Roof Warranty vs. Roof Maintenance
I purchased a roof warranty, why do I need a roof maintenance program?
The short answer: Roof warranties don’t make your roof last longer!
You’ve invested a lot of money on your new roof and for it to pay off you need to maximize the investment. To maximize this investment, you need to maximize the life span of the roof. A Roof Maintenance Program ensures that you will be able to get the longest possible lifespan out of the roof.
A typical Commercial Roof System will offer a 20-year warranty; with proper maintenance, you should be able to gain an additional 5-10 years out of the roof. Something to note, most roof warranties DO NOT COVER maintenance items such as caulking, leaf and other debris removal, or ponding water.
To keep the warranty intact, it is important to inspect the roof several times a year. It is also critical to inspect the roof after a bad storm passes. These inspections can be performed either by facility maintenance personnel or through a Roof Maintenance Program.
The facility maintenance personnel will be able spot major issues, but a professional will be able to spot minor issues that might seem insignificant. A professional who walks roofs everyday will notice items that might not happen for many years but could be costly to repair if allowed to progress.
Semi-annual inspections will cover many items on the roof including:
- Clean roof drains and gutters
- Remove branches and debris from the roof and check for possible damage
- Inspect flashings on pipes and around HVAC units (the areas of the roof most likely to leak)
- Inspect roof terminations and metal edging (anywhere that the roofing stops)
- Inspect the field of the roof for holes or tears
- Areas of water ponding to identify future potential problems
- Movement of the walls that could show the building settling or point to foundation issues
- Replace deteriorated caulking (Caulking in not a warranty item)
With a great Roof Maintenance Program, not only will you get the maximum life out of the current roof system but when it does come time to replace the roof, the hidden costs of replacing bad decking or wet insulation won’t be a factor.
Roof Warranty vs. Roof Maintenance
This condensed reference cross checks what issues would typically be covered under a warranty and what items would typically be covered under maintenance. All maintenance and mechanical damage items are at the cost of the building owner/tenant.
