You get a blister on your hand from a weekend of yard work and you put a little antibiotic cream and a bandage on; you’re good to go. Not so when your commercial roof gets a blister. Blisters are one sign of commercial roof failure leading to replacement. Knowing several key indicators can help you plan an orderly replacement process.

History

Looking at a roof on a single day cannot tell you enough about its history and repair schedule to make an informed decision about replacement. Begin your inspection by reviewing roof records—from thereliable roofing contractor you partner with for annual maintenance, monitoring and repair—or from your own documents.

Look at original installation date, wear and repair patterns, and add-ons that could compromise the membrane (new HVAC units, communication dishes and similar).

Note trends, such as higher repair costs in recent years, or areas that repeatedly need repair. Look at past spending, too: if maintenance was “deferred,” you will eventually pay for it with an acceleratedreplacement schedule.

After getting a good background on the roof, you and your roofer, such as the professionals at Beldon Roofing, perform the actual inspection.

Blisters

The bubble-like raised portions of your roof get there because gases form beneath the membrane or plies. Moisture within is the culprit, which means you have water within either the felts or roofing insulation that is trapped and is slowly degrading your roof.

Open Laps

Open laps in the membrane, both across the central expanse and at flashing connections, can indicate one of two things:

• Poor installation practice (this is unlikely if your roof is old and these open seams were not noted before)
• Degradation of the adhesive due to aging

Open laps invite water infiltration, which leads to expensive and sometimes challenging leaks.

Punctures and Shifting Fasteners

Carelessness by outside vendors’ work boots can tear roof membranes, leading to major water infiltration. An 1/8” hole can admit gallons of water in a Texas gulley washer. Mechanical fasteners, too, can shift from temperature changes and wind, gradually tearing larger holes and weakening the connections. This is problematic in both metal roofs and single-ply membranes.

These three physical issues, plus the roof’s history, are just some of the signs you may needcommercial roof replacement soon. If you are unsure about these and other trouble signs, contact Beldon Roofing today to have our experts give you an on-site evaluation.