YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR ROOF TWICE PER YEAR
We recommend that every single building you own or operate has it’s roof inspected twice each year; once before winter, your fall inspection, and once after winter, your spring inspection.
By getting up on your roof and inspecting it before winter, you’ll be able to find any damage that should be repaired before the harsh weather hits. You certainly don’t want to be up on the roof in January when it’s 20 degrees outside. By getting up on your roof after winter, you’ll be able to detect any damage that may have been caused by the brutal winter itself. This is a great cycle and schedule to make sure your roof is always in tip-top shape and lasts a long time.
What to Do During a Roof Inspection
The first thing you should do during your roof inspection – actually before the inspection – is plan out what you need to look at. This will probably mean you have a clipboard with a list of items you want to check on it. We recommend you check gutters, scuppers, flashings, seams, and edges every time you get on your roof.
Once you’re on the roof, try to walk in a pattern that makes sense to you. Whether this means left to right, back to front, zig-zag, it doesn’t matter, as long as you have a consistent system in place. Try to avoid wandering or walking from one flashing to the next, you’ll miss everything in between.
As you walk your roof, make note of everything you see that requires repair. This will help you expedite the process when you have a contractor out or fix it yourself later. Also, carry a roof sketch while you walk and draw a diagram of where the issues are. This can be a life saver, especially on large roofs.
Conclusion
Performing roof inspections is not an extremely difficult task and most building owners can do it themselves. The key is to actually do it! Don’t plan on it, don’t think about it, just get up there and do it twice a year. It will save you a ton of time and money as you detect roof problems early.
