The Importance of Roof Inspections and Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Them

Homes and businesses rely on regular roof inspections for general upkeep and to protect their assets. Without consistent assessments, you run the risk of significant roof damage that can rack up costs and cause unwanted downtime for your company. Fortunately, by understanding the importance of roof inspections and scheduling annual appointments, you can maintain the condition of your roof and avoid costly repairs.

Keep reading to discover more about the importance of roof inspections, including the following:

The importance of a roof inspection
The consequences of neglecting regular roof inspections
Benefits of the roof inspection process
Knowing when a roof inspection is needed
Why you should schedule your next roof inspection with Rainville

The Importance of Roof Inspections

Regular roof inspections aren’t just important—they’re essential. Having your roof inspected consistently—once or twice a year—allows inspectors to detect and assess potential problems, keeping it from succumbing to extensive damage. By hiring experts to inspect your roof and perform necessary repairs, you can ensure that your business or home is kept in excellent condition for the foreseeable future.

How Do You Know When a Roof Inspection Is Necessary?

If you don’t already have a roof inspection scheduled, how are you supposed to know when one is necessary? As a rule of thumb, you should set up a roof inspection under the following circumstances:

You’ve never undergone a roof inspection
It’s been longer than a year since your last inspection
After a particularly powerful storm
Finding a leak or signs of roof damage
Before drastic season changes like winter
Prior to buying or selling a home or property

The Consequences of Neglecting Regular Roof Inspections

If you know that your roof needs an inspection and think you can ignore it, think again. Even with roofing companies stressing the importance of roof inspections to their clients, thousands of homes and buildings go without them every year. While you may get lucky and have a roof in excellent condition without an inspection, you could just as easily have undetected damages that worsen between scheduled maintenance.

Here are some of the consequences of neglecting regular roof inspections.

Costly Damages

Minor roof damage can worsen without regular inspections and prove costly to repair. Roof damage can occur for a number of reasons, including storm damage, old age, and poor installation of materials. Damage can appear in the form of structural instability, sagging, holes, rust, discoloring, mold, eroded materials, and leaks, allowing rainwater to seep through and inflict further harm on your building and its inhabitants.

Disruptive

Roof damage caused by a lack of inspections can prove disruptive for employees attempting to accomplish daily tasks. When placed over desks and furniture, roof leaks can damage electronic devices and leave areas of a business inhabitable, requiring employees to relocate and make up for lost work. Conducting extensive roof repairs can also be distracting as employees are either forced to move locations while the roof is being fixed or stay and listen to construction work.

Impacted Comfort

The comfort of your employees should be at the top of your priority list if you want them to stick around long-term, but extensive roof damage can dramatically impact their work environment. Holes and cracks in your roof allow air and heat to escape when you need it most, causing the office to become sweltering in the summer and frigid in the winter. Leaks also cause mushy carpets, stained ceilings, mold, and musty odors that don’t promote welcoming work environments.

Impacted Safety

While the comfort of your employees is essential, their safety is even more so. However, neglected roof inspections can lead to leaks that cause mold and mildew to develop, especially in humid environments. If left to fester, bacteria can create health issues such as asthma, rashes, and breathing problems for everyone in the vicinity, Leaks also form puddles that create slipping hazards, which can seriously injure anyone unfortunate enough to come across them.

Storms are one of the leading causes of roof damage. Learn to recognize signs of storm damage on your roof here.

Signs of Storm Damage

Person climbing ladder for roof inspection

Reasons to Undergo the Roof Inspection Process

The importance of roof inspections amounts to more than avoiding negative consequences like mold and leaks. Scheduling commercial roof inspections provides numerous benefits that protect a building’s contents and help it remain functional.

Early Damage Detection

One of the main reasons to schedule an inspection is to ensure that your roof is in an acceptable state. Annual inspections allow experts to monitor your roof for early signs of damage or deterioration so they can begin fixing the problem before it has time to worsen.

Increased Protection

If you want to keep the roof above your head dry year-round, it helps to have regular roof inspections. With early damage detection, you can avoid structural issues and leaks that threaten to ruin your ceiling, flooring, and any furniture or electronic devices of value.

Extended Lifespan

Regular roof inspections and maintenance prevent minor issues from spreading and extend the lifespan of your roof. While the average duration of a commercial roof falls between 15-30 years, this number can be cut short without routine inspections. Schedule annual assessments to keep your roof for as long as possible and avoid an expensive replacement.

Cost Savings

Investing in annual roof inspections is a cost that pays for itself when you consider the alternative. A minor repair here and there won’t affect your wallet in the long run, but neglecting your roof long enough can result in extensive damages or even a total roof replacement that is much more expensive. With regular inspections, you can prevent a roof replacement until it is absolutely necessary, saving you money in the process.

With so many reasons to maintain a functioning roof, the importance of roof inspections is undeniable. All that’s left is to schedule a professional inspection from a trusted roofing company—and we know just the one.

Schedule Your Annual Roof Inspection With Rainville-Carlson

If you’re looking for a reliable roof inspector that can provide a detailed analysis of your roof’s condition and perform the necessary repairs, turn to Rainville-Carlson. At Rainville, we understand the importance of roof inspections and how they can be used to detect, maintain, and repair roofs to keep buildings safe. That’s why we’ve combined over a hundred years of roofing maintenance experience to pinpoint and resolve issues as quickly as possible. Our inspection process includes a full assessment of your roof’s condition to identify major and minor repairs, determine the cause, document the damage, and decide what action is needed.

Need an inspection from a Minneapolis provider? Contact our experts today to schedule an annual roof inspection you won’t regret.

The Importance of Roof Inspections and Why You Shouldn’t Neglect Them