A commercial flat roof is far more than just the waterproofing layer!

Problems with any of the components can shave decades from the lifespan of a commercial roof. This can force full replacement when life-extension or repair could have been an option.

Undetected water infiltration can result in uncertain costs and scope creep during replacement. Ongoing leaks can damage materials, such as insulation, wood, steel and concrete. This can increase risk of property damage during replacement due to the increased scope, scale and complexity of work.

Leaks and roof replacement can disrupt the lives and businesses of occupants and damage or destroy their property and assets.

All of these factors can drastically increase your capital outlay during the lifecycle of the roof.

A commercial roof is one of the most impactful lifecycle costs for a commercial property.

An on-site inspection establishes a place-in-time snapshot of your property. This is a vital step in asset management and facilitates planning and budget allocation as well purchase and investment decisions.

Early identification and correction of problems can save tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in early replacement costs and reactive repair work. It can avoid disruption to the occupants and their businesses and prevent scope-creep when replacement is due. It allows you to make purchase and investment decisions by predicting capital outlay.

An on-site inspection establishes the size, material conditions and composition of the roof as well as its fixtures and features. We can diagnose issues with building dynamics and reveal points of interest for current and future maintenance.

This allows you to predict and plan for roof maintenance, life extension or replacement. It will provide you with the clear information that you need to persuade stakeholders and decision makers.

An on-site inspection a valuable tool for owners, investors, stakeholders, decision-makers, condo boards, property managers and superintendents.

An on-site inspection establishes a place-in-time snapshot of your property. This acts as the foundation for future inspection and maintenance and allows monitoring over time.

A commercial roof inspection is vital for asset management, to establish budgets, make plans and establish expectations for stakeholders and decision makers. It is necessary to predict lifecycle costs and timelines for capital outlay when making investment decisions and for establishing prices when looking to purchase or sell a property.

This information can also help you solicit bids for repair and replacement work by providing standardized information packages to share with contractors.

A commercial roof can be much more than the waterproofing layer. It is typical for the insulation and drainage slope be part of the roofing system and for redundant waterproofing to be part of the roof. This composition can hide or mask water infiltration, as water may saturate large portions the roofing system without intruding to the interior. Water penetration and retention into the roofing system often leaves no evidence during a visual inspection and requires thermal imaging to identify.

An on-site inspection determines the following:

1. The composition and components of the roofing system.

2. The material conditions of the roof.

3. Roof measurements.

4. Fixture identification and measurement.

5. Measuring and mapping the slope of the roof to its drains, as well as drainage deficiencies.

6. Issues with building dynamics, such as areas where ice is forming, where water is pooling, where drainage is obstructed and where thermal cycles are causing material stress.

You will receive:

• A written report.

• A presentation of the results in person or via teleconferencing. This presentation can be recorded for future review.

• All images, videos and supplemental information collected during the inspection.

Additional presentations can be arranged as needed.

An on-site inspection begins at $1,200 for a single roof area up to 20,000sf / 6,100 m2.

Additional roof sections cost $250 decreasing to $100 each, depending on how many and how large they are. Each roof section must be evaluated independently.

A commercial roof typically has five jobs.

1. To protect the interior from the elements. This ensures a safe place for people to live and work and protects both the occupants’ property and the building itself.

2. To provide a slope for water to drain from the roof.

3. To provide waterproofing and weatherproofing – including to protect from high winds and storms.

4. To provide insulation for the building.

5. To provide redundant waterproofing if primary waterproofing materials fail.

Each of these jobs is inter-connected.

1. If the drainage slope isn’t working properly:

a. The primary waterproofing layer can age prematurely and fail.

b. The roof loses its ability to self-clean, leading to buildup of debris which can block drainage and result in pooling water and roof flooding.

c. Roof flooding, and water pooling can accelerate this problem, with added weight causing materials to compress, leading to further water pooling.

d. Areas with pooled water form ice in the winter which can result in materials compressing further. It can also result in blocked drains and roof flooding.

2. If the primary waterproofing fails:

a. It can saturate the roof with water or allow water to the interior.

b. Trapped water expands when heated in the summer sun and can split your roof apart from the inside out in a matter of months. This can result in more serious (sometimes catastrophic) leaking, especially during the winter months when repair can be impossible.

c. Trapped water causes structural materials to be damaged and need replacement. This leads to scope creep and runaway costs during repair and replacement.

3. If there is insufficient insulation:

a. You can experience increased heating and cooling costs.

b. Ice may build up in the winter, leading to compression of materials, which in turn leads to poor drainage and water pooling.

c. Ice may obstruct drainage leading to roof flooding and catastrophic leaking and structural damage.

d. Materials can wear out prematurely due to the abrasive effects of ice buildup, as well as thermal stresses from frequent and severe heating and cooling of materials.

4. If there is insulation in the roof and it becomes wet:

a. Trapped water expands when heated and can cause the primary waterproofing to split open, leading to more serious leaking.

b. Wet insulation conducts heat between the interior and exterior, increasing heating and cooling costs.

c. Wet insulation compresses, resulting in poor drainage and more water trapped on the roof. This results in more compression, more water pooling and worsening leaks.

5. Redundant waterproofing or impermeable materials such as steel and concrete can hide serious leaks for years.

a. Even serious leaks don’t always show up as damage to the interior, and can go undetected for years as trapped water causes structural damage to the building.

b. A visual inspection can’t always detect trapped water if there are no obvious signs of deficiency on the roof.

c. Using a drone for and overhead thermal inspection can detect trapped water.

Click here to learn more about thermal roof inspections