Roof Leaks, Save Some Money

In these times of tighter budgets and higher vacancies every little bit helps, so before you call a repair crew to fix your leaking roof, make sure the company is skilled in roof repair and that you can provide them with the right information they will need to find and repair the leak as quickly as possible.

Having the right contractor repair your roofing system will save you the most money. Make sure their employees are trained to know the different roofing systems, how they are constructed and the problems each roof system could have. You may think all roofing companies are the same, but if your roof leaks are not fixed on the first service call at least ninety percent of the time, it may be time to look for a new contractor. A low hourly rate may look good, but if the service crew continually needs to be called back several times for the same leak, it’s costing you more. Also a company that responds fast to roof leaks will lessen the damages to the inside of your building and reduce chance of mold growth. The less inside damages to repair, the more money you have saved.

Another money saver is to know your roofing system and keep a log of conditions that may contribute to your roof leaks. Record the weather conditions when you are experiencing a roof leak including wind direction and speed, heavy driving rain or light rain, or does the leak happen only in the winter and not in the summer, or vice versa. Besides weather conditions, keep track of roof traffic, was someone on the roof before the leak occurred. Also be prepared to show the repair crew the location of where the water is coming inside the building. If your building is an apartment building, check with tenants in apartments nearby where the initial leak was reported, they may be having problems they have not yet reported. If the roof is leaking on the first floor of a building and there are one or more floors above, you may want to check for plumbing leaks first. Also it will be helpful to the repair crew to know if the top roof system was overlaid over an existing roof system. Providing this information to the repair crew will often lesson the time it takes for them to locate the area of the leak, thereby saving you money.

In certain situations, such as an overlaid roofing system it may be difficult to find where the leak is occurring, and the leak may not show up inside the building as quickly. The insulation in the roofing system below may be holding water and possibly growing mold. Infrared scanning is being done more and more to detect moisture problems and will save you money by identifying the problem quicker. It is important to hire a company that is certified to do infrared scanning, that way you will get an accurate reading versus an opinion. The sooner the problem is identified the sooner you can remedy the real problem, rather than just spraying and repainting the interior each time a leak is experienced. Spraying and painting may seem like a less expensive route, but if you have dissatisfied tenants you could end up losing money in lost rents, and a happy tenant is more likely to renew their lease.

In conclusion, keeping a log of leak occurrences and the conditions contributing to the roof leak will help you know if the contractor is fixing the leak on the first service call or if it is truly another problem. The ultimate way to save money on roof leaks is to choose the right contractor.