How do I find a good Roofing Consultant for larger facilities?
Today’s post is a follow-up to the last post; How do I find a good Roofing Consultant?
So, how do I find a good Roofing Consultant for the Physical Plant Manager of larger facilities such as Hospitals; Colleges; Universities; Secular and other Institutions?
For the Physical Plant Manager of these larger institutions, you know the value of a leak proof roof. Often, the managers of multiple building facilities do not have extensive knowledge of roofing systems and issues. There are a tremendous variety of roofing systems and materials and membranes and insulations… It is amazing what changes have taken place in the Roofing Industry.
For those managers of the older Historic buildings likely have “Traditional Roofing” or slate, tile or metal roofing systems. You may have “Traditional Roofing” systems interfacing with the modern polymer based roofing systems.
In our last post, we discussed that a Roofing Consultant should bring a well rounded knowledge and experience to a building Owner/Manager. Some roofing consultants may specialize in Low Slope roofing systems and may not offer Steep and/or historic roof consulting services. Other firms may specialize in steep sloped and historic or “Traditional Roofing” systems.
To locate the right Roofing Consultant for your specific needs you must identify what services you require. If you manage multiple buildings, such as a School District or a College campus, it is possible that you manage 15+ buildings. Imagine the following scenario: Of those 15 plus buildings, 5 are steep slope. They look like shingles. You have no idea how old they are. You have no idea what condition they are in. Of the remaining 10+ buildings, all are low slope. One is black, one has rocks, one looks like it is blowing in the wind and you have never seen the other ones.
You have no idea how old the individual roofs are. You do know that you have called the local roofing contractor more often this year than the last few. He is an honest guy and he just told you that your roof is showing signs that it won’t last much longer! That roof is huge! You have not prepared for such a large expenditure. There is no room in the budget for the next 2 years. This year we have contracted to replace the boiler plant. Next year we break ground on the new building. If we replace the roof in the third year, we will not have any money to keep operations going.
Now what do we do?
In all but the most dire of situations, a good Roofing Consultant should be able to prepare a Roofing Maintenance Program that is designed to extend the Service Life and maximize your roofing system(s) Life Expectancy. In short, a good consultant should be able to specify a repair program to buy the time until a total roof failure becomes eminent.
If you are a building manager, facility engineer, or a professional who is responsible for the life and integrity of a building and have a roofing concern, please contact us via our website by clicking HERE
