Now that you have purchased your first commercial building, it's important you know how to properly care for its roof. These professional roofing contractor tips will do just that: 

Tip: Perform an Indoor Inspection Next Time it Rains

The next time it rains in your area, take the time to walk your entire building and look at each ceiling. Even small cracks and holes in a roof or flashing will leak water into the building where it doesn't belong. Identifying small leaks from the roof can be very hard, but looking for interior water stains will show you right where there are water intrusion problems.

Tip: Control Tree Growth Around Your Building's Roof

While you may see high winds or hail as your roof's biggest enemies, in reality, most commercial roof restoration damage is caused by overgrown trees. Tree limbs hanging over a commercial roof break off and damage the roof in high winds, and they drop leaves or needles on to its surface. The leaves and needles get stuck in the rain gutters and make a stinky clogged up mess. When the gutters are full of vegetative matter and water they are heavy and weigh down the edges of the roof. 

To protect your new building's roof, remove all of the tree branches that overhang it. If you will continually be trimming trees each year to keep them off of the roof, then consider removing them and planting smaller species of trees in their place.

Tip: Extend the Roof's Life with a Restorative Coating

If the building you purchased has a flat roof that isn't leaking water but has definitely seen better days, then you should consider adding a restorative coating over the top. A coating will extend the useful life of your roof and allow you to budget your roof replacement out a few years. You can even purchase roof coatings that are sunlight reflective to help keep the building's interior spaces cooler in the summer.

Tip: Only Allow Roofing Professionals to Maintain and Repair Your Commercial Building's Roof

Finally, while you may be tempted to repair cracks or missing flashing on your new commercial building's roof yourself, you really should leave it to the professionals. Licensed roofing contractors know exactly how to make repairs to keep water from getting under your roofing materials and damaging your building's structure. While you can save some money now on a cheap DIY repair, it may end up costing you thousands of dollars down the road if the repair isn't done correctly.