The owner of a commercial building should know what signals to note, as reports from inspections arrive at the owner’s desk, and as the building’s roof gets older. That way, the same owner should be able study the reports, and to tell when the inspected structure ought to be replaced.

The first signal

Even the newest roof has a signal that suggests the time for scheduling its replacement. That signal is the date of the same roof’s installation. That date can be used to determine the age of the completed rooftop structure. How do details on its age send a message? The typical roofing structure has a lifetime of 20 years.

Other signals that a building owner should note:

Are there any leaks? Are there any spots on the floor? If the answer to either of those questions is “yes,” then it is time to replace the existing roofing.

Have any blisters been spotted on the existing roofing? Were any cracks or bubbles seen on the roof’s surface? Those are two of the multiple signals that should push the building’s owner to make plans for a replacement project.

Has anyone spotted discoloration on the building’s internal walls? Has anyone discovered mold on the external walls? Has anyone spotted mold or fungus on the building’s gutter system? Those signs should be added to any list of the observations that could signal the need for replacing the existing roof.

What is the condition of the existing rooftop? Has it begun to sag in places? Sagging indicates the need for new roofing. A failure to respond to that distorted appearance could result in a caving at the point where the roofing had been sagging. What owner of commercial property would want to deal with such an occurrence?

Has the roof’s paint started to flake? That is not a good sign. If such flaking has been observed, then that observation must be added to the indications that the time has come for a certain event. That would be the scheduling of the time for the start of a replacement project, one that should ensure the protection of those that work in the observed property.

Smart property owners realize that many tasks must be completed, before the actual commencement of such a project. A roofing contractor must be consulted and, eventually hired. Then some of the contractor’s time should be spent learning the expectations, regarding any new roofing.

Roofing contractors in San Mateo strive to meet any realistic expectations. Still, each of them often finds it necessary to explain the unrealistic aspect of some owners’ wishes. Yet each of them knows that a move to delay a necessary replacement qualifies as the most unrealistic move of all.