By Joshua Flanagan, Blue Frog Roofing
A roofing Preventative Maintenance Agreement (PMA) is a key component in property up-keep. This article will cover the basics of roof preventive maintenance: what it is, why it’s important, and what to look for with different roofing systems.
To start off, roof preventive maintenance is scheduled maintenance and cleaning designed to help maintain the overall health of a roof and remediate small issues before they can become larger issues.
Why is it important to perform preventative maintenance for a roofing system?
Studies from Carnegie Mellon and others, show that 80% of roofs are replaced before reaching their life expectancy. Some of this is due to natural disasters that involve hail or high winds, but most of it is due to deferred maintenance. Deferred maintenance can also cause loss when a preventable windstorm causes a total loss on an unmaintained roof. This is why preventative maintenance is known to increase the life of a roof by up to 50%. Just like regular maintenance on a vehicle, small repairs and cleaning done every year will keep a roof performing how it should.
Additionally, having a reactive approach to maintenance (waiting for leaks and problems to appear before performing maintenance) can cost four times more than a proactive approach. This is primarily because when leaks begin to appear, interior damage is already a factor, and a reactive approach will typically involve more trips with trip charges associated. If most issues and potential issues can be remediated with 1-2 trips a year, very few to no other trips should be necessary.
PMA’s can also be very helpful from an insurance perspective. After maintenance has been completed, the contractor should send out a detailed report indicating what was completed with photos and an explanation. In the case of a potential insurance claim, this detailed report can act as a ‘No Loss Report’, which can be proof of no damage prior to the loss date. If a community does not have a No Loss Report completed prior to an insurable event, then an insurance adjuster will classify the claim as ‘previous damage’ and deny the new claim. A No Loss Report makes sure this doesn’t happen.
The amount and type of preventative maintenance will differ depending on the roofing system. The first system is called Steep Slope Roofing, which includes many different types of materials, but the most common material is asphalt shingles. With asphalt shingle communities, the most important items to look for during preventative maintenance are:
- Exposed nail heads
- Improper flashing
- Cracked or torn shingles
- Uplifted shingles no longer sealed
- Granular loss
- Leaves and debris in valleys, gutters, and other roof areas
Roof penetrations and roof to wall transitions are typically the most popular leaking points, so it’s important to make sure those are sealed and functioning properly. Depending on the condition and age of the roof, preventative maintenance should be performed 1 to 2 times per year for steep slope roofs. With new, well performing roofs, once a year should be enough.
The next roofing system is a Low Slope (flat) roofing system. Low Slope roofs are much different and typically require more maintenance. When maintaining low slope roofs, the key items to check are:
- Exterior/interior walls for signs of leaks, staining, or cracks
- Roof edges/coping for metal leaks, staining, and damage
- The field of roof for damage, loose fasteners, ponding water, etc.
- Roof penetrations, flashings, and parapet walls
- Drains and scuppers for debris and blockages
- Gutters and downspouts for blockages
Johns Manville, one of the largest low slope roofing manufacturers in the world, describes the importance of maintenance in their “Protect Your JM Roof Guarantee” handout on their website. This handout includes a maintenance checklist and a do’s and don'ts list on the right way to maintain a JM roof. This checklist explains much of what is listed above, but also recommends inspections and maintenance twice a year; at the end of summer and the end of winter, when it has gone through the most thermal stress. The handout also recommends inspections after unusual events such as heavy rains, high wind, hail, and nearby fires.
With low slope roofs, a manufacturer warranty is usually tied to a preventative maintenance/service plan. If a service plan is not in place and a manufacturer warranty issue comes up, the manufacturer may deem the roof as neglected and deny the warranty claim.
A PMA will ensure that if a manufacturer warranty issue does come up, it will be noticed in time, and a warranty claim can be made. This is important for both low and steep slope roof types and is a reason why preventative maintenance is critical to brand-new roofs.
In conclusion, PMA’s will save communities money, increase their roofs’ longevity, and help look out for potential manufacturer and insurance issues.
Joshua Flanagan joined Blue Frog Roofing in June of 2022 to assist in business development. Blue Frog Roofing is a premium roofing company servicing from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs and the I70 corridor. Blue Frog takes an educational, consultative, and preventative maintenance approach to the industry, specializing in multi-family and commercial roofing including large loss/projects and a dedicated service department for repairs and maintenance.
