Commercial roof replacement or repair?

The last thing that any company owner needs, is to have their business interrupted due to damage to their commercial property. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your roof is in a good condition all year round.

The life expectancy of your commercial roof is dependent on several factors, including the weather conditions it has endured, whether it has been regularly maintained, and the quality of the workmanship and materials used to construct the roof in the first place.

If you’re experiencing problems with your commercial roof, you’re probably concerned about the cost of putting it right. As a full roof replacement can be costly, we’ve put together this blog post on whether you’re likely to need a commercial roof replacement or a more straightforward repair.

How long will a commercial roof last?

When fitted by an experienced commercial roofing contractor, using quality materials, a commercial roof can be expected to last anywhere between 10 and 35 years. This may seem like a large difference in time, but that’s because it mostly depends on how well you maintain it.

As the saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and if you maintain your commercial roof well and have regular inspections to check for damage, it will be many years before a commercial roof replacement will be required.

What are the signs of damage to a commercial roof?

When deciding either to repair or replace your commercial roof, firstly, you should be aware of the various signs of damage. These include:

• Feeling a draught – If you start to feel a cold draught in your commercial property, it’s a good time to get a roof survey to check for damage.

• Stains on walls, ceilings or floors – This can often be caused by water ingress through your commercial roof.

• Water leaking – This may seem an obvious one, but if there is water leaking through your commercial roof, this is a clear red flag.

• Problems with guttering – If your gutters are broken or blocked, this can cause other problems with your commercial roof, due to rainwater not having a clear exit route. This can often be a bigger problem with flat commercial roofs.

• A bad smell – If you’ve checked your drains and you’ve eliminated the communal microwave as the source of an unwelcome pong, roof damage could be to blame. Damp insulation and mould can often bring bad smells, so if you’ve noticed an unusual odour in your commercial premises that just won’t go away, get your roof checked by a commercial roofing contractor.

• Damage to flashing – If your commercial roof flashing is damaged, it won’t be protecting your roof from water damage. Look for rusting or peeling of your flashing, and if you spot any, call a roofing contractor as soon as possible.

Should I repair or replace my commercial roof?

This comes down to the extent of the damage to your commercial roof, and which option is more cost-effective.

The first step in making this decision should always be to get a commercial roof survey. This will enable you to find out exactly what the problem is, and whether it’s localised to one area, or if the whole roof is affected.

When a commercial roof repair is the best option

Most general wear and tear issues with your commercial roof can be solved with a simple roof repair, or even just some basic roof maintenance, such as removing debris and replacing your leaf guards.

If there is damage to your roof beyond that caused by wear and tear, but it’s localised to small areas, commercial roof repair could be the better option.

When only a commercial roof replacement will do

At some point, all commercial roofs will reach a point where the only solution is a full replacement.

If you find the same problems keep recurring with your roof, then it will probably be cheaper in the long run to have a full commercial roof replacement than to keep forking out for repairs every few months.

Alternatively, if your commercial roof is damaged beyond repair, then the choice to repair or replace may be taken out of your hands. In this instance, a full roof replacement is the only viable solution.

This is why it’s so important to keep on top of any issues that you notice with your roof and book a commercial roof survey as soon as possible. By doing this, small problems shouldn’t become bigger, more expensive ones.

Talk to us about commercial roof replacement or repair 

If your commercial roof is causing you a headache, and you are unsure as to what the problem is, get a free quote for a commercial roof survey today. Give NWIR a call on 0800 046 1500 or send us a message and we’ll get back to you shortly.