You’ve taken the time and effort to schedule a commercial roof inspection, but what exactly does a roofer do during an inspection and how does it benefit you in the long run?
A commercial roof inspection is an important part of your building’s roof maintenance. Without it, small issues are easy to miss. And those small issues could turn into major (and expensive) problems that can put your entire business on hold.
There are many components to a commercial building’s roof, and as a building owner, you need to put the assessment and oversight of your roofing asset in the hands of a professional roofing company.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to what happens during an inspection!
1. Interior Ceiling Roof Leak Assessment
The inspector will start by checking out the inside of your building by assessing your ceilings. Many company owners don’t realize this, so be prepared for the contractor to be walking through your building (potentially during business hours). If that presents a problem, talk to the roofing contractor about their flexibility to see if they can arrive before or after business hours.
During this step, the inspector will look for the following:
- Leaks and water stains
- Rust
- Structural damages
If you are aware of any roof leaks, make sure you let the inspector know in advance. This way, they’ll be able to find them, figure out the source, and recommend the best way to fix them.
2. Visual Inspection of the Building’s Exterior
Before climbing on the roof, the inspector will take a quick look at the exterior of the building (the exterior walls, windows, doors, and other features). They won’t spend a lot of time on this section, as it isn’t the priority of the inspection, but they will keep an eye out for cracks or other noticeable damage. Things like this can be a sign of structural issues, which will help them get a better idea of what type of work your roof will/might need later.
*You can always ask the contractor for a roofing inspection checklist before they start the job. They should be willing and able to tell you everything they’ll check—good to know for security purposes.
3. Comprehensive Roofing Inspection
Now the inspector is ready to head up to the roof. They might start with a drone roof inspection to get a general idea of the condition and any potential dangers, however, such an offering shouldn’t replace an in-person inspection. A drone flyover isn’t a substitute for the trained eyes of a roofing expert.
The contractor should still climb up to the roof and take a look at it themselves. During this time, they’ll perform their visual inspection and check for a number of things, such as:
- Debris
- Standing water and ponding
- Cracks
- Downspout backup or issues
- Damaged (or missing) shingles or seams
- Blisters on flat roof systems
- General wear and tear
- Vegetation growth
- Flashing condition
- Gutter system issues
The inspector will walk around the entire perimeter of your roof and then work their way to the middle. Since the outer edges tend to wear down faster and get more damage, they’ll spend more time in these places.
4. Assess Roof Equipment, Like HVAC
Does your building have HVAC units or other machinery on the roof? The inspector will also give these a quick examination. They’ll make sure there are no leaks in the seams where they connect to the roof.
They may also let you know if your machines need any immediate repairs. Keep in mind, though, contractors specialize in your roof system. They aren’t HVAC technicians, so they may only give you basic advice about the visual condition on the systems.
5. Take Core Samples to Assess Need for Roof Replacement
In some cases, the inspector may also take a sample (or two) of your roof surface. This doesn’t always happen, but a sample allows them to learn several things about your roof:
- The material
- How many layers are present
- The age
- The moisture level
If you already know all these facts about your roof, the inspector will probably skip this step. And don’t worry, if necessary, they will patch up the roofing material where they took their sample section so it doesn’t cause any leaks or other damage to your building.
Oftentimes, core samples help to determine how much life the roofing system has left. High moisture content is a sign of more major roofing problems and can indicate the need to replace an aging flat roof.
6. Commercial Property Inspection Report
At the end of their inspection, the commercial roofing contractor will put together a detailed report about everything they examined, what they found, and any repairs they recommend. But, remember, this may take some time to prepare. While the roof inspector can give you a basic rundown of what they found at the end of their inspection, you’ll might have to wait a few days for the full report.
How Long Does the Commercial Roof Inspection Process Take?
The exact answer to this question depends on the construction, size, and specifics of your building. In general, though, the process should take about an hour. The actual inspection could be a bit shorter or longer than this, but it will be completed within one day’s time.
After the inspection, you’ll need to wait a few days to receive your full roof inspection report. So in total, the full inspection takes less than a week.
Once you have the completed report, you can start making plans for any necessary repairs, or even setting aside the budget for a new roof. Follow the recommendations from the inspector and get quotes from commercial roofing contractors. Try not to put off any roof repairs for an extended period of time–doing so could allow issues to get worse (and end up costing more money in the end).
Schedule Your Commercial Roof Inspection Today
Is it about time to have a professional roofing contractor inspect your roof again? It should be done twice a year!
The good news is that you don’t have to look far for quality inspection services. Make sure to get in touch with our team at TEMA Roofing Services and schedule an inspection with us today! We’ll send one of our roofing professionals out to your property and deliver a commercial roof inspection you can trust.
