Emergency Commercial Roof Repair: What to Do When Disaster Strikes

When disaster strikes, it could significantly damage your commercial property, specifically your roof. Whether caused by a hurricane, tornado, extreme wind that upends a tree, or a sudden fire, it’s essential to know what to do (and who to call) for emergency commercial roof repair.

Unlike residential properties, damage to your commercial roof could impact your ability to stay open and provide services to your customers and impair your staff’s ability to work and earn money. Getting prompt emergency commercial roof repair can help minimize these business interruptions and get you back up and running sooner rather than later.

This blog will explore what you need to do (and what you should know) when disaster strikes and damages your commercial roof.

The Importance of Quick Action in Commercial Roof Emergencies

As mentioned, common roof damage resulting from an unexpected disaster can severely impact your normal business operations. Because of this risk, it’s important to take quick action and call a commercial roofing specialist to come out, inspect the damage, and make repairs.

However, it’s not the only reason for taking quick action. Here are a few others you should consider:

Prevents the Damage From Getting Worse

It’s true with anything: the longer you wait to get something addressed, the higher the likelihood it will get worse. The same applies to roof damage, especially regarding water leaks.

As is typical with roof damage, the more prolonged water leaks into your ceiling joists, wall framing, or rafters, the more likely they are to succumb to damage. Any wooden structures nearby could be damaged, and if affecting your building’s electrical system, could lead to significant damage, short circuits, or worse, a fire.

On top of all this, even what you might consider minor damage can worsen by the day if not promptly taken care of. With all these risks, calling a professional should be at the top of your to-do list after spotting or learning of roof damage.

Mitigates the Risk of a Safety Hazard and Keeps Your Quality Reputation in Tact

Leaving roof damage untreated, especially if there’s water damage involved, can lead to serious damage, as mentioned above. However, these things also create safety hazards for your staff and patrons.

As a business or property owner, you’re facing a unique situation in which you also have to worry about creating a safe premise for people to visit. Knowing about a safety hazard, such as the risk of fire, or the potential of slips and falls by not cleaning up fallen roof debris or puddles of water inside, and failing to schedule an appointment with a professional to make repairs can open you up to injury claims and liability.

Remember, as a business owner, you are responsible for providing safe, hazard-free premises. Failure to do so makes the conditions worse for you and everyone who enters the building and could damage your reputation if you don’t take these repairs seriously.

Combats Significant Mold Growth

Since water damage and roof damage go hand in hand, you should also expect your commercial roof and, by proxy, the interior of your building to result in mold growth. As long as mold has the right environment, it can develop in as little as 24 hours after water damage.

Knowing how fast common molds, like Aspergillus and Stachybotrys, grow after exposure to water, the sooner a professional comes to your property to make roof repairs, the better. At BluSky, we handle not only roof repairs and replacements but also mold remediation. Hiring a restoration company that handles multiple aspects of repair is essential to getting your business back up and running.

Can Minimize Damage to Inventory and Products

Last but not least, getting prompt roof repair or replacement can minimize your losses, mainly those caused by damage to inventory and other important products.

While you may be unable to save everything, you have a better chance of salvaging what wasn’t in harm’s way while the repairs are being made. Moving your items to an area that wasn’t damaged or beneath a hole in the roof, for example, can reduce how much you have to claim with the insurance company. That’s more money in your pocket, too.

While this is not an exhaustive list, they highlight some of the more common problems you’ll face as a business or property owner dealing with sudden roof damage caused by a natural disaster.

3 Steps When You Need Emergency Roof Repair

If you find yourself in the position of needing emergency roof repair, here’s what you need to know (and the action you need to take):

Step 1: Temporary Solutions to Prevent Further Damage

While waiting for your emergency roofing contractor to arrive, you’ll want to take some precautionary measures to try to mitigate the damage from getting worse. If the damage occurs while you or other staff and/or patrons are in the building, your first step will be to get everyone outside and ensure their safety.

If it’s deemed safe to return inside or if no one was there in the first place, your priority will be to try and cover any holes or leaks. While you’ll want to wait for the professional to get up on top of the roof, try to cover the area below the hole where the leak is with a large tarp. Doing so serves two purposes. First, it mitigates water damage from worsening, and second, it provides proof to the insurance company that you took immediate action. Doing so will go a long way for your claim and minimize the risk of denials.

The same goes for fallen debris.

Step 2: Contacting a Commercial Roofing Expert

After taking the necessary precautions above, your next step is to contact a commercial roofing expert. The sooner you do this, the faster they can come out and repair the roof damage.

As mentioned above, some of the most common forms of roof damage include damage to the shingles and flashing. If not correctly addressed, both can lead to water leaks in the next storm.

Often, these roofing repairs are straightforward and can be fixed within a few hours. Of course, there are caveats depending on the weather conditions (bad storms or extreme wind can delay these services) and the type of roofing material used. Built-up roofing, for example, can be significantly more time-consuming to treat due to its many layers of asphalt and gravel.

If you know what type of material your roof is made of, let your roofing expert know when you make the call. This will help them gauge the expected timeframe of completion, allowing you to adjust your business schedule.

Step 3: Emergency Roof Repair vs. Full Roof Replacement

Upon arriving at your property and inspecting the damage, your roofing expert will determine whether or not repairs will be sufficient. In some cases, where damage is widespread, the roof is old, or the underlayment is damaged, your roofing pro may recommend a complete roof replacement, as making repairs would be the equivalent of putting a bandaid on a serious injury.

Furthermore, in some states, like Florida, where severe storms are common, there is the 25% Rule, known as Florida Building Code 25. Under this doctrine, if at least 25% of a roof is repaired or replaced over 12 months, the entire roof must be brought up to the current code. This rule applies to all commercial properties in the state. Knowing these things is paramount, as they can help you understand why you may need a total roof replacement instead of a simple repair.

Act Fast to Protect Your Facility

Sometimes, even with all the precautions, you can still end up with significant commercial roof damage. While this is the last thing you want to deal with, the good news is that you don’t have to face it alone.

With BluSky, we offer quality roof inspections, repair, and replacement services, as well as preventive maintenance and monitoring, so you can minimize your risk of being in this situation again and mitigate long-term business interruptions.

Hurricanes, severe wind, and downed trees that cause significant damage to commercial roofs are no match for us here at BluSky. Contact us today for a quote and immediate emergency response.