Water is one of the most destructive forces in nature. With the power to carve out canyons and cause floods, water can also pose a severe risk to the quality of your commercial roofing system.
Leaks that leave your roofing materials dampened can result in significant structural problems. Water ponds on the surface of your commercial roof during rainstorms or as snow and ice melt. If your roof hasn’t received proper maintenance, this water can seep through your roof and into your building through cracks or clogged drains.
Understanding how damp roofing can affect the stability of your building as a whole will help you better justify investing in routine, frequent maintenance and repairs for your commercial roofing.
Damp Roofing Attracts Insects
Keeping your commercial space pest-free is essential when it comes to preserving the integrity and usability of your building. Insects need water to survive, so many different types of insects are attracted to roof leaks.
As your commercial roof allows water to seep through roof decking and into insulation, insects can begin nesting within the wet insulation. Inadequate roof maintenance could lead to an insect infestation that will compromise the structural integrity of your building and expose the building’s occupants to a host of diseases transmitted via insects.
Regularly having a roofing contractor inspect your roof for signs of damage will help you eliminate the water source that can attract insects to a leaking roof.
Damp Roofing Promotes Mold Growth
Another harmful organism that can be attracted to the water generated by a leak in your commercial roofing system is mold. All varieties of mold thrive in damp, dark places. The airspace between your insulation and roof decking can serve as a breeding ground for toxic mold if a leak goes undetected.
Mold has the potential to spread rapidly. Exposure to mold spores can be detrimental to the health of your commercial building’s occupants. Some of the symptoms associated with mold exposure include coughing, irritated eyes, wheezing, and respiratory distress.
Ensuring that your roofing materials remain in good condition by investing in routine inspections and repairs will eliminate the water leaks that might contribute to toxic mold growth.
Damp Roofing Raises Utility Costs
Keeping overhead spending low is critical to the success of any business operating in a commercial space. The relationship between the condition of your commercial roofing system and the amount of money you pay out in utility costs each month might not be immediately apparent.
When a roof begins to leak, the insulation in your building’s attic can become soaked through with water. That transforms the material from being an insulator that helps prevent heat transfer and saves you money into a conductor that will end up costing you over time. Wet insulation allows for thermal resistance to become an issue in your commercial space.
Wet insulation loses its R-value. Your HVAC system will have to work harder to heat and cool your commercial space, raising your utility costs. Identifying leaks early and having them repaired by a roofing professional quickly will help you keep your utility costs as low as possible.
Maintaining your commercial roofing system is not just a matter of exterior aesthetics, it can be a matter of safety and structural stability. If you overlook minor water leaks in your commercial roof, you run the risk of attracting insects to your space, promoting mold growth, and increasing your energy costs.
Expert contractors will be able to identify weaknesses in your roofing system and complete repairs that will protect your building against the dangers of a roof leak.
