On Site

Regular roof inspection and routine maintenance are key ingredients in the long-term performance of any roof. In many cases, regular inspection and routine maintenance is the difference between a roof that meets or exceeds its rated service life and one that fails prematurely. Additionally, the benefits of a comprehensive roof inspection and maintenance regime include the reduction in the need for emergency repairs, reduction in damage to the building structure and finishes, and help in maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for building occupants.

Unfortunately, most property owners / tenants are reactive and prefer to rely on leaks and roof failures to determine their roof inspection regime, thus maintenance ends up being carried out at a substantially increased cost.

Typically, there are two different roof inspection and maintenance regimes, both of which must be undertaken by competent persons:

Seasonal

Seasonal regimes should be performed at least twice each year, in the autumn and in the spring. The timing of these inspections is important.

The autumn inspection is designed to identify defects that may have formed over the summer when the roof was exposed to high thermal stresses and ultraviolet light. At the end of autumn there will be a build up of organic detritus with the potential to cause ‘ponding’ on roof sheets and membranes and blockages in rain collection systems such as gutters.

The spring inspection looks for problems that may have been caused by ice or snow accumulation, or damage from the wind. Inspections should be performed late enough that the season's most severe weather has already passed, but early enough so that roof repairs can be completed before weather conditions interfere.

Damage

Damage inspections should be performed immediately following severe weather, such as wind storms or hail storms. They also should be performed whenever a change is made to the equipment installed on the roof; something as simple as a dropped tool can damage a roof membrane. Special attention is required for foot damage associated with places where people gain access to the roof such as doors, roof hatches, ladders and areas that serve as natural walkways between points of activity on the roof.

HCL Safety is able to offer its clients a comprehensive inspection and routine maintenance service. For greater efficiency the service can be can be carried out at the same time as the certification regime of any fall protection equipment present thus offering clients a substantial saving. After all, the fall protection equipment has been provided for persons who may undertake inspections and maintenance so it makes perfect economic sense to have HCL’s experts do all the work in one visit!