Your school system is the heartbeat of your community. Without it, your town loses its attractiveness to newcomers, and a worn down elementary school, middle school or high school can have a long-lasting impact on the economic climate of your local area.
A great, well-maintained school system, on the other hand, will help keep people there!
Taking care of a school’s structure is an investment in the community, and new school buildings indicate that your leadership cares about the community as a whole.
So when the building starts to fall apart, it’s time to call in the experts. How do you know, though, when you need emergency roof repair? These are seven signs that your school administrators need to call an expert in emergency commercial roof repair services.
1. Areas of Water Penetration
Water leaks indicate that the roof has gone from slightly compromised to completely compromised, and that the waterproofing material is no longer holding. (When a teacher needs to put a five-gallon pail in the corner of the classroom, it’s time to call a 24-hour repair service immediately.)
The pail in the classroom is the obvious sign of a water leak. But, leaks do not always make themselves as apparent. After all, you rarely can see the underside of a commercial building’s roof.
Keep an eye out for secondary signs – water spots and mold in the ceiling indicate a problem. If your school has an attic, send your maintenance crew up to check the roof conditions and see if there is water damage within the roofing system.
Regular roof maintenance and roof inspection can greatly lessen the probability of blistering, cracking and overall failure of the roofing material.
2. Bad Smells Throughout the School Building
Schools should not smell musty or moldy if the building has a quality roofing system in place. However, if your school roofing has a water leak that goes untouched throughout the school year, then mold will eventually begin to grow (and you may begin to notice the smells before you see mold or the water stains on the ceiling tiles).
If you’ve begun to notice a musty smell, call commercial roof repair experts immediately. Dirty and musty air in a commercial building can cause a myriad of health problems. Mold sickness will affect immune systems and lead to lost days at school and a compromised education.
3. Blistering on the Roofing Material/Membrane
If you suspect water damage or a leak, a trusted commercial roofer can perform a roof inspection to get a holistic picture of the health of your school’s roof condition. Water damage will cause blistering on the outside of the roof and is easily noticed by a professional.
When you have a leak, insulation can trap the water and begin to corrode the roof. As the water eats away at the roof, the roof will release gasses that blister the roofing materials.
A roofing expert can also inspect the structural integrity of your roof for potential damage and tell you if you need to repair or replace the roof.
4. Damaged Shingles on Areas of the Roof System
If your school has shingles on any part of it, inspect them occasionally. Look specifically for cracked, split, or curled shingles, and keep an eye out for patchy and bald spots.
Beware of moss growing on your shingles, as well. This green fungus indicates that the shingles have water trapped in them. Missing gravel, as well as bubbled shingles, also indicate a problem.
If you’re not sure of what to look for, call in a trusted roofing company to perform a roof inspection. They will know when to recommend roof repair versus an entire replacement project. Usually, if your shingles have begun to curl or crack, you need new shingles.
However, if you’re just missing some gravel or a few shingles, you likely have localized damage that a roof repair could fix.
5. Damaged Membranes on Flat Roofing
Most commercial roofs are flat, including school roofs. These flat roofs consist of a roofing membrane, and just like how you look for damaged shingles, you should look for damage on your roof membranes.
Bald spots and lifting both indicate that your roof’s seals are no longer working. Water can seep under the compromised seals and cause problems in the roofing structure. If let go long enough, this issue could constitute a completely new roof installation.
The membrane may also have open gaps that also indicate a problem. As the roof adhesive ages, it will begin to give way and lose its efficiency. Old roofs do this over time, and new roofs with poor insulation will do it sooner.
6. Compromised Areas of Metal Commercial Roofing
Many schools opt for metal roofing because it lasts a long time. Metal roofs, however, are not immune to problems. Examine your steel roof carefully for the following potential issues:
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- Damaged or missing flashing
- Tears in the metal
- Missing or loose fasteners
- Corrosion
- Warped, bent, or loose metal sheets
These all indicate that you need to repair or replace your roof. If your school district wants to save money, they can patch the roof. However, a complete re-roof is the best solution for a metal roof that is past its life expectancy.
Also, paint fades on metal roofs. So, when you patch the metal roof, you create an unsightly spot on the roof that does not match the rest of the building. Keep painting and future upkeep in mind when budgeting for repairs.
7. High Energy Bills Throughout the Year
A compromised roof will make your HVAC system work harder than it should. It lets the cold air in during the winter and the hot air in during the late spring and early fall.
Furthermore, a commercial roof can lose its reflectivity. This makes your HVAC system work harder than it should and will lead to higher energy bills while putting a strain on your HVAC system (which leads to avoidable wear-and-tear repairs).
If your roof is leaking, water can also seep into your insulation and make it less effective. This also affects your energy bill since your insulation cannot adequately do its job.
If you’ve begun to notice higher-than-normal energy bills, it’s time to take a look at your school roof.
High-Quality Emergency Roof Repair for Your School System
If you notice any one of these telltale signs, call a commercial roofing contractor that can assist with emergency roof repair. Even though roof repairs aren’t as glamorous as new laptops and labs, with a sound roofing system in place, your students can focus on learning and teachers can focus on teaching (instead of trying to figure out where they should put the drip bucket).
If you’re in need of emergency roofing services or have a long overdue roofing project, contact TEMA Roofing Services. We’re ready to be your trusted partner, whether you’re a private or public school system.
