3 Preparation Phases Your Commercial Roofer May Take When Getting Ready To Install A New Roof

Posted on: 4 May 2023

Share  

If the roof on your commercial building is getting old, it may be time to start planning for a roof replacement. If your building is large, the planning stage may be involved and take a long time. You'll want to start and finish the project while temperatures are in the desirable range. If it's too hot or too cold, that might affect the adhesives and other roofing materials. Here are three preparation steps you and your commercial roofer might need to take.

1. Do Moisture Surveys

A commercial roof replacement often requires a moisture survey. The survey determines if there is moisture under the roofing material and how much of the roof is affected. If a large percentage of the roof has moisture damage, the roofer may need to take all the old roofing off before you get a new roof.

It's common to put new commercial roofs over old ones, but that can only be done if the roof isn't too damaged and the cover boards or insulation boards under the roofing membranes aren't deteriorated due to excess moisture.

2. Plan How To Work Without Disturbing Employees

A commercial roofer tries to put a new roof on in the least disruptive way. This sometimes takes careful planning. If the old roofing has to come off, they'll need to organize a way to move heavy roofing and dump it to be hauled off. They may also make a lot of noise when removing the roof, and that could go on for days if you have a large building.

The roofer will discuss plans with you in case normal work operations have to be changed. The roofer will work as quickly as possible through disruptive times so your employees and guests are inconvenienced as little as possible. However, your employees should also be warned about noise being a possibility while the new roof is put on.

3. Go Through The Permit Process

The commercial roofer will probably have to obtain a permit from the city before putting a new roof on. Then, they need to wait for approval before work can begin. While they're waiting, the roofer may order supplies, do the moisture survey, or do other prep work if needed.

It can sometimes take a while to get a permit from the city, and that's out of the roofing contractor's control. If it takes a long time to get the permit, the start date for your project may be moved to a later date.

Once the permit is approved and the commercial roofing supplies have been delivered, your roofer is ready to get to work on your roof replacement. They'll give you an estimate for the completion date, although, things may change if a rainy spell develops. For more information, contact a commercial roofer near you.