Your Guide to Preventing Roof Leaks In a Commercial Setting

It’s important that property owners and facility managers for commercial buildings manage their roofs. A roof in bad shape can cause leaks that create serious water damage. In this article, you’ll learn how preventing roof leaks can extend the life of your roof and how to avoid costly, preventable repairs.

Understanding How Preventing Roof Leaks Deter the Need for Commercial Roof Replacement

It’s always better to prevent leaks from the beginning than to constantly chase repairs. If you let your roof get to the point where it needs to be completely replaced, you can expect to spend tens of thousands of dollars.

You might also need to rebuild more than just your roof since water seeping into a building will damage wooden frames and drywall. It’s inconvenient and expensive to replace a roof. However, if you ignore small leaks and prevention strategies, one day, you might not have a choice.

The biggest issue with commercial roof damage is that it’s not always visible, and if you ignore the warning signs, the damage can be beyond repair by the time you take notice. At that point, roof replacement is often a necessity.

Roof repairs cost money, too, but they’re not nearly as much as a roof replacement. When done correctly, professional roof repair combined with a commercial roof maintenance plan will avoid the high cost of replacement.

How Regular Maintenance Prevents Roof Leaks and Costly Repairs

Typically, a well-maintained commercial roof has a lifespan of around 20 years or more. A roof that isn’t taken care of might only last five or seven years. If you don’t proactively take care of your roof, you’ll be paying for the same big repairs over and over.

Maintaining your roof will require making small repairs periodically, but when you manage those repairs fast, you stop the problem before it becomes a large and expensive problem. Regular inspections and timely repairs will prolong the life of your roof and avoid extensive, costly repairs.

What’s the Best Method for Preventing Roof Leaks?

A leaky roof is a difficult problem to have because water damage can be severe. Your best line of defense against roof leaks is to prevent them, and there are several ways to do this.

Waterproof your roof. Waterproofing is one of the most common leak prevention methods for a flat or sloped roof. A liquid rubber membrane is added to your roof, any protrusions are given a water-tight seal, and the coating repels water.
Use quality roofing materials. Poor-quality roofing materials, like cheap shingles, make your roof more susceptible to damage, especially during bad weather. You should only use quality materials. You don’t have to spend a fortune on the most expensive brands, but make sure your material choices will stand up to the climate.
Get regular inspections. Regular commercial roof inspections are necessary for leak prevention. A professional inspector will take note of any issues that could cause leaks, like broken or missing shingles, poorly sealed chimney crowns and vents, and other issues. With regular inspections, you can perform necessary repairs fast, long before they become a problem and leak water into the structure.

TPO Membranes: A Surefire Way to Prevent Roof Leaks

Preventing roof leaks requires regular inspections, maintenance (like replacing worn shingles), and making repairs as needed. However, the best solution to avoid leaks is to waterproof your roof. Waterproofing was mentioned earlier in this article, so let’s take a closer look at this option.

The best roofing material for leak prevention is TPO. Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) has been a popular roofing material choice since the 1990s. It was created as a rubber or PVC alternative and performs exceptionally well. It’s one of the most highly recommended materials for commercial roof projects. TPO can expand the life of your roof and avoid costly maintenance and repairs, which results in fewer disruptions to your business.

TPO sheets are wide, which creates fewer seams to seal, making it easier to detect leaks. The installation process is clean and doesn’t take as much effort to install or repair. Any reputable roofing company should be able to install TPO for you.

Typically, a TPO roof will last 15-20 years and requires less maintenance than other roofing materials. Additional benefits include being mold-and-dirt resistant, fire-resistant, and hard to puncture. Whether you have a flat or sloped roof, its flexibility makes it an ideal choice since it can withstand cycles of thermal expansion. TPO also makes a building energy-efficient, and it’s 100% recyclable.

There are several key benefits of TPO roofing aside from preventing roof leaks, here’s just a few:
Lower energy bills. A properly maintained commercial roof, along with proper insulation, can help keep energy costs down in the summer and winter.

Longer lifespan. Making small repairs early and often is the best way to extend the life of your commercial roof.
Fewer roof-related expenses. Repairing issues early prevents expensive repairs later.
Increase in property value. Your commercial property value can increase when your roof is in great shape. If you decide to sell the property later, this will be a huge benefit since nobody wants to deal with leak damage when they acquire a new property.
Peace of mind. Nothing beats knowing your roof repair techs will spot and fix problems before water can do damage. This will create the ultimate sense of peace when rain and snow are on the horizon.

Preventing Roof Leaks Has Never Been Easier—Get Started With Roofcorp Today!

Whether you’ve found a small leak or suspect you might have serious water damage, our roofing professionals can help. At Roofcorp of America, we make roofing repair in Seattle easy. First, we’ll start with an inspection to see what’s going on. If there’s a leak, we’ll find it and create a solution that works for your needs and your budget.

During our inspection, we’ll identify opportunities to prevent leaks and improve the integrity of your commercial roof. You might just need a minor roof repair or a roof replacement.

In some cases, roof restoration is an option. Contact us today to learn more about our services.