Building managers across the GTA rely on the roofing professionals at Avenue Road Roofing.

Before you invest in the repair or replacement of a commercial roof, read these important tips from the roofing professionals at Avenue Road Roofing:

1. Determine the existing roofing: Is the existing decking wood, metal or concrete? How many layers of roofing are currently on the building? What type of roof covering exists? What factors have an impact on the installation of a new roof? For example, is it necessary to work around gas pipes or hydro lines, roof-mounted HVAC units, chillers etc. Is building access an issue? (poor access can increase costs) What are the insulation levels? (With today’s high energy costs, improving insulation levels can produce fast pay back.)
2. Repair or replacement? Do you need selective repair of one area of the roof or is a complete roof replacement necessary? Can a roof replacement be done in phases to spread out your costs? What are your long-term plans for the building? What are the potential consequences of a roofing failure?
3. Get the best value for your roofing dollar. You know the rule: if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is too good to be true. Here’s why: Discount roofers can give you a low bid because they cut corners, usually in ways you can’t see when the job is done. However, problems soon appear, and those problems will be costly to repair and could put your building contents at risk. Investing in a well built roof is always the best option in the long run.

A good first step is to hire a certified roof consultant or engineer to provide a written scope of work for all bidders. That way every bidder has to provide an estimate based on the same specifications and taking into account key issues such as wind tear off resistance, load capacity and thermal insulation. This service is provided by Avenue Road Roofing. Contact us to learn more.

Another approach is to select three roofing contractors who have established track records. Here are the qualities you should seek:

• In business for ten years or more
• Permanent business location (ask to visit the business office and see the company web site)
• Licensed
• Bonded (even if you do not elect to have a performance bond specified in the work, hiring a bonded contractor means you can expect reliability and capability)
• Verifiable references
• Proof of financial stability (a supplier or bank letter indicating that the contractor pays his/her bills is an important step when determining whether or not they will remain in business to honour warranties). Some roofing contractors are good roofers but still go out of business because they do jobs at prices too low to cover their operating costs
• Agrees to a client meeting involving all key decision makers, the best way to appraise the roof’s condition and develop a solution that meets the client’s budget, time line and overall expectations
• Holds Commercial Roofing Insurance specifying coverage for completed operations to include torch applied and hot asphalt application. Limits of five million dollars are suggested in today’s market.
• Verified Workers Safety & Insurance Board Coverage (This is the responsibility of the building owner. You must verify coverage on the contractor to mitigate any personal liability in the event of worker injury)
• Ask for a copy of the contractor’s safety policy. Leading companies have extensive safety programs and ongoing safety training

Once you have identified and selected a proven commercial roofing contractor, arrange a meeting to discuss the project specifications and your expectations in terms of time frame and budget. If there are any issues, they can be addressed at the time, the best way to ensure there are no “surprises” once the project begins.