Roofs protect our facilities and the assets they hold from punishing elements such as wind, rain, hail, sleet, snow and excessive heat.
Although they appear to quietly endure extreme conditions, they actually may be trying to communicate their need for help. Those extreme conditions contribute to deterioration, which increases the risk of exposure beneath their covering.
Given the long, harsh winter that much of the nation just endured, it is time to inspect and protect our roofs from further damage while repairing what those cruel elements have chipped away over the winter months.
A regular PM program for inspection, maintenance and repair are all part of a facility manager's responsibility to prolong the useful life of their roofs and make sure they continue to "serve and protect" the occupants from weather damage.
As with all maintenance programs the critical component is prevention. You can't repair the roof during a deluge, but during your routine inspections you can take the cautious approach and investigate the following roof system abnormalities:
- Bubbles and blisters
- Bulges and buckling
- Fish-mouths at seams and lap
- Ridges — membrane blisters in longitudinal axis
- Cracks in the membrane; tears and punctures through one or more layers of the cover
- Membrane tenting/shrinkage — pulling away from the edges, possibly loose
- Displaced shingles or missing material
- Worn seams; brittle membrane or adhesives used at previous repairs
- Membrane tears, punctures, cuts
- Mechanical fasteners/screws "stand-off" or backing out
- Bent, warped or broken flashing detail
- Long-term standing water (48 hours or more) — evident by the presence of mold or vegetative growth
- Hail or ice damage
- Excessive wear around connections to parapet walls and connections to penetrations through the roof, such as hatches or curbs for roof equipment
- Excessive weathering resulting in loss of embedded gravel or roof ballast
- Visible water damage from below a roof deck
If you receive calls about leaks, take the overabundance of caution and investigate until you find the source. It could be a sign of a serious problem.
We all recognize that once a leak has become a drip inside the building, the source can be difficult to track due to the path it may have taken with gravity and barriers redirecting the stream. It is well worth the time it will take to do a thorough investigation.
Water stains on a ceiling surface signal a leak and should be thoroughly investigated. Mold or odor may also indicate an unwelcome water penetration overhead concealed inside wall cavities.
Visual inspections are enormously essential to identify damage at the roofing system. Most problems can be identified and addressed well before they creep into the interior layers of the building.
Prolonged ponding for instance, can lead to decay and deterioration of the roof cover, which is certain to lead to leaks if left unchecked. Leaks that go unnoticed can slowly damage the decking and can also add weight, leading to degradation of the building superstructure.
Flashing is another area that should be regularly monitored and can become loose in high winds or by hail damage. A deflector or diverter by design, the flashing takes the brunt force during high winds and can direct water away from roof to wall transitions. If unchecked, damaged flashing may create a natural funnel for water intrusion.
Any area where penetrations have been made to the roof in order to attach equipment should be checked to ensure they are not loose and are properly sealed. Waste pipes, boiler vent stacks and all other passive venting ports must be inspected to ensure the flashing is properly sealed and wrapped.
Skylights can easily become areas of infiltration if the seals are not properly maintained and repaired or replaced. Over time, the plastic dome can crack due to age and extreme conditions. These should be monitored and addressed during early signs of stress to prevent more costly damage.
Preventive maintenance practices can extend the life of your roof through routine repairs for the small stuff, well before deterioration calls for a full replacement. Roofs can only be repaired so many times before the integrity of the system fails.
A knowledge of a roof system's age and type, annual weather conditions for the region, along with accurate records can help you evaluate the need for replacement or repair.
Roofs should be inspected quarterly for topical material malformations and should be triggered by a seasonally-scheduled PM. Out-of-cycle inspections should occur after severe wind or hail storms. Look for signs of weakness, loose objects or excessive remaining moisture more than 48 hours post precipitation.
Gutters and downspouts should be part of the normal maintenance and should be cleared and "jetted" following storms. Hail damage is often covered by a client's insurer and should be evaluated if the damage spans a large area.
Inspect your customers' roofs, make sure you are taking necessary precautions to prolong its life and protect this valuable asset.
