A new rooftop is a major investment. Designing and installing a support system for your rooftop pipes and equipment is a critical part of protecting the investment you made in your roof. However, there’s one final piece of the puzzle: roof walkways. Sound like a luxury? It isn’t. Here are 4 reasons roof walkways are a wise investment:
1. Your Maintenance Workers will Inevitably Need Full Access of the Roof
When there is roof maintenance to be done, you want to maximize the time your crew spends in the right areas. Figuring out how to get to the job should not be an issue, but when your roof is covered with a maze of pipes and equipment, that’s exactly what can happen. This is even more likely when your roof is sloped or at varying levels. Roof walkways make it easy for your maintenance technicians to get where they need to go, so the focus can be where it belongs – on the job itself.
2. Your Roof will Last Longer if You Can Control Foot Traffic
Over time foot traffic on your roof will eventually lead to the general wear and tear of your roofing system. Installing walkways can help to ensure the longevity of your roof by confining foot traffic to designated routes. And, since the walkway does not actually penetrate the roof’s surface, you are not causing any further damage. You can even move the walkways around as you add more pipes and equipment and your navigation needs change.
3. Ramps, Stairs, and Crossovers Reduce the Need for Additional Equipment
If you have a sloped roof, your maintenance crew will need to access systems and equipment at varying heights and levels. Even if you have a flat rooftop, you’ll need a way to get across pipes and ducts. Any additional equipment adds stress to the roof, and some types of equipment are capable of puncturing the roof surface. By incorporating ramps, stairs, and crossovers into your rooftop walkway design, you can eliminate the need to use ladders, scaffolds, and other equipment that could damage the surface of the roof.
4. Worker Safety is Paramount
Working on a rooftop can be very dangerous without the necessary precautions. However, providing the appropriate roof safety solutions for your maintenance staff will reduce the likelihood of an accident occurring. A rooftop walkway is an indispensable feature of a safe roof. First, walkways with handrails direct employees away from dangerous areas, such as machinery, fall hazards, and areas where there may be toxic fumes or other hazards. They also eliminate the need to have employees climb over, under, or around pipes and ductwork. Additionally, the walkway can provide a non-slip surface, which is essential when maintenance crews have to access the roof in all kinds of weather.
When it comes to roof top management, having the right systems in place is vitally important. But it is equally important to have a plan in place to extend the life of those systems and to protect the maintenance crews who have to work on them. A well-planned system of roof walkways will give your maintenance crew access to all areas of the roof, protect the roof from excess foot traffic, and provide critical roof safety solutions for your workers.
