When your commercial building is damaged, you will need to assess how bad the damage is. Once you know what the situation is, you will have to decide if it’s bad enough to require replacing the roof or if you can do a repair instead.
But how will you know what the right move is? There are a few different things to keep an eye out for when you are making a big decision like this. Knowing when to repair and when to replace can end up saving you money, time and stress in the long run.
Read more for some further information on some of the main considerations when choosing to recover or replace damaged commercial roofing.
When It’s Time to Repair
There are many reasons why you might choose to repair or recover a roof of a commercial building. Repairs are almost always cheaper than a full replacement and can usually be done within a day or two. That means little or no disruption to your business. There are a few factors that indicate if a repair is the right move when your roof is damaged. If you don’t feel qualified to assess whether the building needs a repair or a replacement, you can call a professional building company to come and take a look and give you a better idea of your best choice.
If the damage is minor, then there is no need to spend the time or money it takes to replace the entire roof. Instead, you can have a qualified commercial roofing company come in to assess the damage. They should be able to give you a quote on the spot and start work on the repair within a matter of days. Some companies will even do minor repairs on the same day. When you are looking for a building services company, look for reviews that speak to their quality repair work.
Another reason you may choose to do a commercial roof repair is if you have a small budget. Smaller repairs are often just a fraction of the cost of a full replacement roof. They also take much less time, which is perfect if you need it to be fixed at short notice. Bigger roofing projects need advanced notice and planning to ensure it is done properly. When you have a repair, it can often be done at a moment's notice so that you can move forward with more important things.
If your roof was recently replaced already, then there is no need to replace it as you should be able to fix the damaged area. There is a good chance that the damage is smaller and contained on newer roofs. This makes the fix much simpler. Repairs are also quite effective when you need structural integrity to be maintained. This often comes up when there are heritage buildings involved that might need a little more care put into them. Repairing a smaller section of the roof can be a much better option than removing and replacing the entire roof.
When It’s Time to Consider Replacement
There are times when it is not possible to do a simple repair. In these cases, you will want a building services company to come in and look at a roof construction project. A roof replacement would be when they remove all of the roofing that is currently on your building and replaces it all with a brand-new roof. This process is much longer and can be quite costly, but is important if there is major damage.
If the damage is quite extensive, simply repairing may end up just putting off the inevitable of a bigger replacement project. Doing many repairs and then ending up needing to replace the roof will actually cost you a lot more in the long run. It is a better idea to make the difficult decision to put the money down now to get the job done right. This can often happen if there are multiple leaks in a roof. It is better to fix all of the leaks at once, rather than allow for the water damage to continue to move across the entire roof. This can feel frustrating when you are needing to deal with it, but it means that once it is finished, you won’t need to worry about it for quite a while.
If the roof is getting older, you may also want to consider replacing the whole thing. Even if the damage is not too much for the time being, the older a roof gets, the more frequently you’ll need to repair it. If you spend the time and money to get the roof of your commercial building done now, you will be able to put it in the back of your mind for many years to come.
There are a lot of issues that can come with age in a building. When you are having the damage inspected, have them also check the structure underneath the roof to ensure that it isn’t just the roof that might need replacing. If there is structural damage as well, you will want to repair that before you repair the roof. Otherwise, it could mean ripping up a brand-new roof later to fix the problems underneath.
Regulatory Considerations
Another issue with older buildings is that they may not be compliant with the current building regulations. This could put your business on hold if you were ever inspected and it was discovered that the building needed to shut down until the roof is repaired. It could also mean that the building that you and your workers are spending all of your time in could be unsafe. It’s important to have older roofs inspected to ensure they are compliant, and have them replaced right away if they are not.
Extreme weather is another thing that can cause you to need to replace your roof. Major storms can cause debris to create damage but they can also cause the roof tiling to lift from extreme winds. In some cases, this means branches or entire trees might come down on your roof.
It could mean that the roofing and the structure underneath the roof could end up quite damaged. When damage like this occurs, it’s important to get a company that specialises in roofing services that deal with both the type of roof that you have and the type of damage that occurs. They can assess what damage has been done, both on the surface, but also to the structure underneath.
Choosing The Right Contractor
Whether you decide to repair or replace your commercial roofing, it’s important to get professionals in to help you out. Finding a roof construction company that knows how to handle the type of roof your commercial building has is important.
If your building has a flat roof, look for professionals who have experience in flat roof repair so that you know you can trust them to do a good job. It’s important to look for a reputable roofing company that can work with the type of roof you have and the size of the project you are looking to have done.
Ask them for references and have them quote a price on the project before they begin so that you know what your timeline and budget will need to be. A good roofing company will be able to walk you through the scope of the project and answer any questions that you may have. If you are having a tough time deciding between repair and replacement, a good contractor will also be able to walk you through the pros and cons of each. They can advise you on why you should do one over the other.
Get In Touch
Does your roof need work? Contact B&D Roofing to get a quote on your project. You’ll find we can help you determine whether you need to replace or redo your roof.
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