Your roof is the primary source of protection for your property. It is what you will be relying on for both residential property and commercial structures. It works to ensure the structural integrity of the building is retained, and that all interiors are protected from the elements.
Throughout the year, a roof will come into contact with many different elements and situations. All these factors can be instrumental in the damage to a roof, from birds and pests to extreme weather.
For this reason, you must have a roof maintenance plan. You should know precisely what maintenance needs to be done on a roof to keep it in good condition. This way, you can avoid any internal and external damage to the property.
Developing A Roof Maintenance Plan
In the first instance, you must carry out a complete risk assessment of your roof. Before you start any maintenance plan, you need to know precisely what condition your roof is currently in to determine your starting point. Any major works need to be remedied as soon as possible to avoid excessive damage to your roof and internal aspects of the building.
Risk Factors
The risk factors of the roof will also play a part in how frequently you need to have your roof assessed and maintenance work carried out. Does the roof get a lot of foot traffic? Is it in an area with a large population of birds and wildlife? Do you experience fluctuating environmental changes? These risk factors must be determined to develop your roof maintenance plan.
Establish A Baseline
Your preliminary checks will help you to find the baseline of your roof. An external roofing company can support you in this to find out if the roof is performing as it needs to be or if you need to look at getting sections replaced. For example, roofs over 30 years old may require replacing as the typical lifespan of a roof is between 10-35 years.
Internal Or External Checks
Once you have assessed the risk factors of the roof, you need to consider whether you will carry out your maintenance in-house or outsource it to a roofing company. There are many benefits to outsourcing your yearly roof maintenance. This can give you peace of mind that your roof is in the best condition possible.
What Maintenance Should Be Done On A Roof?
Once you have all of these details, you can look at what exactly needs to be completed for your yearly roof maintenance plan.
Routine Roof Inspections
This is simply looking over the roof as a whole and ensuring no visible defects or issues need to be checked out. This includes roofing materials, gutters, flashing, and any shipment stacks or equipment on the roof, such as HVAC units.
Minor Repairs
Carrying out minor repairs will extend the lifespan of your roof and include activities such as:
- Replacing missing fasteners
- Repairing minor damage, e.g., replacing missing tiles
- Applying caulk to open metal sheeting seams
- Replacing missing fasteners and worn out the caulk
- Looking for pooling water
- Clearing Debris
- Restricting roof access
Long Term Records
Lastly, part of a thorough roof maintenance plan is to keep detailed records of all inspections, the inspection periods, and any work carried out. This includes any guarantees for work or new roofing and the parts used. This will allow you to get the necessary repairs carried out quickly and understand the health of your roof easier.
It is important not to neglect the roof of your building to ensure it is offering the right level of protection the building requires. Oftentimes, the main indicator of a problem is when you see internal issues such as dampness or leaks. A yearly roof maintenance plan can help you to avoid issues such as these and keep your roof in the best condition.
If you’re in the Greater Northwest, we’d love to serve you! Our professional roof repair and replacement specialists serve all of NW Oregon & SW Washington.
You can call and get in touch with Western Pacific Roofing today at (503) 659-7663 for all your roofing needs.
