The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that the United States experiences 10,000 severe thunderstorms each year. These thunderstorms usually comprise hail, high winds, heavy rain or lightning. All these thunderstorm features can cause the destruction of your commercial roof. Luckily, you can learn more about the damage caused by hail, high winds and more, and how best to protect your roof. Take a look at the consequences of hail and wind damage and why it’s important to contact a commercial roofing company after a storm.

Signs of Wind Damage on Your Roof

Your roof may be at risk of wind damage if it has the following;

Peeled Back Coverings

Your roof may suffer from wind uplift pressure, especially if you have an averagely tall building and the wind speed is high. Over time, this can weaken the corners of the roof. Keen inspection will show areas where the coverings have peeled back from the roof a bit. Call a professional roofing contractor as soon as you notice this; the roof may be in need of some repairs.

Displaced Rooftop Additions

If accessories like your satellite dish have been misplaced on your roof or pushed to another location, your roof is definitely suffering the harshness of high winds. This could cause damage to your roofing membrane. High winds can also blow chimney caps and vents off, allowing water to leak into your building.

Signs of Hail Damage on Your Commercial Roof

Unlike wind damage, whose effects are visible, the effects of hail may not be so obvious on your commercial roof.

EPDM Hail Damage

Signs of hail damage on your roof could look like crow’s feet type of cracks or circular patterns caused by hail puncturing.

Thermoplastic Roofing Hail Damage

Thermoplastic roofing membranes are made to last. They can withstand the impact of one and three-quarter-inch thick hailstones. You can also have cover boards installed under the thermoplastic membrane to improve resilience against hail damage.

Watch out for deterioration, such as circular patterns or crow’s feet cracks on TPO and PVC roofing systems.

Metal Roof Hail Damage

Dents may develop on your metal panels if they are continuously assaulted by hailstones. The dents may not be pleasant to look at, but unless they are rusted or cracked, they won’t affect the water-tightness of your metal panels. If they are cracked, you must have them fixed by an experienced roofing professional.

Modified Bitumen and Built-Up Asphalt Roofing Damage from Hail

MB and BUR, as they are most commonly referred to, are the most resilient roofing systems when it comes to hail. They offer additional protection, either by their two-ply construction or a gravel surface. This makes them very durable. 

Call an expert roofer if hail damage fractures the membranes reinforcement or displaces asphalt granules on your roof.

Other Causes of Commercial Roof Damage

Commercial roofing is essential for all large-scale business buildings, and preventing roof damage should be your No. 1 priority. Some of the other top types of commercial roof damage include;

  • Standing Water

If your drains are clogged or your roof is designed poorly, water may start to pool. You don’t want water pooling on your commercial roof as it will most like cause the materials around it to deteriorate, leading to a leaking problem. 

You may have standing water on your roof cause of ignorance of the slope during installation or a clogged HVAC. Either way, we recommend having the issue fixed by an experienced roofer ASAP.

  • Stains and Mold

Stains on your ceiling are an indication that your commercial roof is deteriorating and water is seeping through. Follow the discoloration on the roof, and you can pinpoint the problem areas and address them before they worsen. However, you may notice the signs of a leak when it’s already too late. And if you don’t address that water damage, you’ll soon have a mold and rot problem.

Every season poses a risk or two to the integrity of your commercial roof. The strength of, say, a storm, high winds, or hail could damage your roof in varying magnitudes. High winds can rip through the roofing membrane and send debris flying onto your roof. Heavy rains can loosen or displace roofing accessories, and hail can significantly weaken your roof. You can protect your commercial roof by having it regularly inspected by a professional roofer before the storms hit. An experienced roofer can also recommend safety precautions to minimize damage.