At times, Tampa business owners must feel like Mother Nature is conspiring against them. If sun damage does not prematurely age a Tampa industrial roof, some other part of nature’s arsenal will. Three causes for roof deterioration are moisture, penetrations, and a breakdown in the integrity of a roofing system.
Moisture
Whether from leaks or trapped moisture, many commercial roofs deteriorate because of water damage. Insulation may trap moisture if the roofing insulation was stored improperly before installation. This moisture will expand and, under the Tampa sun, form gas bubbles under membranes. These blisters can also form when water vapor is trapped within plies in built-up roofing.
Felts have to be stored where they will not absorb water along their rolled edges. Membranes have to be installed on a dry roof. This means you need to trust your expert, local commercial roofer to do the job properly to get adequate roof preservation.
Penetrations
The day after a roof is installed, someone invariably comes up with a good idea of some other widget to stick on the new roof. It could be any number of items:
- New window washing equipment
- A new satellite dish
- A radio antenna
- A sign
- More HVAC equipment
- A skylight
- Solar panels
Every new item attached to a roof is a strike against roof preservation, because the item has to be physically attached. This means a penetration, and a penetration destroys the integrity of the roofing system. Water can find its way into the roof deck through a carelessly drilled hole or fasteners that migrate with expansion and contraction.
To ensure long roof preservation, plan and organize rooftop additions to allow plenty of input from your commercial roofer. Steps can be taken to seal the roof before and after an additional widget is installed.
System Integrity
Experts point out that commercial roof preservation depends on the integrity of the entire roofing system. If drains are clogged, the insulation will sink from ponding. If flashing becomes unsealed when membrane shrinks, catastrophic failure from wind uplift can result.
Mechanical fasteners (termination bars) at the membrane perimeter can counter some of this, but annual inspection and routine maintenance will go far in providing adequate roof preservation.
To learn more about preserving your commercial roof, contact our experts at Aderhold Roofing. We will be happy to inspect your roof and advise you on roof preservation.