Commercial Roofing Solutions: Maintenance, Repair, Replacement, and Solar Options

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Commercial Roofing Solutions: Maintenance, Repair, Replacement, and Solar Options

Commercial Roofing Solutions Maintenance, Repair, Replacement, and Solar Options

Your commercial roof is often one of your largest investments. That’s why it’s important to make sure it remains in good condition for as long as possible. You need to take care of routine maintenance, repairs, address replacement whenever necessary, and look for every opportunity to extend the life and quality of your commercial roof and building.

With the types of storms we get in Colorado — from strong wind and hail to heavy snowfall — you have to take commercial roofing seriously to ensure safety and reduce related costs. This article will offer a glimpse into commercial roofing solutions.

Commercial Roof Maintenance

If you’re not taking care of routine commercial roofing maintenance, then you’re running a major risk of serious damage to both your building and your business. So, when your commercial roof is damaged, due to age or storm damage, it’s important to act fast before the problem becomes worse.

The best way to extend the life of your roof is with a comprehensive preventative commercial roof maintenance plan. Commercial rooftops require an extensive inspection to identify problems on your building before making costly repairs.

A preventative commercial roof maintenance plan should include the following:

  • Roof covering: This includes the TPO, EPDM and other materials that make up the roof’s surface. Look for cracks, tears, punctures, or other signs of damage.
  • Flashing: Flashing is the metal or plastic trim that helps to seal around roof penetrations, such as chimneys, vents, and skylights. Make sure that the flashing is in good condition and free of leaks.
  • Roof edge: The roof edge is the area where the roof meets the walls of the building. Check for damage to the edge, such as cracks, missing pieces, or loose nails.
  • Drainage system: The drainage system helps to carry rainwater and melting snow away from the roof. Make sure that the gutters and downspouts are clean and free of debris, and that the drains are not clogged. Make sure to do timely snow removal in the winter, and watch for any sign of water ponding.
  • Roof penetrations: Roof penetrations are any openings in the roof, such as vents, skylights, and chimneys. These openings can be a source of leaks, so it is important to check them regularly for damage.
  • Structural components: The roof’s structural components include the trusses, beams, and other supports that hold the roof up. Check for signs of damage, such as cracks, rot, or rust.
  • Insulation: Insulation helps to keep the building warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Make sure that the insulation is in good condition and that it is not damaged.
  • Weatherproofing: Weatherproofing helps to protect the roof from the elements. Check for signs of damage, such as cracks, tears, or leaks around penetrations..

A good step to take is to schedule regular commercial roofing inspections, especially after strong storms that bring hail and intense winds. Doing so not only protects your commercial roof and your business, but it also helps you gain a better understanding of your commercial roofing system and how it works.

Commercial Roof Repairs

Your roof maintenance plan should include a schedule for regular inspections.

When your commercial roof needs repairs, you can’t afford to ignore them. That just makes matters worse and likely leads to a bigger bill when you finally address the repairs! You must take storm damage repair and storm damage restoration seriously.

Commercial roofing repairs include:

  • Roof leak repair: Leaks are the most common problem with commercial roofs, and they can cause a variety of other damage including structural problems. Damage from weather, punctures or tears in the roofing material, and flashing issues are typically the culprits.
  • Ponding water and Roof drainage (for flat roofs): Our Colorado climate can make it difficult for water to evaporate, which can lead to ponding water. Ponding water can put extra stress on the roofing material, leading to leaks and premature wear and tear.
  • Strong winds: Strong winds can cause significant damage to commercial roofs, especially those with seams and other protrusions. The wind can grab onto these seam and protrusions and create lift, which can tear off roofing material.
  • Issues with snow: As snow accumulates, it can cause pressure on commercial flat roofs due to the increase in weight. This can lead to leaks, damage to the roof structure, and even roof collapse. It is important to remove snow from commercial roofs regularly during the winter months.
  • Debris: High winds and tornado bursts can send trees and large branches onto flat roofs, causing roofing membranes to crack and tear. It is important to regularly remove debris and check for any damage.
  • UV ray damage: Colorado’s harsh sunshine and temperature swings can weaken roofing materials over time. This can lead to leaks and other damage.
  • Pest damage: Pests such as rodents, birds, and insects can damage commercial roofs. They can chew on roofing materials, create nests, and leave droppings that can attract other pests.
  • Flashing repair: Flashing is the metal or plastic material that is used to seal the joints between different parts of the roof. Flashing can become damaged over time, which can lead to leaks.

In particular, if you have hail storm damage in Colorado, you should schedule a commercial roofing inspection right away.

Commercial Roof Replacement

Sometimes repairs aren’t enough, and you might need a commercial roof replacement. Hopefully, such an event happens when you might expect: at the end of your commercial roof’s lifespan.

Regardless of when you’re expecting a total commercial roof replacement, you can be prepared for it by following the maintenance and repair tips in this article and obtaining regular inspections as needed. If your roof needs a roof replacement, make sure you go with a trusted local roofing contractor like J&K Roofing.

Commercial Roofing and Solar Technology

One of the most exciting features of commercial roofing is being able to take advantage of solar efficiency to help offset costs. A flat commercial roof is an optimal surface for installing solar panels, as there are few obstructions from sunlight and the flat surface is easy to work with.

