Thursday, June 21, 2007

Roof Diagnosis

The first step is to know as much as possible about the roof. Depending if you purchased the home new or used it could require some research. The date of installation; contractors used, any warranties that apply to the material or labor that was done after the roof was installed, the system manufacturer; type of membrane; any history on the roof problems and what was done to fix it and of course a running tab on the cost of repairs.

No roof can be appropriately managed without first knowing the roof’s history and then understanding the current condition of the roof. Current roof condition is obtained by conducting roof inspections. Whether surveys are done by in-house staff or contracted to a consultant depends on the technical competence and availability of your resources.

The roof survey should include: examination of roof membrane, flashing, sheet metal flashing, drains, gutters, etc; evaluation of observed conditions that may impact the long-term performance of the roof system; documentation of deficiencies requiring corrective action; and development of long-range preventive maintenance needs.

The information gathered does no good if it sits on a shelf accumulating dust. The data needs to be recorded and studied, as it will help identify the opportunities to make repairs, conduct maintenance or anticipate re roofing.

Don’t be one of the facility managers whose roofs have to be replaced before their design lives are reached, or for whom emergency repairs are needed at the least opportune time. Don’t let your good roofs sit neglected, doomed to early failure. The solution begins with a well-devised roof inspection and maintenance plan. So get started!

3 comments:

Baker Roofing said...

A very informative and helpful post for Roof repairs. We must also remember that every type of roof may have different kind of methods.

Roof Repair Forum said...

I have a roof that appears to be epdm and it is turning black in some places. do you know how i can handle this. I have tried cleaning it several times but the black does not come off. Please e-mail me and let me know if your product would work for this type of application

Thanks
Ben Koller
b_koll893td@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

It's also important to consider the location of your home when thinking about what type of roofing material to use. It's great to do research on a site like this, but it is also a good idea to call a local contractor to get a free estimate. Sometimes, it's less expensive when you leave roof work to the professionals.