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What are the main maintenance items on my flat roof?

By August 28, 2018September 5th, 2018FAQ
  1. Drains, drains and more drains – they absolutely need to be cleaned at least once a year; twice if you have trees near by
  2. Caulking – at sheet metal and roof fixtures as this is where all the expansion and contraction occurs – every year is nice but at least every second year
  3. Blisters and cracks in membrane – these need to be addressed ASAP otherwise they become big problems quick. Regular maintenance can extend the life of a very expensive flat roof for years
  4. Tree branches – these need to be trimmed back so that they do not “scrub” and wear the membrane
  5. Debris – needs to be cleaned off to protect the roof membrane – over the years I have seen bottle cans, wood, metal beams, dead birds and even a crashed R.O.V!
  6. Limit who goes on your roof and make sure they use walkways
  7. Clean light coloured membranes to help extend their working life
  8. Finally, don’t be penny wise and pound foolish – I have seen large corporations spend many hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new roof and struggle to authorize spending a few hundred dollars on annual maintenance

Flat roofs are very dynamic systems with lots of movement and stresses – easily one of the most important systems on a commercial building. Regular maintenance is inexpensive insurance – get some!