“Out of sight, out of mind” is the downside to all roof maintenance, but it becomes an emergency when a roof leak becomes bad enough for you to notice when inside the building. How do you deal with an emergency commercial roof repair? Are you ready to take care of one of your property’s most important investments, the roof?
The importance of maintaining the integrity of the roof for any commercial building cannot be understated. Only attentive maintenance ensures that the property value and the quality of the businesses inside remain intact. The Houd Roofing team is proud to serve commercial businesses in the Coastal Mid-Atlantic with our emergency services.
Continue reading to find the insights and guidelines you need to navigate this possible roofing disaster.
When Do You Need an Emergency Roof Repair?
A non-emergency roof repair is discovered during a routine inspection before any real damage has started to occur. However, the more water damage to the property, the more of an emergency your commercial roof repair becomes. If you have started to notice water damage inside your building, it is already an emergency.
Every raindrop penetrating your roof causing damage, can grow into thousands of dollars in repairs, restoration, and even mold remediation. Roof leaks must be stopped immediately, with no time to waste. You may need to schedule emergency commercial roof repairs for both temporary and permanent solutions.
Who to Call First with a Roofing Emergency
When you are experiencing a roofing emergency, there are three numbers every business should be prepared to call. First, call emergency services if there is a human injury or structural emergency. Storm damage that breaches the perimeter or a water-rotted beam about to collapse means you need to call 911.
Next, call your roofing contractor. Many people start with the insurance number, but let us tell you why your contractor is your best first choice. They will be able to quickly give you an accurate assessment of the damage and the cost to fix it. Your roofing contractor can help you secure your insurance claim by ensuring tarp protection over the damaged part of your roof without delay.
Lastly, call your insurance team to file a claim. Show the team photos of the tarped roof to establish that you have taken every step to provide reasonable care to prevent the damage that will need to be repaired.
3 Factors to Consider When You Have a Roof Emergency
Roof emergencies are a matter of triage. Knowing what is the top priority and what can wait until the aftermath of the storm is important. Let’s take a closer look at the three leading factors to consider when experiencing a roofing emergency.
Do You Need to Take Immediate Action?
Are you seeing damage happen to your building right now? Have you noticed signs of damage from previous storms? If so, it is time to take immediate action. If the building or, somehow, a person is at risk, don’t hesitate to call Hound Roofing to mitigate the damage immediately.
Understanding the Risks of Water Damage
Water damage is no joke. It’s not just a trickle of water from a gap in your roof. Rainwater and melting snow can pour down with the same devastating effect as a burst pipe – but are more likely to stay hidden and cause extensive water damage.
Not only can water erode your construction materials, eating away at wood and drywall, but the moisture left behind draw mold to live in any saturated material.
What to Do After You Locate the Water Leak
If you have noticed and located a water leak in your building, determine the source. If you determine it is from your roof, call your roofing contractor. However, if you determine the leak is coming from the plumbing, call your plumbing contractor.
A steady leak in sunny weather is likely to be plumbing, while leaks that coincide with rain or snow melt are more likely to damage your roofing system.
Signs to Look for that You Need Emergency Roofing Repair
What signs should you look for to determine if your property requires emergency commercial roof repairs? The simple answer is to observe and complete routine maintenance to keep yourself on top of the situation. The more complex answer is to spot water leakage and storm damage as explained below.
Water Leakage
If there is damage to your roof, water will leak from above, and seek lower ground. Signs of a water leak include:
- Damp and spongy walls.
- Bulging ceilings.
- Peeling paint or wallpaper.
- Swelling wood panels on floors or walls.
- A growing sour mildew smell that can’t be found.
These signs indicate water running down the architectural behind-wall elements of the building.
Storm Damage
Storms are notorious for roof damage, even flat commercial roofs with no shingles to snatch. After each serious storm, it’s a smart idea to call out your roofing contractor for a routine inspection. This simple step can prevent you from experiencing massive losses in water damage when the next storm rolls around.
Contact The Coastal Mid-Atlantic’s Most Trusted Commercial Roofing Company
Hound Roofing is proud to have served the commercial business in the communities of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, for over 30 years. There’s a reason we’re the most trusted commercial roofing company. We are dedicated to service, quality, and reliable partnerships with every business client.
We know that your highest priorities are the safety of everyone in the building, the integrity of your investment, and keeping the doors open for any businesses within the property. We respect these priorities and will work with you to achieve rapid emergency commercial roof repairs with minimum interruption to your daily workflow. With this in mind, we offer 24/7 emergency service in Wilmington, NC.
If you are experiencing a commercial roofing emergency or want to book non-emergency commercial roofing services, contact us today.
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