HELPFUL ROOFING TIPS

  • First, as always, consider all safety and fall protection needs while accessing the roof areas of your building.
  • Our climate can cause serious damage to your roofing system. The seasons and drastic temperature changes puts a lot of stress on your roofing materials. When walking you roof make sure to look for signs of fatigue. Check for splits and cracks at transition points and projections, (i.e. stacks, vents, expansion joints, walls and perimeters). These take the brunt of the building movement as the temperature rises and falls.
  • If you have an asphaltic type roofing system, walk your roofing system with caution. Built up and modified bitumen roofs can swell in isolated areas during daytime heat causing “blisters” to form. You must be careful you do not puncture these blisters, which will cause an immediate leak. Try to do inspections in the morning before 9:00 AM.
  • Check all roof drains, gutters and downspouts to clear them all debris. Any back-up of water caused by blocked drainage can cause serious leaking and even structural concerns from the weight of water your roof may collect. This can also occur once the snow and ice arrive. Periodically check for ice damming along your gutters and around the roof drains. Ice dams can prevent water from draining properly. Avoid shoveling snow off your roof. If you think there may be a structural problem with your roof, seek some advice from a professional.
  • After wind storms with reported wind over 40 mph, make sure you inspect your roofing system. Wind speeds are recorded at all local weather stations and airports. It is possible for localized extreme wind speeds or microbursts to occur and not be noticed. During such occasions ballast can shift or scour and even more seriously, small areas of roof may lift leaving your facility open to all elements.
  • If your facility contains multiple overhead doors, ensure that these doors are closed during high winds or thunderstorms. Leaving these doors open can actually increase the wind uplift on the roof.
  • Review all your metal flashings for missing fasteners, splits or gaps in joints, and lifting.
  • Check skylights to make sure they are not cracked or broken, and the glazing is still intact.
  • Look over rooftop equipment to ensure panels are securely attached so water cannot penetrate through the inside into the building.
  • Review the perimeter of the building from the ground. Check for streaking or discoloration of the brickwork (efflorescence) or siding. This could mean that water is penetrating the perimeter flashing, which could lead to structural damage to your wall. Also check for lifting in the corners, which may not be visible at the roof level.
  • Walk the underside and look for stained ceiling tiles, streaks down drywall, and, where the deck is visible, rust. Small roof leaks will eventually lead to big problems if left unattended.
  • Once you complete your evaluation, note your findings on a roof sketch after you have completed your repairs. In this way, you will be sure to recognize leaks that become problematic, and may be caused by issues greater than simple aging of the system.
  • If you're like most facilities managers or building owners, and you don't have a great deal of free time to complete this type of work, give our Service Division a call. They will be glad to schedule an appointment with you to have one of our Service Representatives come out, perform a Roof Assessment, and provide you with a repair and maintenance proposal, where necessary.
  • Please contact us at 630-759-7500 or at roofhelp@midamericaroofing.com; Let us do what we do best; help you extend the life of your roof and protect your investment for years to come.