Roof Maintenance
Commercial Roof Maintenance
At Big Rock Roofing, we feel that, without a doubt, preventive roof maintenance is the fundamental key to achieving maximum roof life with minimal problems. Your roof protects you, your workers, and your capital expenditures, and is subjected to constant wear and deterioration.
Nothing lasts forever. A comprehensive roof preventive maintenance program is an essential part of extending the useful life of your roof.
Our Roof Maintenance Program will provide you with efficient and thorough periodic maintenance visits. We will perform basic maintenance and determine whether or not your building is in need of more serious roof repair. Building owners that regularly maintain their roofing system end up saving time and money in the long run. By detecting potential problems before they can damage your roof, you are saving yourself the money you’d have to spend on a major roof repair in the future.
Featured Maintenance Roofing Projects & Articles by Big Rock Roofing, Inc.
The Importance of Flat Roof Maintenance
As a property or homeowner, you rarely ever see your flat roof, which can lead to missed maintenance and a shortened lifespan. Flat roof maintenance is just as important as any other building maintenance. Whether it is a residential flat roof or a commercial flat roof, both should be inspected at least once a year to make sure everything is holding up and that any needed repairs are done. A good roof maintenance program can extend the life of your flat roof by years, saving money in the long run.
While the flat roof membrane, EPDM, TPO, or PVC, will easily last its lifespan of 20–30 years, the roof penetrations, perimeter flashings, and membrane seams can sometimes fail prematurely. If such a failure happens and goes unattended for weeks or months, it can ruin the whole roof system, resulting in costly flat roof replacement. To avoid situations like these, a consistent flat roof maintenance schedule should be followed with at least one flat roof inspection in the spring. A flat roof’s worst enemy is snow, ice, and cold temperatures, with many roofs being damaged by the frigid winds and freeze/thaw cycles of winter.
A spring flat roof inspection can reveal any issues or problems that may have been caused by the winter, and in most cases, Big Rock Roofing can repair these small issues before they create serious damage. We also recommend having another inspection done in the fall to make sure your commercial or residential flat roof does not try to weather the worst season with holes or other deficiencies. A proactive approach to your roof will always be more cost effective than a reactive approach, saving you headaches and money in the long run.
We offer full maintenance programs for either commercial flat roofs or residential flat roofs. We have trained service crews that have experience installing and repairing modified bitumen roofs, EPDM roofs, TPO roofs, and PVC roofs, as well as sheet metal work. We work with homeowners, associations, property managers, and builders alike to guarantee that you are provided with the best service.
Ranging from small flashing repairs to flat roof patches, gutter cleanings, and full replacements, Big Rock Roofing is your go-to roofer for all things flat roofs.
Roof Maintenance & Inspections
Fall is the time for roof maintenance, roof inspections and roof repairs. Before the cold, snowy weather returns, contact us to schedule maintenance and repairs to your roof.
Gutters: Gutters are one of the most important parts of a home, and blocked gutters are a big source of leaks. If gutters are clogged with leaves, shingle granules, branches, and other debris, then water can’t funnel off the roof and away from the house. That can cause severe damage to the roof, walls, and gutters, and can be quite pricey to fix.
Shingles: An inspection will uncover any shingle tabs that have come loose or have broken, curled, or warped. Another possibility is that a branch could’ve fallen on the roof and caused damage. These simple repairs will help avoid costly water issues down the road.
Vents: Neoprene or rubber can crack with age, while critters can cause damage to any vented area on the roof. Resealing will fix these vent problems and help keep animals and water out.
Flashings: Chimneys have three potential issues: flashing, siding, and the cap that can contribute to leaks. An inspection will ensure the area is properly flashed and sealed. Flashing on skylights can easily get water trapped behind them as well.
Attic: Many times it’s the attic that is the source of the problem rather than the roof. Issues such as improper ventilation, plumbing, air conditioning, fans, or animal or bug infestation can cause mold, algae, or moisture condensation in the attic space.
Fall Home Maintenance
revent roof damage and boost energy efficiency in your home before the cold weather hits Chicago. Big Rock Roofing, Inc. can help you with your home maintenance checklist.
Care for trees and shrubs. If you have trees on your property, know how to prune properly to avoid falling limbs in winter storms. Beautiful autumn foliage is less attractive on the ground than it is in your trees. Have fruit trees? Be diligent about cleaning up fallen plums, pears and apples or you could find yourself playing host to millions of fruit flies.
Clean gutters and downspouts. Once most of the leaves have fallen, clean out gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters during rainstorms can cause water to pool and damage your roof or siding. Make sure downspouts direct water away from the foundation, sidewalks and driveways, so that they don’t become icy.
Make exterior repairs. Look for signs of damage to your roof, siding and foundation. If you spot anything that needs repair, schedule it now.
Stock up on winter supplies. Fall is the time to prepare for Chicago’s cold and snowy winter. Check the condition of snow shovels and ice scrapers; purchase a roof rake for heavy snowfall.
Shut off exterior faucets. lawn sprinklers, and store hoses. Protect your pipes from freezing temperatures by shutting off water to exterior faucets before the weather dips below freezing. Contact a landscaper to properly drain lawn sprinklers. Drain hoses and store them indoors.
Schedule a chimney cleaning and heating system maintenance. Making sure your chimney and furnace or boiler are cleaned, maintained and in working order before you need to turn on the heat is an important safety measure. And be sure to add a chimney cap if you don’t already have one — it will stop critters from crawling down your chimney!
The Importance of Commercial Roof Maintenance & Repair
The roof is a commercial building’s first line of defense from natural hazards such as wind, rain, fire, hail, ice, snow, and extreme heat. It is also the most vulnerable part of your building. Every day, your roof is exposed to weather and other elements that may contribute to decay and deterioration, increasing the risk of damage to the roof itself and the contents below it.
The International Building Code (IBC), which sets safety standards for commercial building, requires that roofs “serve to protect the building.” Having a roof that “protects the building” starts with design, materials selection, and installation at the time a facility is built or remodeled—events that occur infrequently and may be outside the scope of most businesses’ ongoing activity. But it also includes a regular program of inspection, maintenance, and repair—activities that should be part of your operational planning in order to prolong the useful life of your roof and make sure it does its job in protecting your business from weather damage.