Improve Your Repair Investments

Ron Harriman, Senior Consultant

Roof repairs can unfortunately be a frustrating experience. It can probably be compared to fixing a car; when what you suspect is just a minor squeak or vibration turns out to be a major problem. Then to add insult to injury, after you get your car back and swallow the unanticipated expense, you still have that squeak or vibration.

Repairing roof deficiencies can provide the same results (or lack of). Building owners often express concern about roof repairs. Following are some common complaints.

• It still leaks! Repairs are unsuccessful.
• The costs are too high and unpredictable.
• The repair won't last and will need to be redone next year.
• Top contractors aren't interested in doing repairs.

  Following are some helpful hints for improving your repair investments

• Aggressively maintain your roofs, and the need for repairs will go down.
• Document leaks; record the weather conditions (wind, rain, snow), precise location, time- frame (one hour following rain). Often this information helps the repair crew find the leak source and find it faster.
• If the repairs are substantial, prepare a mini-specification and try to "qualify" the work to be bid as much as possible. Contractors are often reluctant to bid on repairs because there are no identifiable quantities of work. They only know that they are expected to stop the leaks. By identifying quantities of work (such as 100 lineal feet of flashing replacement, and a unit cost for more or less), some of the bidder's risk is removed and more aggressive pricing can be expected.
• Require repair crews to sign in and out of your facility; document the time actually spent on the job.
• Require the contractor to submit before and after photographs of the repair areas. Make this a condition of getting paid; it has been proven to be a fairly effective method of accountability.
• Request a specific repair person or crew. Familiarity with a roof system, building access, facility procedures, etc., can lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness. This can be particularly effective with leaks that are difficult to trace.
• Assign a person to monitor the repair work. This can help in many ways, including expediting the work, (most often when billed by the hour), and encouraging quality workmanship. The most common problem with repair workmanship is surface preparation. Your representative should verify the surface preparation before new materials are applied.
• Notify the contractor as to the specific type of roof to be repaired. It can also be a considerable delay and expense if a crew shows up at your facility with the wrong materials and equipment. Unfortunately, these "wrong" materials often end up being used anyway and there can be compatibility problems.
• If your roof is under warranty, prepare a form letter to send out to the warranty holder. Notify them in writing of any leaks. Read your warranty and try to follow the guidelines for leak and repair notification.
• If you have good success with a particular contractor or crew person, write them a letter praising their efforts. Sometimes a pat on the back determines who is a priority during the next deluge of roofing projects.