Maintaining the Assets of Your Association Is Your Association Proactive Or Re-active? By Rob Winkle

Roofing systems are one of the most expensive components of a building. Replacement costs are ever increasing and generally one of the largest components of a homeowners association's budget reserve study. Whether the roofing systems are covered by the homeowners association or the responsibility of the individual homeowners, the roofing system is truly an asset. Managing a roof as an asset with a well-designed and professionally implemented maintenance program as opposed to crisis management will extend the serviceable life on any roofing system.

Many homeowners associations CC&R’s require that the exterior of the buildings be maintained. This includes the roof system. Most material manufacturers require that annual roof maintenance be performed in order to satisfy any manufacturer’s warranties.

Although the roof is one of the most important components of a building, it is often “out of sight out of mind.” Roofs not only protect the building itself from the elements, they protect the contents of the home from sustaining water damage. Our harsh desert climate is particularly hard on roofing systems and is one of the greatest causes of roof failures. The expansion and contraction with the extreme temperature changes of building components create splits, tears and breakdown of seals that often result in roof leaks.

Performing annual maintenance will reduce or eliminate disruptive leaks from ever developing. In most cases interior repairs after a leak occurs is the homeowner’s responsibility. With the implementation of a roof maintenance program, the fiduciary duty of the board of directors is in most cases satisfied. Every roof system is different. Many projects have multiple types of roofing systems on them. Having a comprehensive maintenance program that is specifically developed to maximize the serviceable life of the existing roofing systems on each project is essential.

Roof system maintenance contracts and specifications should be very detailed and include all work that is to be performed. The success of a maintenance program is directly related to the scope of work performed. For instance, while cleaning the debris off the roof is a key component to a roof's longevity, it is not necessarily what will prevent leaks from developing. Every roofing system is comprised of many different elements and materials. The field area of a roofing system is generally not where leaks occur. The majority of leaks occur at detail areas or roof penetrations. Where pipes, vents, skylights, drains and other building components penetrate the roofing system, there is generally a soft flexible seal. The material used to seal the detail areas of the roof as well as the penetrations is different than the field roofing material.

Generally, what the material provides with flexibility it loses in longevity. Having all the roof penetrations inspected and repaired or replaced once a year is the most important part of any maintenance program.

Every maintenance program should include a maintenance checklist for each building for all work performed. The checklist should include the following:

1. Debris removed from the roof.

2. All pipes and vents inspected. Noted whether any were repaired or re-sealed.

3. All base angles and roof-to-wall surfaces inspected. Noted that repairs were completed.

4. All skylights inspected. Noted cracked or weathered.

5. All drains and scuppers inspected and repaired or re-sealed.

6. All drains inspected for drain covers and replaced if missing.

7. The field surface of the roofing system inspected for damage and repaired as necessary.

8. Replace any missing or broken tiles.

9. Note any structure damage or immediate roofing concerns.

10. Note any tenant improvements. Added vents, pipes, skylights and additions.

11. Note any overhanging trees or foliage that can adversely affect the performance of the roofing system.

Tile roofing systems, for example, may be clay or concrete tiles and even new composite materials. The tiles will last for a very long time, however the water-proofing component of a tile roofing system is the underlayment. The underlayment may be made of many different types of material and has a life expectancy here in the desert of approximately 25 years. The tile serves as a primary water-shed as well as the aesthetics of the system. The tile protects the underlayment from ultra-violet degradation. If the underlayment is exposed for a length of time it will break down and fail. Having broken or displaced tiles replaced once a year is important to protect the underlayment.

Insurance: Many associations have made the mistake of hiring their landscapers or handymen to clean the roofs. This puts the association at great risk. Most insurance companies do not cover workers performing tasks above the height of eight feet. Although a company may have insurance, that does not necessarily mean that their employees are insured to work on the roof. If an unfortunate accident occurs, the responsibility may be on the HOA. Roofing contractors’ insurance rates are very high due to the nature and danger of the industry. A quality roofing contractor will have a safety program in place to educate and train workers.

An annual roof system maintenance program should be included in every budget reserve study. The information gathered from year to year will help determine the remaining serviceable life of the existing roofing systems. The roofing contractor can provide the information to the HOA and/or reserve study companies for budget planning.

Although a maintenance program is a essential, it is not a cure-all. It is important when selecting roofing contractor that several factors be considered. A local roofing contractor can respond to leaks or damage that may occur. The roofing contractor selected to perform the maintenance should have a full-time service department. Often out-of-town contractors are willing to complete larger projects but do not have the capability to respond to leaks or emergencies that may develop in a timely fashion.

The cost for a comprehensive maintenance program is inexpensive. The benefits of having a program in place are tremendous. As corny as it sounds, we believe so strongly in the preservation of existing roofing systems that we named our company Roof Asset Management Inc.

Rob Winkle is the Vice President of Roof Asset Management Inc. Rob has been in the roofing industry for over 36 years. He currently serves as vice president of the board of directors of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association. Rob is also a past president of CAI-CV. Rob can be reached at (760) 831-9999 or by email to rob@ramroofmgmt.com.