Do you offer schools a roof maintenance program?

By GAF. 

Create lasting relationships and grow your commercial roofing business by offering facility-specific maintenance services. 

If you’re looking to expand your company’s services, offering facility-specific maintenance services to schools in your area offers a significant opportunity for growth. Educational institutions have unique maintenance challenges that require specialized attention to ensure the safety and comfort of students and staff throughout the school year. By establishing a regular roof maintenance cadence for these facilities, you can safeguard a school’s infrastructure while building a long-term, reliable relationship with your customers. 

Schools' current roof maintenance challenges 

In an educational environment, students' safety and comfort come first. Buildings must be secure and functional, and they must provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. A well-maintained roof plays a major role in maintaining this environment, but roof maintenance may often be put off as school facility managers react to day-to-day maintenance issues. 

However, facility managers should prioritize regular roof maintenance in addition to addressing the most immediate facility concerns. Even a small leak from deferred roof maintenance can lead to much larger, and more costly repairs, creating headaches for everyone involved, that could have been avoided. 

The value of scheduled commercial roof maintenance 

The roof protects everything inside the school — from books and computers to shop equipment and musical instruments. If a roof leaks, many items could suffer damage. At the end of the day, ensuring a quality roof through regular maintenance not only protects everything inside the building, but it can also help extend the life of the roof. Moreover, some roofing system manufacturers may require regular roof inspections to maintain warranties or guarantees. A roof maintenance program can meet this requirement, providing inspection records and evidence that any issues were addressed. 

How to develop a maintenance program for schools 

A commercial roof maintenance program for schools isn't much different from what you already do for other commercial buildings. And while regular maintenance inspections can be completed anytime, a neglected roof can often end up requiring repairs that need to align with the school's calendar to plan for minimal disruptions to the students. This can cause inconvenient delays, or date changes that could be avoided with regular inspections and maintenance. 

GAF Senior Product Manager Benjamin Runyan says that it's important to identify the manufacturer of the existing roofing system to ensure you are using compatible products that won't void the warranty or guarantee. "You want to be looking at this from a maintenance standpoint," says Runyan. "What does the roof look like? How was it built? How have they been maintaining it?" 

To start, Runyan recommends that you inspect the entire roof system and document its condition with photos and notes. Pay attention to the more vulnerable areas, such as seams, fasteners, flashings, edge metal, drains and gutters. Look for damage, missing or deteriorating roofing materials, evidence of ponding water, damage from birds or other animals, and signs of moss or algae growth. An infrared scan of the roof can determine if any moisture is present and help pinpoint areas that need immediate attention. Be sure to confirm any IR scans with core cuts by a roofing professional to confirm any roof system infiltration. 

Your program should include basic tasks such as clearing debris from drains and gutters, removing leaves or branches, and making minor repairs where existing sealants are losing pliability or are showing signs of deterioration. If you identify larger concerns, you can document that with photos and provide an estimate for the repairs to the building owner/representative. Also, note how long the repairs should take and what products you'll use. 

Getting started with schools 

Preventative maintenance programs aren't just a benefit to the schools, they can also lead to other school roofing work including re-roofing opportunities.  

Original article source: GAF