b'Inspection and Maintenance is a Must by Bob Lacosse, CAE MRCA Technical Advisor The old saying thatmaintenance procedures as they occur.LogWhile inspecting, also check the building contends,"outofall access times and parties workingtheexteriorforsettlementormovement. on sight-outmind," ofroof inCracks in a wall are a warning of case damage should occur.possible holds true for manycracks inBreaks the roofing and flashing. owners ofDo not allow foot traffic on the roofin roof edge elements can cause leaks and both low in slopedandsteepvery coldvery hot weather -damagelet wind get under the membrane or shingles orcan roofs.Ownersresult.Do not allow the installation ofto cause blow-offs.Damaged or clogged should now make atelevision and radio antennas orgutters, roof drains and downspouts can mechanical noteinspect their toequipment without notifying the roofingcause water back-up on the roof. roofs in early springBob Lacosse, CAEcontractor and consulting with him about tocheckontheirMRCA Technical AdvisorthemethodsanddetailsfortheseBe sure that equipment servicemen going conditions after exposure to the extremeinstallations.on the roof are warned against penetrating elements of winter weather.oronThey should dropping toolsthe roof. ,,. Inbeaccompaniedbyanexperienced emergency situations, patch leaks to All roofs require periodic inspection and\'\'1.dmaintenance person.11add minimize property loss. maintenance to extend service life.While damageand complex repairs shouldbe pe1fo1med by a qualified roofing contractor, the owner can help maintain the roof by_ nspecbon anmaintenancew1,, seeing that it is inspected and that regular. clean-upprocedures areperformed.In_ _ _ _ _ to most cases,the designer and/or roofingmanyof trouble-free yearsserviceall contractor will make the owner aware oftypes of roofing systems. these procedures following completion of the roof. Regular Checkups Withregardtolow-slopedroofs,the followingarerecommendationsthe,,. Except for emergency situations, do notDon\'ts contractor shouldgive to theowner inattempt owner-performed roof repairs.TheNo traffic on the roof unless accompanied ordertoperforminspectionandpuncturinga blister or the spreadingaby an experienced maintenance person. ofof maintenance:coating orup mastic only coversevidence the roofing contractor needs to ascertainNeverallowequipmentservicemento ,,. Inspect roofsleast twice yearly, in thethe problem.Do not even consider usingpenetrate the roof without being certain at spring and fall, and inspect them after anymaintenance coatings, resaturants, spraysthatthepenetrationsareflashedbya severe storm.Makefrequent inspectionsorother"miracle"productswithoutqualified person. onbuildingsthathousemanufacturingconsulting a qualified roofing contractor. facilities evacuating exhaust debris ontoNever permit products to be used on the the roof.Clean roof drains and gutters ofInroofof addition to the above recommendations,that are notproven quality. debris.Remove leaves, twigs, cans, ballsthe owner should check his steep roof in orspring and fall for broken, tom and looseDon\'tonwithout adequate, other debris that could plug roof drains.take bidsjobs and remove ALL debris from the roofuniform specifications. Bagshingles,decksthathavedeteriorated, because it willquickly swept into drainsflashingaroundchimneys,ventsand be by heavy rains, causing drainage problems.skyl ights, and all other equipment attachedNever deal with companies which cannot toInstandbehindtheirworkandarenot the roof, such as television antennas. ,available when they are needed. , Notifytheroofingcontractoraddition,breaksinvalleysshouldbe immediately after a roof leak occurs.Ifcheckedaswellasclosedguttersand downspouts.Inspectionmaintenance will add many possible,noteconditionsduringtheand leakage.Heavy orservice to all types trouble-free years ofof light rain, wind direction, temperature and the time of year that theDo\'sroofingsystems.Also,aprogramof leak occurs are all important clues to tracingIn addition totwice-a-yearinspections,inspection and maintenance is a MUST to roof leaks.Note whether the leaks stopperforminspectionsimmediatelyafterobtain the best performance of the roof shortly after each rain or continue to dripunusualoccurrencessuchasextremelysystem and avoid premature, costly and until the roof is dry.heavy rains, high winds, hail, nearby firesextensive repairs. and explosions. ,,.Filealljobrecords,plansand(Reprinted with permission of specifications for future reference.Set upContractors Guide Magazine) amaintenanceschedule.Record Page2'