When springtime rolls around in much of the country, that means strong and blustery winds will be blowing across your commercial rooftop. No roof can handle a direct hit from a tornado or other extremely severe weather event, but it should be able to withstand normal seasonal wind patterns. However, windy weather can adversely affect the roofing system protecting your building. Here are some considerations.

Wind uplift is a phenomenon that happens when strong winds blow across a flat rooftop and reduce the air pressure immediately above the building. Relatively higher air pressure within the building pushes upward against the roofing system. The stronger the wind, the stronger the uplift. An indicator that your roof may be having uplift issues is if membrane sections are billowing up. This could mean that some areas have become detached from the roof deck. If so, then water can potentially get underneath and create problems.

The perimeter of your roof is vulnerable to wind in a couple of respects. First, it’s the area most likely to get the brunt of the wind force and even a small gap in a membrane seam can give the wind more surface area to “hold on to” and widen those gaps, potentially accelerating the failure of the roof system. Also, the edge of your roof likely has terminations and other functional and aesthetic details that, if not well-secured, can loosen or detach after wind events.

“Tar and Gravel” roofs are common throughout the country. These are built-up roofing systems that have been covered with a layer of stone to help protect the waterproofing components underneath or, when used with EPDM (essentially rubber) roof membranes, to help keep them in place. Strong wind events can actually move the stone around, an event known as “scouring” or “scrubbing.” This displacement exposes roofing materials and can shorten the roof’s lifespan if it’s not dealt with.

Clearly, strong winds can have a negative impact on your commercial roof, and the underlying message here is to encourage you to conduct “post-wind-event” roof system check-ups as part of your building maintenance plan. Make sure that your roof membrane is sufficiently fastened to the deck underneath. Check the perimeter to ensure that edge details and other terminations have remained in place. And, if your roof is ballasted, the stones should be evenly spread across the surface.

Complete Commercial Roofing is the go-to roofer for all your commercial roofing needs. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss how we might be of service to you. Call us today, 877-227-5552.

Although the harshness of winter varies from place to place and year to year, if your commercial facility is in the Northeast or Midwest, it’s a given that cold weather and the accompanying weather will definitely have an impact on the roof. Here are some things to consider:

Material expansion and contraction. The weeks leading up to the “official” start of winter can provide wide temperature extremes, as the warmish days of October and November are offset by the cold of nighttime. Roofing systems naturally expand and contract with these changes, and when the temperature drops to an extreme level, rooftop components can separate and lose integrity because of these stresses. Roof membrane components are vulnerable in areas where seams may be weak, as are edge materials (whether plastic or metal) that help secure the perimeter.

Water freeze and thaw cycles. It’s common for water on the roof to freeze and thaw multiple times during the winter months, which can worsen otherwise seemingly minor problems. Small cracks in the membrane, for example, can grow quickly, letting moisture into the building. The lesson: before the onset of severe winter weather, make sure the integrity of your roof is intact.

Installation challenges. Although most commercial roofing systems can be installed in the winter, there are challenges to address. Single-ply membranes will be stiffer and more difficult to roll out on the rooftop. Some heat-welded systems have a narrower ambient temperature window for effective seaming than others. A crew member who’s cold on the rooftop may be less attentive to installation details. For a wintertime roof installation, the contractor you choose should have a successful experience in those conditions.

Clearly, there are challenges to roofing in the winter. Choosing a qualified, professional commercial roofer like Complete Commercial Roofing for your roofing installation and/or maintenance needs can help ensure that roof on your commercial facility will come through winter in good shape.

If you’re in the market for a new commercial roof, the most important thing to consider is probably not the kind of roofing system you’ll get – it’s the contractor that will be doing the work. It’s critical that you select an experienced reliable contractor because the majority of issues after installation can be traced to problems with contractor workmanship.

Here are a few questions to ask when you’re evaluating contractors:

• How experienced are they with the system they’re proposing to install? Are they authorized and/or trained by the manufacturer?
• Can they provide references of completed projects that are comparable to the job being proposed?
• Can they discuss with you the condition of the current roof and what the potential challenges are? Do any substrate (e.g., insulation) components need to be replaced, and/or do other repairs need to be made?
• What is their safety record and what are their procedures for installing the roof safely – for their crew as well as the building occupants?
• What warranties are available from them in addition to any issued by the roof system manufacturer?

The long-term success of any roofing system ultimately falls on the installing roofing contractor and their application quality. When you choose Complete Commercial Roofing, we’ll answer all your questions to put your mind at ease. Reach out to us at 765-457-4848.