You may not think about your building's roof too often, especially when there are no active leaks or problems. Yet, what you can't see can hurt you -- developing damage will eventually lead to roof failure and a hit to your business's bottom line. Bird damage can be the root of many flat commercial roof problems. The following guide can help you understand bird risks and how to avoid them.
Risk: Blocked Drains
Birds often nest on flat roofs, which means they bring twigs, leaves, and other detritus onto the roof and place it in the more protected areas. Often, these protected areas end up being in or near drain outlets. The materials block the drains, causing water to pool on the roof. The pooling water may then start to leak through the roof, or worse, the weight of the water can lead to roof collapse.
Prevention
There are a few options to cut down on bird nesting on the roof. First and foremost, make the roof unfriendly to birds. Bird scare devices either move or make noise, which startles birds so they are uncomfortable nesting. Drain cages can prevent nesting debris from entering the drains just in case any birds do brave the scare devices.
Risk: Acid Damage
Bird droppings are highly acidic, which means that the droppings will eventually eat through any roofing material you choose for your flat commercial roof. Membrane roofs are particularly at risk since any damage to the membrane can sometimes necessitate a full replacement.
Prevention
Once again, the solution is to keep the birds off the roof so that droppings aren't an issue. Scare devices and bird spikes on likely perching areas will dissuade them from choosing your roof to rest. You should also plan for annual roof inspections so you catch damage early when it is repairable, and you should schedule periodic cleanings to remove any droppings that do occur.
Risk: Fire Danger
A problem on some commercial roofs is increased fire danger, usually from nesting birds. Chimneys, HVAC vents, and equipment vents are the source of most danger. Birds are drawn to build nests in these areas typically because of protection and warmth. Unfortunately, these nests block the chimneys or vents, where they may ignite and cause a fire.
Prevention
Your roofer should equip all chimneys and vents with a cap or screen to keep birds out. Further, have your maintenance team inspect the chimneys and vents monthly to make sure no debris has collected inside of them.
Contact a commercial roofing contractor for more help or information.
Share13 February 2020
When you want to make your home shine, there are some very important basic components you should be mindful of. For starters, you should evaluate the exterior of your home to determine whether or not the siding or exterior cladding needs to be replaced. Next, you should check to see if the roofing needs to be replaced, since it really can make a powerful difference. Roofing can take up a great deal of the visual space from the outside, so think carefully about how yours looks. Pay attention to issues like aged, curling shingles or roofing that contains dips or divots. Check out this blog for great tips about roofing.
