What Are Your Flat Roof Options?

Flat roofs look great, but they require more maintenance and care than pitched roofs. Because flat roofs don’t shed water, debris and snow as easily as pitched roofs, you have to be extra careful about checking the roof to see if it’s clean. Despite the fact that flat roofs are need special care, having one on your commercial building shouldn’t feel like a constant headache. As long as you know how to take good care of it, you can get good value from your flat roof.

Commercial Flat Roof Maintenance

Being informed about maintenance for your roof can go a long way in helping you get the most out of the money you spend on your building. Too many commercial building owners hire roofing contractors assuming they’ll take care of everything that needs to be done, but this is a mistake for a number of different reasons:

• The roofing contractor won’t always be there to check up on everything, so if you rely on your roofer, they’ll only spot problems during your roof’s next scheduled inspection. If, on the other hand, you know how to spot potential problems with your roof before they get out of hand, you can call in a roofing professional sooner. This can prevent problems from worsening, which can save money on roof repairs.
• Not all roofing contractors are equally experienced and professional. If you know nothing about taking care of your own flat roof, you could end up blindly trusting bad advice from unskilled contractors.
• Knowing more about flat roofing can help you make informed decisions about repairs and replacement. If you’re faced with a number of different choices regarding your flat roof, such as when there are different materials to choose from, or if you need to decide to have a badly damaged roof repaired or replaced, you’ll know the best option for your situation based on your own knowledge on flat roofs

All things considered, you don’t need to know everything about flat roofs. As long as you know how to spot some common flat roof problems, you’ll have the advantage of knowing when your roof needs some work. That in itself is enough to prevent your roof from deteriorating too quickly.

Flat Roof Options

Life is full of options, and it’s no different when it comes your commercial building and its flat roof. Here are some choices you’ll need to make regarding your building’s flat roof:

• Construction: If you’re still looking to get a flat roof on your building, you’ll have to choose what materials and construction methods will be best. Materials used will depend on the weather in your area, your budget and how long you need the roof to last.
• Repairs: Depending on what kind of flat roof you put on your commercial building, the lifespan of your roof could be anywhere from 10 to 40 years. But even the best roof will need repairs at some stage in its life. When it comes to roof repairs, moderate weather conditions are often better than extreme cold or heat. Because of this, you might find yourself faced with the choice of either leaving a small problem that occurs when the weather is extremely hot or cold until conditions are better, in which case your problem might worsen. Or, you could repair it straight away, in which case the repair might not last as long.
• Replacement: Because no roof lasts forever, there’s a good chance that you’ll at some point need to choose whether or not to replace your roof. If you do choose to replace the roof, you’ll also have to look into your best roofing option for the new roof.
• Maintenance: Choosing your roof maintenance plan is an important step to extend its lifespan. While maintenance seems like a burden, the time and money you spend on maintenance can undoubtedly delay the need for a replacement.

Flat Roof Inspections

Roof inspections are particularly important for flat roofs. It’s good to have your roof inspected if any of the following situations apply:

• Your roof was recently installed: If you have a roof that’s recently been installed, having it inspected a while after can help ensure that there weren’t problems during installation. Ask your roofing professional when they’d recommend you have your first flat roof inspection.
• Your roof is leaking: If your roof is leaking, that’s no doubt a sign that it has damaged that needs to be fixed. A roofing professional will thoroughly inspect the roof and find the problem.
• You just bought a new property: To play things safe, it’s always good to have a new commercial building inspected properly after buying it.
• Your roof hasn’t been inspected for a year or more: Spring is a good time for roof inspections, so if your roof hasn’t been inspected for more than a year, schedule one as soon as it’s spring.

It’s important to get a roofing contractor that works with flat roofs whenever you schedule an inspection for your commercial roof. This way you can be sure that no potential problem will go unnoticed.

Professional Roof Contractors

If you’re looking to replace your commercial or industrial roof, 1OAK has the team and materials ready to get your flat roof in the best shape it can be. We pride ourselves in delivering excellent work and giving you the best value possible.