Top 5 Reasons People Don’t Perform Proactive Roof Maintenance
#1 – “I don’t have time. It’s just not a priority.”
Facilities professionals – whether at a manufacturing plant, office, or retail complex – have literally hundreds of responsibilities. The roof is the least of their concerns or worries. It’s not a priority until the roof leaks. If you can relate and there are just not enough hours in the day, ask your roofing contractor to:
- Assess all of your roofs.
- Assign objective asset health values for each.
- Recommend maintenance activities.
- Estimate the costs.
- Help create a schedule of inspections and repairs.
Use their expertise, not your own time, to create an asset management program. (Read more on that here.)
#2 – “It’s not leaking. Why do I need to do maintenance?”
“If people were educated on the benefits, importance, and need for roof maintenance, they would realize the added value that it provides,” says James (J. J.) Longerbeam, Vice President and Service Manager, D. C. Taylor Co., Cedar Rapids, IA. Routine inspections and repairs can ensure drains are clear, identify minor problems before they become major leaks, keep you compliant with your roof warranty, and extend the life of your roof.
#3 – “I don’t want to spend the money on roof maintenance. There’s no immediate return on investment.”
Longerbeam is no stranger to this kind of thinking. He explains it like this: “You call your roofing contractor reporting a roof leak; they send out a maintenance crew and repair the source of the leak. The cost is $500,” he says. “Imagine replacing a roof that costs $500 per square foot. No one would be able to afford a new roof!”
With regular routine roof maintenance, your contractor inspects the roof, removes debris and vegetation from roof drains, and performs minor roof repairs. “The cost of the service is literally pennies per square foot. That service provides payback,” he adds.
#4 – “I’ve got a warranty.”
A warranty isn’t a catch-all. Most of the long-term manufacturer warranties provided by your contractor at the completion of a successful roofing project, contain language stating that failure by the building owner to take reasonable care in maintaining the roof is cause for an exclusion from coverage of the warranty. In other words, relying on your warranty to cover future roof repairs while not maintaining your roof is almost a guarantee if that if warranted damage does occur, the manufacturer is likely to deny your claim.
#5 – “We don’t need it. We just got a new roof.”
The best way to keep your roof performing for as long as possible (i.e. better ROI), is to proactively maintain it. Poor roof maintenance can reduce the life of your roof by as much as half. New roofs aren’t invincible and will suffer damage from subcontractors dropping tools, storm debris, foot traffic, etc. Keep your new roof performing like new for longer with a regular routine of inspections and preventive maintenance. (Learn more about when to inspect your roof here.)
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