PHP Roofing Blog

How Important is Wind Design for Your Commercial Building

When you need to install a new roof on your building or commit to major repairs, your first job—step one—is to hire a roofing consultant. Read that again. Not a roofing contractor—a roofing consultant. Many building owners hire a roofing consultant only when there is a problem with their roof, only to find that the problems exist due to things that should have been addressed before the build.

For many roofers and roofing companies, the hazards surrounding a commercial or industrial roof appear to be mostly physical. With trips and falls representing the clearest and most present danger for roofing contractors, many roofing companies have developed detailed and comprehensive plans both to prevent falls and to mitigate damage and liability if a fall occurs. By focusing so much of their effort on preventing falls, however, are roofing companies neglecting other dangers?

In the early 2000s, the EPA released a study that showed 85% of commercial buildings had sustained water damage at some point, 45% of which had existing leaks.

While there hasn’t been a similarly deep study of commercial water damage, you can bet that the situation hasn’t changed much. Minor roof leaking is often seen as low priority—an annoyance that can be dealt with at a later time.

However, you can’t just wait until leaks become apparent on the interior. Anything from improperly-secured RTUs to roof penetration, extreme weather, excessive foot traffic, materials/membrane/sealant failure, improper inspection and beyond can cause leak-inducing damage.

There’s no denying the value of a strong commercial roof. It’s your main defense against the elements and keeps your internal investments safe from damage.

But for all the thought of how a roof protects what’s under it, many building owners lose sight of protecting the roof itself. Just because roofing materials are built to last decades doesn’t mean you can leave them neglected.

The effects of damage to neglected commercial roofs can grow exponentially. One small crack will grow over time until what would have been a simple repair becomes a full-blown roof replacement.

The decision to invest in a new roof isn’t one you can make lightly. If it’s an emergency, you won’t have a choice—but that doesn’t mean you can dive in headfirst without doing your homework.

When you spend all that money, you can expect your roof will last the full 30-50 years the materials are meant for. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any issues along the way.

Luckily, you have your warranties to protect the investment. Right? The situation is a bit more complicated than that.

There’s a wide variety of warranties in the roofing industry and it’s important not to overlook your true coverage. Whenever you’re investing in a new roof, you need to be well-versed in all kinds of warranties and know how they vary in terms of coverage and obligation.

With so many day-to-day demands of facility management, it’s easy for rooftop traffic to get pushed to the back of your mind.

Especially for flat commercial roofs with HVAC equipment, ventilation, satellite dishes, electrical boxes, and more, rooftop traffic is a fact of life. Why spend so much time worrying about it when you know multiple people need regular access to walk on the roof?

Thinking this way can be dangerous. Believe it or not, regular foot traffic will take a serious toll on your roof and can cause damage if not managed properly.

If you don’t have a rooftop traffic strategy in place, you’re missing out on an opportunity to squeeze more life out of your investment. Now is the time to plan for keeping rooftop traffic in check.

How often do you make sales where the customers know exactly what options are best for their buildings? Probably not too many.

Building owners (and additional stakeholders) know how important roofing decisions are—but that doesn’t mean they don’t have many other decisions demanding attention.

What if you’re offering products that cost more than the competition? You know they’re higher quality but getting prospects to understand that is pivotal.

Let’s go through 4 keys to proving that your roof products are the best options for potential customers.

There are several different types of commercial roof coatings used today, including silicone, acrylic, aluminum, and polyurethane.  They are sometimes referred to as restoration membranes because roof coatings are often applied over existing rooftop membranes, as opposed to being part of a new roof construction detail.  They can also be used in partial applications to coat and re-coat parapet walls or portions of a roof. 

While 15 years might seem like a long time, building owners know that this average life expectancy for roofing materials and RTUs can fly by quickly.  

That’s especially true when your traditional built-up roof starts showing signs of water damage. Suddenly you’re left with a choice—maintain the rip-and-replace cycle or make an investment in rooftop retrofit projects.