It's important to keep up with commercial roof repairs since a roof is a big investment. Plus, a leaky roof can cause damage to your building or ruin any equipment and supplies inside. Membrane roofing is a common type of commercial roofing, and it's fairly easy to repair membrane materials. In some cases, your maintenance staff might be able to make repairs, but you want to make sure that won't interfere with your warranty. You may need to leave commercial roof repairs to a licensed roofer. Here are some common repairs that may be needed during your membrane roof's lifetime. 

Repair A Split Seam

Membrane roofing comes in long sheets that need to be seamed together. The seams are bonded with heat or adhesive to create a tight seal. However, the seal can sometimes break, and when a seam splits, rain can get underneath the membrane. The commercial roof repair technician has to close the split area with seam tape, patch material, or heat welding depending on the material the membrane is made from.

Apply A Sealer

In some cases, your roofer might recommend a sealcoat as a type of commercial roof repair. The sealcoat is waterproof, so it puts an end to the risk of roof leaks from worn-out membranes. Your old roof has to be in somewhat good shape before the sealer can be put on, so some repairs may be needed first. The sealcoat goes on like paint and lasts for several years. A sealer is often a good choice in roof repairs when you want to get more life from your roof. You may be able to postpone a roof replacement for several years if the roof is sealed against roof leaks.

Patch Damaged Areas

Membrane roofing can crack and tear open. It might get damaged by hail or animals on the roof. Even HVAC contractors or your maintenance crew can accidentally damage the membrane while working on the roof. Fortunately, damaged areas are fairly easy to repair with patches. A patch can be obtained from a kit or cut from an identical type of membrane material. After the roof is cleaned, the patch can be applied to cover the damaged area and sealed in place with heat or adhesive.

Fix Loose Flashing

A flat roof has flashing in several places where the membrane is punctured to allow a pipe to pass through or where the membrane meets a different type of material. Flashing might be made of metal or from the same type of membrane as the roof. When flashing gets loose, rain can get under the roofing materials, so it's important to fix loose flashing by using adhesive to secure it in place. Even metal flashing should be adhered to the deck if it works loose. It's important to keep a flat roof as watertight as possible since rain might be slower to drain off than it is for a roof with a slope.

Contact a local commercial roofing repair service to learn more.