In the past decade, roof management programs have become commonplace in the industry. The tight economic times have forced all sectors of the market to expand operations in repairs and maintenance as building owners’ budgets decreased and remedial roof replacement projects were limited. These programs have now advanced to the point where there are several specialized computer programs available that generate impressive reports and store roof information for owners on websites. These programs can be valuable tools if — and only if — the information provided is accurate. The old adage “garbage in, garbage out” applies here. Therefore, a technician well trained in roof analysis is still required to perform the inspection.
The two most critical steps in the roof management program are the annual maintenance inspection and verification of the completed repairs. It is important to correctly identify the problems at the initial stages and to make certain that the necessary work is properly completed to extend the service life of the roof system. If damage and defects are not correctly identified and properly repaired, the program fails.