If you manage or own a commercial property, making sure the buildings you look after are ready for winter is a big job. Emergency repairs are expensive, and the last thing anyone wants to deal with in the dead of winter is a leaking roof. 

But it is also a fairly involved process, and doing it thoroughly may involve bringing on professional inspectors who can help you guarantee that your roof really is ready for winter. To that end, here is a basic checklist you should you as you prepare for the last of your seasonal roofing maintenance. 

1. Is Your Roof Clean?

Over the course of the autumn season, it is common for commercial roofs to see a build-up of debris. Everything from dead leaves to small branches to plastic garbage can wind up on the roof of a shop, warehouse, or apartment complex, and the more debris there is, the more a roof will collect. 

The first step toward effective pre-winter maintenance is to ensure that all roof areas on your commercial properties have been thoroughly cleaned. Depending on the type of roof you have, this may involve sweeping and drain snaking or gutter cleaning and downspout clearing, but in all cases, you should make sure to attend to both the roof deck and the drainage system. 

It is common for pipes and gutters to get clogged at this time of year, and if they are not cleared before the freezing weather sets in, water overflow can lead to problems like ice damming and even impact your foundation. 

2. Has it Been Inspected for Damage?

Build-up of debris is often accompanied by wear and tear on the roof itself, so once the roof is clean it is important to check to see whether or not it has sustained any damage over the summer and autumn.

Even small holes can cause big problems if left untended, especially on flat roofs where standing water is a perennial problem during periods of thaw, and if you want to avoid costly leaks during the coming months, making sure the roof really is watertight is a must.   

All inspections should be undertaken by roofing professionals, so make sure you hire an Ajax roofing contractor who knows what to look for and can ensure that your roof is free of punctures, membrane tears, broken shingles, and other types of damage that can compromise the integrity of your roof and lead to leaks in the winter and spring. 

3. Are the Ventilation Units Working Correctly?

As winter sets in, most commercial spaces in temperate parts of the U.S. and Canada crank up the heat to keep their customers and tenants comfortable. Heating systems are an integral part of modern building design, and the roof plays an essential role in regulating indoor temperatures through ventilation. 

As warm air rises from within a living space, it meets the cold our outside and causes precipitation to form. Ventilation systems are designed to ensure that this moisture is able to evaporate naturally, keeping structural components of the building safe and dry. 

This is especially important in structures that also need to account for a number of other factors, including effective ventilation of commercial kitchens and warehouse spaces. Making sure that ventilation units are operating effectively during the first month when the heating is on will help guarantee your tenants stay comfortable and your building doesn’t experience moisture or smoke damage. 

4. Are You Prepared for Extreme Weather Conditions?

Extreme weather has always been part of life in large cities like Toronto, but as climate change fundamentally alters our expectations for what winter brings, it is important to bear in mind that things like blizzards, floods, and hailstorms are now to be expected at a much greater frequency. 

Toronto, like New Orleans, Boston, and Chicago, is one of the North American cities that will be most severely impacted by climate change in the coming years, and that means that commercial property owners need to be proactive about ensuring that their buildings are prepared for extreme weather events that will occur as a result of heavier precipitation and more violent seasonal storms. 

In particular, you should make sure that your roof is prepared for:

• High winds
• Greater humidity and moisture
• Ice damage
• Stress from rapid temperature fluctuations

This is another area where consultation with Ajax roofing companies can help you make sure your roof can withstand the worst that winter brings. 

As anyone with experience managing real estate knows, in order to maintain value, buildings need to be constantly maintained. Letting basic maintenance go for even a few months is almost certainly going to lead to greater expenses down the road, so make sure you use this checklist to prepare your commercial properties are winter-ready by the time the snow comes.