As a commercial building owner or real estate property manager in Colorado, you should be inspecting and maintaining your roofs year-round. But don’t get your panties in a wad if you haven’t; you’re not the only one. Plus, it’s better late than never! Especially before the snow starts to fly.
Winter is knocking on the door and a commercial roof inspection now can will prevent big problems down the road. Commercial roofing systems in Colorado are the victims of heavy expansion and contraction in the winter. Temperatures fluctuate between frigid lows at night and warm highs during the day. These constant temperature swings will create stress on many different parts of your roof and compound small issues into much worse scenarios.
The temperature swings not only create movement issues but also contribute to the freezing and thawing of snow, sleet, and water. As a result, ice tends to build-up and inhibits the proper flow of water. This is bad for multiple reasons: unnecessary weight is added to the structure of your real estate, water can flowin wrong directions (finding its way into your facility), and gutters and downspouts can be blocked.
If your hands are full, give us a call! We would love to help you prepare your roof for winter. If you decide to perform the work in-house, that’s cool too! Just heed our information below and please be sure to follow good roof safety practices.
5 Tips To Prepare Your Roof For Winter
Clean Your Commercial Roof
The changing color of autumn leaves were beautiful in September but now they are a rotting brown pile of nastiness just waiting to block your drains and gutters. Once a layer of snow covers all the leaves, twigs, trash, and other miscellaneous objects, those said items will be much more difficult to remove.
As we’ve mentioned, little issues can become big problems if they aren’t addressed right away. Typically, you won’t find out just how big they are until Spring rolls around!
Inspect Your Surroundings
Keep your head on a swivel. Check your six. Look alive.
Identify risk factors that have the potential to cause damage to your roof by performing a quick, but thorough, hazard assessment. Are there tree branches hanging above/near your roof? If so, it might be a good idea to cut them down. Tree limbs weighed down with snow have the potential to break onto your roof and penetrate your roofing system.
Prepare A Snow & Ice Removal Plan
Most commercial facilities and flat roofs in Colorado have been designed to handle the weight; it’s called "Snow Load.” As a result, it's probably unnecessary to remove snow from your facility. Nonetheless, we recognize that there are instances with snow and ice removal may be necessary. It is a good idea to identify the areas that are prone to drifting snow and ice accumulation before they occur. This will allow you to mobilize and execute winter-time roof inspections as efficiently as possible.
If you do have to go onto your commercial roof in the wintertime, remember to follow good roof safety practices. Even if the snow looks soft and fluffy on top there may be a slippery sheet of ice underneath.
Make Necessary Repairs
Autumn is your last ideal opportunity to make any necessary repairs to your roof before it is buried in the snow. Identifying and fixing issues will help ensure your roof stays watertight. Small cracks in membranes and gaps in flashing can be widened during the winter. Additionally, many roofing products used for the repair need to be kept warm before or during installation.
Schedule An Inspection
At the end of the day, you probably have 236 other items on your “to-do” list. It’s important to have your roof inspected before the cold winter months creeps-in, but you and your team can find a lot of other things with your feet safely planted on the ground. A thorough roof inspection by an experience and licensed commercial roofing contractor can save you a lot of money by properly detecting problems early.
A trained eye will look at roof traffic patterns, drains, gutters, flashings, seams, and other important elements of your facility. Furthermore, she/he will identify moisture infiltration, faulty details, and other weak spots over your building.
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Give us a call to discuss your roof maintenance needs! If you want access to other points, tips, and recommendations, “Like” us on Facebook or “Follow” us in LinkedIn.
