6 Steps to Properly Inspect Your Commercial Roof

Conducting regular roof inspections is an important part of your commercial roofing maintenance routine. It can even prevent small problems from snowballing to disruptive and expensive repairs. A proper inspection procedure can help make your inspections more efficient, so we’d like to share this guide on how to inspect your commercial roof.

Start with the interior

Inspect the walls and ceiling for water stains or other signs of leaks. If you have your air conditioning units on the roof, check the condensation pipes and make sure it’s not contributing to the leaks.

General roof inspection

Take a wide look at the roof area for obvious problems like torn-off sections or exposed substrate. Membrane roofs should have a perfectly flat appearance, without tented areas, lifted seams, or holes. Wrinkles indicate air underneath the roofing material, so note this in your inspection. Before you continue, pick up all kinds of debris you find, especially broken bottles and other materials that may cause injury or puncture the roofing.

Cap flashing

For membrane roofing material like TPO or EPDM, you’ll find metal cap flashing at the roof’s edges, where the membrane terminates. Look for signs of damage, missing sections, and corrosion. Metal flashing typically has seams: follow the lengths, look for areas with sealant and make sure it’s intact. Don’t attempt sealant reapplication unless your roofing warranty explicitly states it’s okay for you to do so.

Edge and base flashing

Take a close look at the inner roof edges and corners, and do the same inspection for the edge and base flashing, which is a safeguard installed on certain commercial roofing types.

Penetrations

Pipes, drains, chimneys, and anything else that punctures the roof membrane are potential areas for leaks to form, so make sure these areas have intact seals.

Ballasted roofs

For ballasted roofs such as gravel top roofs, look out for bare spots. Inspect the spot for punctures before you even the ballast material out.

Find any problems during the inspection? Have it professionally repaired as soon as possible. Dynamic Roofing Concepts Inc. specializes in repairing and maintaining commercial roofs, including metal roofing. Call us today at (813) 257-9355 or fill out our contact form to schedule a professional inspection of your roof. We serve Tampa, FL and nearby areas in Florida.