Commercial Roofing Archives

What You Should Know About The Types of Industrial and Commercial Roof Moisture

As a commercial building owner, you’re supposed to be aware of the things that can affect your building, as well as your roof so that you can prevent it. If you have a flat roof on your commercial building, you should be particularly concerned about moisture and how it affects the integrity of your roof.

Take winter, for instance, when it’s a clear night, the temperature on your roof’s surface can drop and become below ambient temperature. If you own a roof that’s made of tin, asbestos, aluminum, or other single-skin materials, the roof’s internal temperature will be the same as its external temperature because of the absence of thermal resistance between both sides. So, whatever moisture is in the internal atmosphere will get condensed and lead to the formation of droplets.

Seeing as your roof is the protector of your company, business, and properties, you need to be aware of all the kinds and levels of moisture to look out for.

Construction Moisture

During construction, some moisture can get trapped in your building, especially those that form during the process of painting and dry welling as the concrete undergoes curing. The moisture in the atmosphere gets released, and if the construction company isn’t careful, it can be an oversight on their part. However, with the experience we have, such a mistake will not occur.

Workforce Moisture

Do you know that when you have people in your building simply carrying out their work, moisture can be created? As the people working go about their jobs, you will experience several levels of moisture in the atmosphere, and you have to be mindful of that.

Limited Moisture Levels

When warm air moves upwards, it goes along with moisture, and this moisture can get trapped in the membrane and insulation of the roof. An ideal building setting is one where there are two insulation layers and staggered joints. However, if there is only one insulation installed in your building, you will most likely need cover boards for added protection.

Higher Moisture Levels

When condensation builds up on your roof, it can cause severe harm to your roof, especially in buildings that are prone to low-slope roof moisture such as those housing swimming pools and gyms. Buildings that create steamy environments, such as massage parlors and saunas could also be affected by higher levels of moisture.

Ideally, ventilation and air conditioning ought to be installed during construction or modification to prevent harmful moisture.

With this information in mind, preventing all potential roof moisture will save you and your business from a world of problems, as well as financial costs.

How You Choose The Right Commercial Roofing Contractor

When looking for a roofing contractor, the thought of all the things you need to check, consider, and confirm can dissuade you from even beginning the process. You need to look for experience, certification, reliability, skills, and even cost-effectiveness, all in one company.

Sometimes you might even be tempted to choose a company that sends you an affordable quotation over an expensive one simply because you want to save cash. However, even at that moment, you need to remember that a cheap job might come with cheap materials, which will be detrimental to your commercial building over time.

It is certain that you have to put a lot of thought into your choice-making process, but do you know where to begin and how to go about it?

Let us give you a guide that will help you as recommended by the National Federation of Roofing Contractors:

Invite three contractors to inspect your roof and ask them to send you a quote for the job after inspection.

Study the quote based on the important areas, as well as the reputation of the contractor. Contact your local NFRC Regional Manager to ask questions if you have any confusion.

Ask the contractor for a guarantee on their work or the promise of refurbishment work. After getting a guarantee from the contractor, you can also look into the NFRC guarantee that serves as a backup to the contractor’s guarantee. If you are looking for a reliable and trusted commercial roofing contractor in the Southwest of the US we recommend to check out SW Commercial Roofing service area.

Just like the quote and estimate, make sure the guarantee is explicitly spelled out in writing.

Be aware that the estimates presented for refurbishment are subject to change once the contractor removes the covering and sees the sub-structure underneath.

Always ensure to finalize and agree on the terms and processes of payment before beginning the work. Be mindful of how much you make as an upfront payment to avoid a situation where things go wrong and you can’t get your money back.

Don’t seek free advice from contractors if you don’t plan to hand them the contract.

If planning permission is needed for your property, it is your responsibility to get it.

If your refurbishment work will cover 50% or more of your roof’s area, you’ll need to employ a competent roofer or ask your Local Authority Building Control to come around and observe things before you start working. This process is carried out to get confirmation whether the roof should be upgraded in line with the thermal requirements in the Building Regulations.