Don’t take shortcuts on your commercial roof!

By Dani Sheehan. 

As a building owner or facility manager, there are so many aspects of a building envelope to maintain. Learn how important proper roof maintenance is for protecting your investment. 

In this episode of the AskARoofer Podcast, Megan Ellsworth and Lauren White look to industry expert Kyle Nurminen with Total Roofing Systems – The Metal Roof Experts Inc., to explore roofing pitfalls and common shortcuts that can potentially compromise the integrity of commercial roofs. After listening to this packed episode, you’ll be able to identify potential red flags that could lead to costly repairs and how to make informed decisions for maximizing the lifespan of your roofing system. 

One of the first things to understand about a roofing system as a property owner or facility manager is that every warranty has some type of maintenance requirement. Kyle likens it to buying a used car: “You can’t just buy a vehicle and say, ‘I got 20 years on my drive train,’ and never change the transmission fluid. Or never change the oil. Every roof is the same.” It's important to keep a running log of valuable information on the roofing system in the same way you do your car maintenance, such as how it’s applied, the durability of the product, who the manufacturer is and who installed it. 

But even if Kyle installs a 40-year standing seam metal roof on your commercial building, the entire system is only as strong as its weakest accessories or products. As an example, he says, “If you have penetrations and I have a soil stack coming through that roof, I still have a 15-to-20-year boot stack vent that I’m using the flash stack pipe penetration in. Wherever I’m tying into another wall, what is the condition of the wood that’s overlapping my counter flashing that joins the wall?” 

Again, it’s analogous to a car. If you buy a used car from someone who has only ever taken it to the dealership for maintenance, you are probably in good shape. But if they’ve taken it to several different auto repair shops, did each shop look at the manufacturer specs? On a roof, are contractors using caulking and sealants that are compatible with the roof system? Kyle sums it up, saying, “We don't realize it's not just about what the roof is and the paper warranty on the material, it's really about the overall aspect of the property, and that overall asset, and what's being done in it.” 

Don’t miss the rest of the conversation! Read the transcript or listen to the podcast to learn more about your commercial roof and make the most of your investment.