Inspections done under the sweltering sun can prove almost unbearable. Yet, the necessity of this torturous task pales in comparison to the excrescent alternative. North Las Vegas roofs, under the influence of the region's searing sunshine and occasional torrential downpours, require unfailing upkeep. Perform an inspection on LEAKS: the most vital, most obvious, most "inspector-friendly" component of any commercial roof. The good news: leaks tend to make themselves known in pretty clear ways. Ensure the area around your HVAC units is leak-free in part by ensuring the area around your (hopefully working) condensate pan is free from condensation signs. That’s just one way to check for leaks; inspections should also check for debris buildup and "tube integrity." Finally, all these inspections should pay special attention to the materials used in the roofing assembly for UV exposure damage.
Standard inspections are a key part of commercial roofing maintenance, but they are far from the whole story. To keep a commercial roof in good working order, it is imperative that it be cleaned on a regular basis and that anything that might compromise the roof be removed. This is particularly true in North Las Vegas, where no part of a building is safe from the wind and where a wind off the desert can carry a lot of sand and other particles. These settle on roofs, especially on the flat and low-slope roofs that are so common in commercial buildings. If not removed expeditiously, these particles can do harm. They can also cause drainage systems to clog, which is a sure way to get water pooling in places where it ought not to be pooled.
In addition, commercial roofs in a sun-soaked locale like North Las Vegas can benefit greatly from applied coatings and specialized treatments. For one, reflective coatings can reduce energy costs in a building by a significant amount. These coatings might even pay for themselves in a few years. Why? They work by doing the exact opposite of what a building might be expected to do in a hot environment—they reflect sunlight. An ENERGY STAR® certified commercial roof has a solar reflectance value of at least 0.65. What does that mean for North Las Vegas? If your building has this kind of roof, it can guarantee that far less energy will be used to cool it, whether in the midday desert sun or the warm nights that follow.
