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Reducing Overhead by Protecting Your Roof Over Head
By CEI Michigan
July 2021 MiMfg Magazine 21
With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting budgets and decreasing productivity , it is understandable that much-needed maintenance to the infrastructure of your manufacturing facilities is put off and pushed into the future . Many employees and facility management teams have been called to work remotely , yet buildings must continue to be maintained . At a minimum , it is about keeping cost low and preventing leak damage . It ’ s also about prioritizing the most significant issues on your roof and having a number of options to address them .
Neglect does not need to be the norm right now ; a proactive , maintenance approach limits unexpected costs such as structural damage , and costly emergency repairs . Here are some tips that may help maintain and extend the life of your roof :
• Check your drains . It is important to ensure drains and gutters are clear and allowing water to move freely into the leaders . All roofs should also have the proper slope to drain and flow in to a clean , unobstructed pipe / line .
• Outsource an occasional walk-through . When the building is dark and the facility team is forced to work remotely , some have taken steps to hire their roofing vendor to proactively perform “ quick inspections ” to see what they can ’ t see for themselves .
• Repair now . Save major interventions for later . Work with roofing companies that respect budgetary limitations , especially in times of crisis . Building owners and facility managers need to realize there are many repair and restoration solutions that can bring a roof back to watertight condition and back under warranty .
• Be mindful when accessing the roof . The roof is designed to be a waterproofing membrane and not a traffic surface . Roof traffic other than to maintain rooftop equipment and conduct periodic inspections should be prohibited .
• Eye in the sky . It ’ s not a foreign concept for facility managers to work remotely as a normal course of business . Some in that position have installed cameras to observe roofing assets from afar .
• Vendors helping vendors . A facility manager should ask vendors of other services who need to be in the building with keeping an eye out for major issues in other disciplines . For example , the pest control person and the HVAC Company who ’ s on-site can point out roof leaks or water intrusion issues if they spot it .
• We have quantified years of data and on average , there is a $ 0.11 per foot savings on a roof that has been well maintained . A well maintained roof lasts 21 years on average as opposed to 13 years for a roof poorly maintained .
Businesses can excel during unprecedented and uncertain times by maintaining a quality roof maintenance program incorporating these vital aspects :
• Aerial image with dimensions and square footage
• Roof composition
• List of roof prioritized deficiencies ( urgent or remedial )
• Photos and locations of the deficiencies
• Suggested causes of the deficiencies
• A description of the recommended repair with cost
• Budgets that can be laid out over 3-5 year time period
• Costs for replacement with like system
• Budget matrix with Repair vs . Replacement analysis
Some proactive steps can ensure your roof lasts its designed life , preventing interruption to operations , injuries or even the loss of your company ’ s reputation . 6
CEI Michigan is a family-owned and operated roofing and architectural metal company operated by the Cook family for over 50 years . They are an MMA Premium Associate Member and have been an MMA member company since August 2020 . Visit online : ceigroupllc . com .
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