THE IMPORTANCE OF ROOF MAINTENANCE Roofing Contractors Association of BC

Roof maintenance is a very exciting, spectacular and entertaining subject that will keep owners riveted in their seats at the next strata meeting. No, probably not, unless, like this writer, they have spent over thirty years of their working lives in the roofing industry and have been accused from time to time of having roofing asphalt instead of blood coursing through their veins.

Yes, I am aware that to the vast majority of my fellow condominium owners there is little that is exciting about roof maintenance. As a matter of fact, many owners may never even see the roof of the complex they call home the entire time they live there. However, most owners do understand the importance of having a good building maintenance plan in place and are aware of the possible financial burden that is associated with a failure of the building envelope, such as a premature failure of the roof system on their building.

As condominium owners, many of us are painfully aware of the leaky condo disaster that has struck British Columbia's homeowners with a reported billion dollars of damage from leakage primarily through exterior walls. Recognizing the importance of a good roof maintenance program and to ensure that owners have the information needed to protect their building investment the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia (RCABC) published the Roof Maintenance Guide. The Guide provides good maintenance practices that should be followed by the building owner's maintenance personnel.

The most important reason for establishing a program of regular roof maintenance is to protect the owner's investment. A properly executed maintenance program will add years to the life of the roof by detecting minor problems before they become major, as well as providing better protection for, and avoiding interruption of, the internal functions of the building.

A roof system is exposed to all manners of chemical and physical stress. The long-term effects of these forces are called "Normal Aging". In reality, small isolated problems caused through abuse, stress concentration, inadequate ventilation, error, or other factors result in a shortened lifespan of the roofing system.

Small problems or defects, if not detected and repaired, inevitably become major problems affecting the performance of the whole roof system.

Roofs represent approximately five to seven percent of capital building costs — but roofs cover 100% of the building and its contents.

In the next issue excerpts from the Roof Maintenance Guide will highlight the importance of preventative roof maintenance as well as the do's and don'ts of roof maintenance.