Commercial Roofs & HVACs – Important Considerations To Prevent A Cave-In
A commercial roof is a significant expense for any business. It's essential to make sure that you take the necessary precautions to protect your investment. One of the biggest threats to a commercial roof is a heavy HVAC unit. If the unit isn't installed correctly, it can cause the roof to cave in.
Preventing a cave-in is far easier — and cheaper – than dealing with the aftermath. And it should begin while your roof is still in good shape, not when you notice indicators of impending collapse.
Here are a few considerations to protect your commercial roof:
Proper Installation of HVAC units:
A faulty installation is the first and most common way HVAC equipment may harm your commercial roof. While high-quality commercial roofs are very durable and capable of supporting enormous loads, HVAC equipment is still large and heavy. If these units are not installed correctly, they may and will cause damage to your commercial roof. Many property owners, for example, have paid for leaks and crack repairs repeatedly only to discover that the underlying culprit was their HVAC system.
To avoid this, ensure a highly competent roofing contractor such as Xpress Exterior Design, LLC is present during the installation procedure. Before installation, our roofing contractor will inspect your roof's structure, run load calculations, and consider the roof's age and material composition to determine whether any repairs are required. You should not entrust this task to the HVAC professional alone.
Installing Walkways:
The purpose of installing HVAC systems on the roof is to keep them out of sight. However, this will divert high foot traffic of HVAC technicians on your roof for repairing and maintaining it. Timely inspections by roofing contractors ensure your system's proper functioning and extended life. However, if the professionals do not follow the appropriate procedure, their traffic may harm the membrane on your roof.
An easy approach to fixing this problem is establishing pathways on your roof for HVAC professionals to follow.
Regular Maintenance of HVAC Systems:
Most rooftop HVAC units generate vaporized water when they are turned on, and a defective HVAC system may cause this vapor to condense, resulting in pooling at the unit's base.
Another typical reason for water pooling is when an HVAC professional fails to correctly install the unit, causing damage to the roof membrane's surface, resulting in cracks and weak patches.
Whether there is incorrect installation or vaporization of the HVAC unit, the consequences for your roof might be severe. The solution to prevent this problem is to have your unit inspected regularly and build a good drainage system, such as scuppers, which drain excess moisture off the roof.
Neglecting issues with your commercial roof can swiftly worsen minor problems, leading to major expenses. Pro-active property owners choose to develop a detailed maintenance plan to guarantee that their commercial roof stays in top shape and continues to serve its purpose for an extended period of time.
Xpress Exterior Design, LLC in Dundalk, MD, can help your roof live a long, healthy life by inspecting and maintaining it regularly.
