVAC system of the building. In all such cases, water can pool up on the roof and create a safety hazard for all residents of the building, or at the very least, cause damage to the roofing.
Not only can pooled-up water damage the roofing materials, deteriorating the structural integrity of the roof; the moisture can seep into the rest of the building as well.
Any defects in the flashing can also lead to serious damage to the building’s roof. Flashing, in case you didn’t know, is a metallic perimeter lining for your roof that seals it and aids in holding water pools when they exceed a given threshold. In addition, many commercial roofs have pitch pans that can seal up any pipe openings that reach the surface of the roof.
If these structures get damaged, the effects will cascade on the whole commercial roof, leading to severe damage. This can happen due to excessive rainstorms or the melting of large volumes of ice at once. Normally, the damage should not be so severe, only when the installation is faulty is when you have to worry about your commercial roof.
Also, since all materials have limits of endurance, the flashing can get damaged after several years (following many freezing and thawing cycles). Once that happens, the moisture will seep into the building and cause serious damage.
Winds tend not to cause much damage to thoroughly maintained and newly installed roofs (given that there were no problems with the installation process). However, older roofs and those that have suffered from neglect. Strong windstorms can blow materials off their holding and force them to crash into the structure of your roof, leading to damage.
If the flashing is damaged, moisture-related damage is to be expected in the commercial building.
The moisture-resistant membrane on top of commercial roofs is meant to withstand a great deal of stress, but it can be damaged nevertheless. The odds of this happening in a well-maintained and regularly inspected roof are minimal. However, neglected and old roofs can get damaged over time, and when the membrane is punctured moisture can seep into the building, leading to further worsening of the condition.
Note that there is only so much weather and foot traffic that commercial roofs can withstand year after year. Sooner or later, the roof is bound to get damaged, necessitating expensive repairs; all of this can be avoided through regular maintenance and being a bit careful about the state of the roof.
This is where it all converges, and this area is the most important as all of the abovementioned can be prevented or at least the damages caused be minimized through timely maintenance efforts. A little regular spending on improving the state of the roof can save you much greater sums for roof restoration later down the road.
Also, constant maintenance can help you identify problems early on before they become a greater nuisance and demand immediate action or put the structural integrity of the commercial roofing at risk altogether.
Need a new roof installed, the previous one repaired or restored, or just looking for a group of service professionals for roofing maintenance? Lanier Roofing has your back; owing to our vast experience and unparalleled knowledge of the industry trends and customer needs in both residential and commercial projects.
We are widely trusted local roofing contractors in Greenville. Our team is highly competent and understands the specific needs of each project to deliver the desired results, and we only use the best materials in the market to increase the longevity of our deliverables.
As a reliable and licensed roofing company, Lanier Roofing can help you with any roofing or restoration project; we will also offer technical assistance at all stages of the process. You can trust us to opt for the most cost-effective and durable solution for your project and deliver the best results possible.
Feel free to reach out to us through the Contact Us page or call us directly at 864-990-4836 for an appointment. We’ll respond promptly either way!
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