Commercial roofs are typically flat roofs and they are designed to provide excellent protection and long-term performance, if they are made from quality materials and benefit from a professional installation. However, no roof will last forever. Flat roof membranes can be fixed and renovated, but not indefinitely. At a certain point, they are too damaged to provide the adequate protection, therefore no substitute solution will work anymore. This is the time when a commercial roof has to be replaced.
Typically, you can anticipate when this time comes, because any roof has a certain warranty – which can be longer or shorter, depending on the roofing materials. When the warranty is close to expiring, you must at least make a plan to budget a new roof. Additionally, if you schedule regular maintenance for your commercial roof, the knowledgeable Fort Collins roofer who inspects the roof will tell you when its lifespan is close to an end. Until then, you can opt for short-term solutions such as recoating that will increase the performance and lifespan of the roof, but when they are no longer effective it means that your commercial roof is simply too old and must be replaced, otherwise you will only lose money in the process, because an old roof will create you different problems, from water infiltration to lack of energy-efficiency and indoor comfort, which may translate into increased utility costs and even downtime for your business.