The Importance of Roof Maintenance
Maximizes Roof Service Life
Click here to read what the National Apartment Association says about having a Roof Maintenance Program.
A regular maintenance program is essential to getting the maximum life from a roof
“Care is crucial: Building owners should rethink the old “out of sight, out of mind” attitude to that major capital investment overhead. Semiannual inspections can catch many roofing problems” - ‘Adding Years to the Roof’, Building Operating Management, November, 2002
“The choice not to have a maintenance program may cost you four times the cost of the maintenance itself.”
The only way to extend service life after installation
“Inspecting and maintaining a roof is the only way to extend its life after it has been installed. The primary objective should be to maximize the service life, thus reducing the roof’s lifecycle cost....Don’t assume that just because a roof doesn’t leak, it hasn’t incurred damage.” - Pat Marshall, Benchmark,
The most effective method of ensuring roof system life and reducing leaks
"Owners with shorter time perspectives, such as retailers and developers, may incorrectly assume that because they plan to occupy their buildings for limited times, they do not need to perform roof systems inspections owners may not understand what inspections are designed to do - help prevent leaks...The industry-recommended schedule (for roof inspections) is twice per year and after severe weather events.” - ‘The Importance of Inspections’, Ted Michelsen, Professional Roofing, September 2001
At a minimum, inspect once in the spring and once in the fall
The cost of an inspection and maintenance program should be included in the life-cycle By doing a little bit of due diligence, a building owner or facility executive can add five or 10 years to the life of a roofing system.
“A roof is a lot like a car. If you don’t do some maintenance, it will not hold its value. Most building owners anticipate that their new roofing systems will last 20 to 25 years. In the real world, however, those roofs are lasting 10 to 15, primarily because building management often is not years willing to plan routine maintenance and inspections.” - ‘Who’s got your roof covered?’, Building Operating Management, January 2002
Many water-related repairs can be avoided
Moisture is a roof’s biggest enemy
“Eventually, no matter what type of roof, the ravages of freezethaw cycles, rain, summer sun, blustery winds and all the rest of Nature’s arsenal take their toll. Leaks develop in the best of roofs over time, causing U.S. building owners to spend more than $12 billion annually on repairing, recovering or reroofing...Moisture degrades the mechanical integrity of the insulation system, corrodes metal components such as fasteners and metal decks and adds excessive weight to the roofing system. And wet roofingbecause wet insulation loses its thermal resistance. An assessment also increases energy losses up to 70 percent performed by the Oak Ridge Lab shows that if low-slope roofing systems could be kept dry, more than three-fourths of a quadrillion BTUs of energy [equivalent to at least 117 million barrels of oil] could be saved annually in the United States. ” - ‘Reroofing: How Wet Is Too Wet?’, Rita Tatum, Building Operating Management, February 2001
It can be the difference between a minor roof repair and a costly re-roofing job
“Many building owners mistakenly think their responsibility. Actually, is over after the roof is installed what comes next is just as important as the installation and should be given the same attention as the warranty. Preventive maintenance for a roof can be defined as steps taken to prevent damage and extend the life of the roofing system.” - Building Operating Management“....several roofing consultants suggested that budgeting 3 to 5 cents per square foot for semi-annual inspections and maintenance can postpone spending $7.50 or more per square foot on low-slope reroofing by five or more years.” Adding Years to the Roof’, Building Operating Management, November, 2002“Those who neglect maintenance may actually void their warranties.” ‘The Right Stuff’, Nicole Sturdevant, Roofing, April, 2000‘
Most manufacturers require twice-yearly inspections and documentation requirements. Most manufacturers require that the owner conduct twice-yearly inspections of the roof and document the findings. Failurecan be taken quite rightly to mean that the owner is not maintaining the roof. Failing to carry out these inspections and to repair small defects promptly can be taken righttly that the owner is not maintaining the roof and that the warranty is null and void. IN reality, these maintenance requirements can be a benefit to the owner. Regular roof maintenance is not only needed to keep the warranty intact, but it is, along with proper initial design and installation, one of the three legs supporting roof longevity. Studies have shown that a roof properly maintained will last roughly double the time of a roof that is not maintained. Maintenance is a win-win situation.”
Most warranties require notification in writing within 30 days of discovering a leak
Failure to meet notification requirements can also cause a warranty to be null and void...The reality is that most leaks go unreported for months until a serious problem occurs....the owner often fails to report it to the manufacturer as required in the warranty. When this happens, the manufacturer is legally able to get out of major repairs. Their position is quite understandable. What could have been an inexpensive small annoyance may well become a costly tear off and replacement after six months of delay. Leaks don’t get better on their own.” - ‘Finding the Value of Roofing Warranties’, by Karen Warseck, Building Operating Management February 2003
The Capital Costs of Poor Roof Maintenance:
Potential Costs in a Typical Example:
New roof, total cost: $750,000
Life expectancy, professionally maintained: 20-25 years
Life expectancy, poor maintenance: 10-15 years
Roof performance lost, average: 10 years
Capital investment loss: $300,000 to $375,000
Other Costs: Roof leak damage, Premature roof repairs, Capital Investment, Potential Losses, Year-round energy losses, Premature roof replacement cost. Before problems occur, preventive maintenance should be conducted to remove visible debris from the roof, clean drains and perform minor repairs. No matter how thorough the maintenance program is however, it is necessary to make routine, semi-annual inspections to reduce long-term repair.” ‘Time Is On Their Side’, by Barbara L. Vergetis Lundin, Asphalt Roofing, October, 1999
