Most building owners don’t realize it, but the flat roofs that sit on top of commercial spaces actually need quite a bit of attention and care, at least if they are going to stay in good shape. In order for a flat roof to stay clear of debris and leak-free, it needs to be properly maintained and cleaned at least once a year, according to Robin Marroquin. Marroquin is a roof repair expert in San Diego, and the owner of Marroquin Construction.
“That is the biggest thing that property owners don’t understand,” he explains. “These big commercial roofs they have on retail spaces need to be cleaned if they are going to continue staying in good shape.” The roofs on many commercial retail spaces—such as malls and shopping centers—can be the size of a professional football field, or larger. This provides ample space for leaves and debris to build up over the tops of drains and gutters, causing inevitable problems once the rainy winter season starts.
What causes the problem?
The problem with most commercial retail spaces, explains Marroquin, is that people tend to throw things up on the roof. “People throw Coke bottles up there, and just everything else,” Marroquin says. What can happen, then, is that that the stray Coke bottles, leaves, branches, and other debris can build up over the course of a year and end up clogging the gutters on a roof. “The next thing you know, those clogged gutters are causing water to back up and leak into the building,” Marroquin says. “And that could be costing the building owner thousands of dollars in damage.”
More so than the pitched roofs that people have on their houses, flat roofs need constant attention in order to stay in tip-top shape. Marroquin explains that needing flat roof repair in San Diego is more common than needing a pitched roof repaired because of the water damage that can occur if there is a back up on the roof. “Flat roofs don’t really shed water off naturally,” Marroquin says. “They need these gutters and drains in order to get the water off, and if the gutters and drains get clogged, then water will accumulate on the roof and cause problems for the owner.”
Standing water on a roof is never a good thing, Marroquin explains, which is why building owners have to be careful to get professionals up to check out their roofs at least one time each year, if not more often.
How can the problem be fixed?
Marroquin says that companies like his own are frequently asked to inspect flat roofs on commercial properties. “We take about 10 people up there with leaf blowers and trash bags, and we can just clear the whole roof off in a matter of hours,” he says. “We can collect all the leaves and debris during that time, which is the number one way to prevent drain and gutter clogs.”
Even with annual maintenance, Marroquin says that drains on commercial roofs can sometimes get so clogged that they require a professional to clean them out, just like any other type of plumbing piping. “If there is a real problem like that, then I will let the building owner know and he can decide what action to take,” Marroquin explains. Although Marroquin Construction doesn’t replace roofs, Marroquin says his employees can handle small patching jobs and roof repair issues on buildings in San Diego.
What is a flat roof clean up going to cost?
Working on a commercial roof that is the size of a football field isn’t exactly cheap, according to Marroquin. Building owners can expect to spend around $1,000 for a typical clean up job. With a crew of 10 or more people, Marroquin estimates that his company can get most flat roof jobs done in a matter of just two to three hours. “With my company, I don’t just show up there with a couple of people. I show up with a whole army to get the job done,” he says.
Although Marroquin Construction handles flat roof clean ups and roof repair jobs in San Diego all year round, Marroquin says that the majority of his calls come in “right before the rainy season starts.”
No matter the cost, Marroquin says that hiring a crew to handle the annual maintenance on a commercial roof is much better than the alternative—which is to wait until a leak springs up and then take action. “It is a lot cheaper to do preventative maintenance than to wait until a real problem comes up that needs immediate attention,” he says. “And once the job is done, you don’t really need to worry about the roof until the same time next year.”