If you’re interested in adding solar to your commercial roof, there are a lot of options available that can be designed to fit your roof based on things like building location and roof size. Get in touch with a certified, local roofing contractor like J&K Roofing to talk through the best options for your commercial roof.

Hire an Experienced, Cost-Effective Roofing Contractor

Whether you’re due for a total roof replacement, in need of repairs or solar installation, or you just need some help with commercial roofing preventative maintenance, J&K Roofing is the right choice for you.

J&K Roofing provides expert installation, application and repairs of commercial low slope roofs including TPO, EPDM, commercial asphalt roofs, and commercial metal roofs. If your commercial building is in the Northern Colorado, Denver Metro, Front Range, and Colorado Springs areas, we can help. Our team has experienced project managers and a seasoned and equipped service department. We’re ready to tackle any roofing project you may need completed! Call 303-425-7531 or click here to get in touch.

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How Commercial Roof Uplift Testing Can Impact Performance

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How Commercial Roof Uplift Testing Can Impact Performance

How Commercial Roof Uplift Testing Can Impact Performance

Colorado may not be situated along the coast where hurricane-force winds cause the most significant damage, but the Centennial State has its share of wind-related issues in addition to significant hail roof damage. It’s not uncommon for incredibly powerful winds to sweep across the state and cause damage to commercial buildings.

Particularly, strong winds can lead to what’s known as wind uplift—an occurrence that happens when air pressure below your roof is greater than the pressure above it. The process of commercial roofing construction includes wind uplift testing, but it’s helpful to understand what wind uplift is and how your commercial building is prepared to withstand it in Colorado.

What Is Wind Uplift and Why Is It Important for My Commercial Building?

Wind uplift refers to when the air pressure below your roofing system —roofing deck, materials, and fasteners—is greater than the air pressure above it. The strong winds flowing above your roof decrease the air pressure above it, meanwhile the pressure inside your building increases as air flows through doorways, windows, cracks, and other openings. Combined, this creates an upward lift on your roofing system, which is wind uplift.

It’s important to consider wind uplift into the proper function of your commercial building roofing system because it can lead to serious damage. Steep-sloped roofs are also extremely prone to higher wind uplift pressures. Wind uplift can pull your roof up enough to create opportunities for serious issues like water leaks, pests, structural damage, and more.

Will your roof stand up to high winds? Uplift testing can help to compare the construction and the probability of failure for each roof tested. Commercial roofing contractors in Colorado should have their building tested for wind uplift during construction or upon install of a new roof, to help make sure your commercial roof is able to withstand wind uplift—along with an array of other threats common to our region.

What Impacts Wind Uplift?

Wind uplift can be affected by a number of factors, including:

  • The height of your commercial building: Wind is incredibly powerful at tall heights, so the taller your building is, the more susceptible it is to wind uplift.
  • Your location: Wind speeds and power vary by geographical location.
  • Openings in your building: Commercial buildings with a lot of doors and windows can lead to higher pressures inside the building during a windstorm.
  • Surrounding landscape: If your building is surrounded by other large buildings, wind power can be diminished. On the flip side, if your building is out in the open or near a large body of water, you can expect wind gusts to be powerful.

How Is Wind Uplift Tested?

Wind uplift is tested as part of the construction process of your commercial building, as well as on the particular materials themselves. The best material for withstanding strong winds is metal roofing, which can endure wind speeds up to 160 miles per hour.

The dynamic uplift resistance (DUR) of a roofing system that includes the roof material, insulation, clips, and fasteners but not the roof deck, is determined by testing for resistance to outward pressure. Understanding this rating is crucial in selecting the right roof assembly that can withstand certain pressures of wind uplift loads.

There are basically three types of wind uplift testing:

  • In-facility testing, where your commercial roofing materials are tested against wind uplift before they’re used to construct your roof. This is performed by roofing material manufacturers. They use a controlled environment to simulate strong winds and perform these tests.
  • Field testing, where a dome is placed on your roof and various conditions are simulated to test its durability against strong winds. This type of testing is not a sure method, and as a result, the National Roofing Contractors Association does not recommend it. Instead, they recommend an experienced inspector to monitor the installation of your commercial roof to ensure durability.
  • Inspection during construction, where a trained professional observes your roof installation and suggests modifications to ensure proper installation.

Wind uplift testing cannot be performed until the roofing is installed on a building, and is ideally performed prior to completing construction of the building so that any issues may be readily addressed. Engineers or building contractors need to follow the codes and standards that are in effect for the region of the country they are working in when performing the test. The test results must meet or exceed the standards set in place for that region.

Safety is a key priority when it comes to building and designing commercial buildings. Conducting uplift testing can help contractors, engineers, and builders determine where a roofing system’s weak points are located, allowing them to be fixed. Uplift testing also allows owners of these buildings to better understand how resilient their roofing system really is in case of a storm.

We Can Help

Colorado has some significant wind and storm events. That’s why it’s important to understand what wind uplift is and how your commercial building might be impacted by windstorms. It’s also a good idea to also perform an annual inspection and set up a regular maintenance program to extend the life of your roof.

Get in touch with us at J&K Roofing to have your commercial roof inspected. We are a Colorado-certified roofing contractor that has been in business for almost 40 years with expertise in the Denver Metro, Front Range, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins areas. Contact us or give us a call today! 303-425-7531

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