Did you just purchase your first commercial building for your business? If so, then keeping the building in good repair is a must, since it is one of the larger assets for your company. While the maintenance of the whole building is important, the roof is often over looked. This is a major mistake, since roof issues can lead to problems with insulation and interior damage, water and mold troubles, and problems with rooftop appliances like the HVAC system. The following are a few tips you need to know as a new commercial building owner so that you can keep your roof in good repair.

#1: Schedule an inspection ASAP

You may have had a cursory inspection as part of the purchase process, but now you need to bring in a professional roofer to do the job. A trained commercial roofer will be better able to spot any current issues or problems that will be coming up in the near future. They will check the condition of the roof and the membrane, the drainage system, and the attachments of rooftop appliances. Further, they can provide guidance on how many years are left in the current roof, as well as anything your maintenance crews will need to know when they are doing tasks on the roof. For example, some roof designs should not be randomly walked across, so the roofer may need to use paint to indicate the safe pathways for reaching rooftop appliances.

#2: Develop a maintenance plan

Commercial roofs need seasonal maintenance, especially if you have a flat roof. Maintenance tasks may include things like removing birds nests or washing off droppings, unblocking drains and grates, or removing debris or even snow loads. After the inspection, sit down with your roofer and have them help you draft up a seasonal or monthly maintenance plan that your maintenance staff can implement. Some commercial roofers even offer a service where they will help train your maintenance crew on routine roof care tasks.

#3: Practice prevention from common issues

Birds are the biggest threat to your roof, followed closely by humans. Bird droppings, in particular, are bad due to the acidity in them, which eats away at your roof membrane. A commercial roofer is trained to spot bird damage and provide you with tactics to drive the birds away, including the installation of bird diverters. The other major damage to a commercial roof is human activity. While restricting roof access helps with this, you will also need to make sure maintenance staff and outside contractors, like HVAC techs, know how to properly walk on the roof and access necessary appliances.

For more help, contact a commercial roofing service in your area.