Maintenance and Inspection

A building is a rather complicated system, and no matter the quality of the original construction materials or installation, maintenance is required to achieve peak performance and maximum life of a building’s components – especially its roof.

Preventive Roof Maintenance Makes Dollars and Sense!

“I just replaced the leaky roof on my building with a brand new roof with a 20 year manufacturer’s warranty. I can put that problem out of my mind for another couple of decades. Right?” Wrong!

The advertised life on a typical flat (built up) roof is 20 years, yet the actual average life across the United States is only 12 years; and the statistics on sloped roofs show the same trend. It’s important to recognize that the 12-year life is the average for well maintained roofs located in less severe climates, along with those that are located in severe climates and ignored. The Orange County and southern California region environment has several “roof-unfriendly” characteristics that can dramatically shorten the life of your new roof:

	High levels of UV radiation – breaks down roofing material
	Hot summers / cool nights – break down roofing material, cracks and breaks seals from expansion/contraction
	Air pollution – breaks down roofing material
	Earthquakes – cracks and breaks seals with each movement
	Expansive soils – cracks and breaks seals with each movement

Other factors that can reduce your roof’s lifespan include:

	Workmen servicing roof mounted equipment
	Debris collecting on roof top
	Plugged drains and gutters
	Animal damage
	Vandalism
	Leaks that go undetected and unrepaired

Even a professionally and properly installed new roof in Orange County can begin to leak within five to ten years if it is ignored (and the first leak usually occurs the day after the roofing contractor’s warranty expires!).

The answer to this problem is to implement a Preventive Roof Maintenance program for your building. This can:

	Keep your manufacturer’s warranty in effect (most are invalidated unless your roof is properly maintained)
	Minimize or prevent water damage to buildings and contents caused by leaks
	Reduce the likelihood of structural damage due to water intrusion
	Reduce the risk of toxic mold formation or other biological growth
	Minimize the cost of lost use of space use – particularly important within commercial buildings
	Reduce the likelihood of legal claims, including mold, slip-and-fall, and property damage
	Reduce or eliminate the cost of business interruption
	Avoid insurance cost hikes due to multiple water damage claims
	Eliminate energy loss and expense due to moist roofing or insulation during both the heating and cooling seasons
	Extend roof life by 50% or more, avoiding the cost of premature roof replacement

Preventive roof and building maintenance services help save money, avoid headaches and reduce legal risks for the property owner / manager – all for just pennies per square foot.

If you hire a qualified, professional roofing or waterproofing contractor for preventive maintenance, you can rest assured that you will get the maximum life out of your roof with minimal cost and disruption. Your roofing system is an expensive investment that safeguards all of the assets within the building. It pays to protect it!