How To Check Your Roof For Damage

A roof is your building’s first line of defence against outside elements – whether it’s a steep-slope, low-slope or flat. Maintaining the health of your roof can protect buildings from damaging weather and lower its life-cycle costs by extending the life of the roof system.

The good news is you don’t need to be a professional to spot problems on the surface of your roof and a simple visual inspection will reveal any obvious signs of a problem.

Here’s our list of tips to help keep your flat roof in top shape:

1. Check for debris and remove any sharp items immediately
2. Overhanging trees should be cut back to reduce risk of tree debris
3. Ensure drains are free of debris and that drain covers are properly installed to prevent clogging of drain lines
4. Clean out all guttering and check for any gutter sagging
5. Check roof membrane coatings and flashings have not de-bonded or deteriorated to the point of exposing the roof
6. Look for any cracks, cuts, punctures or visible openings in the roof membrane and flashings and make sure there are no blistered or bubbled areas of the membrane.
7. Check for any plants or vegetation that may be growing on the roof. This can damage the membrane and create openings in the roof system.

Whilst all these things can be easily spotted by the untrained eye it’s important to make sure all repair work is carried out by qualified roofers.