A new commercial roof is an expensive proposition. No building owner wants to spend capital on a new roof if the old one can serve another year, or two, or…Yet the time will come when your old roof is sending clear signs that replacement is necessary. Just as spending money needlessly is not good, neither is neglecting an old roof whose failure could close your business.
Wind Pressure
Around Fort Lauderdale, different areas experience different microclimates. Your building’s roof will show wind damage in different ways, because the wind hits any protruding spot of your building, the edges of your roof, vents, flashing areas, and any materials that are bent or sticking out of place will increase the likelihood of a roof leak when exposed to high winds.
This means your roof will age differently in different spots. Corners and the joint between parapet and roof are especially prone to this abrasive wind action. Single-ply membrane can be peeled back, exposing the insulation, and other layers to weather.
Hurricanes, of course, are a greater wind threat, though the damage is not so much from having the entire roof ripped away, but from wind-borne debris raking across the roof and tearing it up.
Water, Water Everywhere
Two types of water signs indicate you need a new roof:
1. Ponding
2. Water infiltration
Ponding means your roof structure has deformed. Low spots allow water to build up, sometimes so much that vegetation takes root.
Water infiltration means your industrial or commercial roof is no longer shedding water through drains and scuppers. If you have a warehouse where you are storing raw materials, a few leaks may not be a problem. But if your commercial property includes tenants, residents, sensitive equipment, or electronics and your roof is leaking, you need a new roof.
Mismatched Repairs
Years of minimal maintenance could mean your old roof has been patched or resurfaced improperly. Common signs of poor maintenance and repair:
- Mismatched fasteners—replacing mechanical fasteners with the wrong size or type
- Galvanic corrosion—replacing metals in flashings and fasteners that create galvanic corrosion (fair and unfair metals in contact) will hasten roof failure
- Seams and laps chemically resealed when the originals were heat-sealed
- Loose or migrating mechanical fasteners
When you are ready to consult with a local roofing expert, contact us at PSI Roofing. We can inspect your current roof and make recommendations on a new roof that will help keep you in business without worry about leaks, punctures, wind, or maintenance.
