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Professional TPO Single-Ply Roof Inspections

Commercial & industrial TPO roofing problems

Most maintenance managers are confronted with the dilemma of having too many roof problems for the money available. While a lack of finances is one issue, the underlying issue is not having prior roof inspections and maintenance. This is especially true in the case of single-ply rubber roofing like TPO.

TPO roofs are a popular single-ply commercial flat roofing option. A TPO roof is a long-term, energy-efficient flat roofing solution for your business, similar to other single-ply roofing systems like EPDM. Both TPO and EPDM are long-term roofing solutions for low-slope commercial buildings. TPO and EPDM are very similar, but they function differently once installed. They have become an extremely popular option because of their durability and efficiency, but TPO roofs can still experience leaks, cracks and punctures if not properly attended to. Taking care of your TPO roof will lower your ownership costs, minimize the frequency and severity of leaks and increase the life of your roof. With regular care, a standard TPO rubber roof may last up to 50 years.

Contact our Roofed Right experts right immediately to set up an inspection and maintenance plan.

Process of Making Your Commerical Roof Right

1.Gain the Right Motivation

Building managers usually resist TPO inspection plans and always regret it. Waiting for the first sign of trouble is the wrong way to maintain a commercial flat roof, especially a TPO roof. Begin a management plan before you're scrambling to prematurely replace your neglected roof. The cost and inconvenience can be easily prevented with a proper plan, solving problems at the root.

If we extend your roof’s life by a year, your company can break even on the cost of a roof management plan. If the roof’s life can be extended two or even three years, your company will save much more.

If an inspection plan can be so beneficial, why do most organizations still not have one? We can’t say for sure, but we can say that even a minimal plan is better than no plan.

2.Taking Stock

Our inspection process begins as soon as a manager commits to Roofed Right. The first step is to lay out a plan and assign someone to take the lead for the program. Crucial elements of our program are annual inspections and regular maintenance to prevent major expenses on roof repairs or replacements.

The ideal next step would be to take an inventory of your TPO roof and its condition. To do so, we first need to develop a historical file for your roof formed with information including:

Date of installation
Installing contractor
System manufacturer
Warranties
Type of roof system, insulation, and roof deck
Leak history
Repair history, dates, type and cost of repairs.

3.Condition Consideration

3.Condition Considerations

To learn the story of your roof, the next step is for Roofed Right America to conduct a condition assessment through onsite inspections. No roof can be managed without properly understanding its history and current condition, information we can gather from roof inspections. We conduct two types of roof inspections: visual and non-destructive.

Visual Inspections

We perform visual inspections annually or semi-annually, depending on your roof’s condition, amount of rooftop traffic and preferences of occupants. A visual inspection is an ideal method to begin a TPO roof inspection since any rip, hole or puncture in the membrane may be immediately identified. It is very simple to detect leaks on a flat roof by checking for soft spots in the membrane. A visual inspection can notify an inspector whether a rubber roof is in poor condition. Low areas, wrinkles, cuts and holes in the membrane are all indicators your TPO roof needs to be repaired. A visual inspection includes:

An inspection of the membrane and its mechanics
An examination of the roof system, flashings, sheet-metal flashings, drains and gutters
An evaluation of observed conditions that might affect the long-term performance of the roof system
Documentation of deficiencies requiring corrective action
Other information needed for developing long-range preventive maintenance (PM) needs.

Non-destructive Inspections

Non-destructive inspections are meant to complement a visual inspection. Non-destructive measures include infrared, nuclear and capacitance tests. These tests can confirm the presence of moisture, locate hard-to-find leaks and authenticate the need for re-roofing.

Our most effective non-destructive measure is the infrared test, which provides a thorough scan to identify any leaks in the membrane. The infrared test is done through aerial pictures capturing multiple angles to target each problem area. Roofed Right inspectors have experience surveying all roofing types and materials, and will be on high alert for common problems associated with your roof.

Infrared Roof Scan

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4.Formulating a Plan

Once the data on your roof is collected, it's studied to help managers identify opportunities to make repairs, conduct maintenance and plan possible re-roofing. We acknowledge management plans take time, money and manpower to implement, but the long-term savings and benefits largely outweigh the costs. If a manager can maintain your roof effectively, your TPO roof will operate more efficiently and last much longer than it would on its own.

Staying proactive and regularly performing preventative maintenance, rather than ignoring your commercial TPO roof, enables the business to flow uninterrupted by unnecessary expenses or messes.

Once you work with Roofed Right to develop an inspection and maintenance plan, you will be able to identify problem areas in your roofing system and work towards budget approval for the necessary repairs to ensure that your roof lives a long and healthy life.