Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Self-Storage Roof Maintenance: 3 Tips for Keeping Units Dry Year Round

Great article in Inside Self-Storage Magazine this month.  3 Tips for Keeping Units Dry Year Round


Tip No. 1: The Visual Inspection
Before renting out your storage units, make a visual inspection of the interior. 


Tip No. 2: Keep Water Flowing Off the Roof
The self-storage industry uses many types of roofing. Some common roof systems are asphalt shingles, EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer), TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin or Polyolefin), built-up roofing and standing-seam metal. A high percentage of storage facilities have metal roofs. These roofs are designed to shed water by means of gravity. 



Tip No. 3: Keep Gutters and Drains Clean of Debris
If the gutters fill up, then the water will overflow under the eave and into the unit. 


Complete article can be found here...

Self-Storage Roof Maintenance: 3 Tips for Keeping Units Dry Year Round 


Written by RoofConnect's very own, Mick Handloser.  Mick is a Registered Roof Observer (RRO), and a member of the National Roofing Contractors Association and the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues Inc. He currently manages the accounts in the south-central and southwest U.S. for RoofConnect, which offers national roofing services. To reach him, call 870.942.5613; e-mail mick.handloser@roofconnect.com; visit www.roofconnect.com.




Water stains on a storage unit floor.Bad roof fasteners can lead to leaks.

To avoid water pooling on the roof, keep gutters free of debris.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Performed roof maintenance on your building lately?

At a minimum, you should conduct roof maintenance annually on your buildings.  More often than not, when a roof fails it is due to lack of regular maintenance. Consistent roof maintenance can prevent a multitude of issues that could escalate into the expensive and sometimes preventable need for a complete roof restoration or replacement.

A few things you and your maintenance team can do on a regular basis to extend the life of your roofing systems:

1. Drainage Systems:  Clear all gutters, downspouts, scuppers; clean out all drains; check strainers and clamping rings.

2. Is there debris or materials on the roof that could damage the roof system?  Is there excessive foot traffic that necessitates more walkway pads?

3. Proper maintenance to rooftop equipment and their surrounding area:  check for oil, animal fats, and other contaminants that could degrade the roof system.  Change the equipment filters regularly to prevent these deposits on the roof.

4. Ponding water:  Aggregate is likely to collect in these areas which could result in vegetation growth and impede drainage.

5. Penetration flashings:  Pitch pans and pipe boots are maintenance items that should be checked regularly for voids.

6. On all HVAC units, check the ductwork connections, access panels, gaskets, condensate lines, etc. to make sure there is no water entry.  Identifying and correcting these items could eliminate unnecessary roof service calls.

7. Walls:  Check interior walls for stains or bubbling paint.  Check exterior walls for bubbling paint, missing mortar, deteriorated blocking, etc.  Identifying and correcting these items could eliminate unnecessary roof service calls.

8.      Always use a professional roofing contractor to assist you in your roof maintenance needs.  The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) offers a few tips and guidelines for selecting a commercial roofing contractor.

Also, all of the major roofing system manufacturers encourage semi-annual inspections with documentation to maximize the life of your roof and possibly extend your warranty term (if applicable).

If you are limited in staff or time, let RoofConnect take care of your roofs for you.  RoofConnect can manage your entire roof portfolio.  We will schedule out all roof inspections, perform annual maintenance, track your roof warranties and provide you with 24/7 access to the your roof inventory data via a personalized roof management portal.

Call Now For a FREE Roof Evaluation and Action Plan

Don’t wait for a roofing problem to occur --- by then it is too late!  Be proactive in your Roof Asset Management! Planned preventative roof maintenance can save money, time and heartburn.

This topic will never dull for us here at RoofConnect: see our previous post "When a flat roof is not regularly maintained it may cost far more over time"

Note: NRCA believes that the best way for a building owner to ensure satisfactory post-installation roof system performance is to have a formal, long-term maintenance agreement with a professional roofing contractor. Building owners should take care in selecting a roofing contractor to perform the maintenance work. Additional information is available from NRCA.

Friday, July 13, 2012

A HOT June...did you have extra Foot Traffic on your Roof?

June Extreme Weather/Climate Events




It was a strange June this year, one of the hottest Junes on record!   http://www.wunderground.com/blog/weatherhistorian/comment.html?entrynum=80


As a result of this extreme heat, our AC units have been working overtime to keep us cool and our buildings cool.  Extensive use of the units usually requires additional maintenance, which means more foot traffic on your roof asset. 


If your rooftop units need a checkup, maybe your roof could use some attention as well.


Punctures usually occur because of carelessness on the part of people visiting the roof: HVAC technicians, window washers, etc. Punctures can also occur because of debris left behind by these other trades, blown or tossed on the roof. 


Take time now to do some preventative maintenance on your roofs!


Some other good reminders about proactive roof maintenancehttp://www.roofconnect.com/repairs-a-proactive-maintenance.html