In the world of roofing, having a little leak is like being a little bit pregnant. There is no such thing as a little leak if the meaning of little is insignificant or unimportant. Once the integrity of a roof has been breached, a small problem soon becomes a large one and finally an enormously expensive one. In the Northern Virginia and Maryland area there are four distinct seasons ranging from bitterly cold and freezing winters to hot and torrid summers with a few tornadoes and hurricanes thrown in for good measure.

The roof of your commercial or industrial building is one of the most important protections you have for the rest of the building. Once you have discovered a leak, the problem already exists and it must be addressed. Your only choice at that point is to take care of it now, or do it later. It's much like the old line in the TV commercial, pay me now, or pay me later.

Once the leak is there, the damage has already occurred because left unchecked, it will only grow in scope and cost. Commercial roofing companies in Northern Virginia and Maryland are experts at making repairs to existing roof systems. Just because a leak has been spotted doesn't necessarily mean your roof needs to be totally replaced. Perhaps it can be repaired if the problem is tackled soon.

The best plan is to prevent the problem in the first place. Roofing companies will be happy to inspect your roof to see how it is holding up to the weather. There are many different styles of roofs on commercial and industrial buildings including metal, tile, asphalt shingle, bitumin, and rubberized flat roofs. Each style has it's own weatherproofing characteristics that are key to the protection of the underlying structure and its contents.

Each style has some vulnerability to the sun and wind and freezing and hail that can occur during the lifetime of the roof. If yours has some age on it, it is better to be safe than sorry and have it inspected. Most people do not realize that roofs actually move. They don't get up and walk away, but as the summer heats up, the roofing material expands with the heat.

If it's 100 degrees on the ground, the roof temperature is over 110 degrees. This expansion, or movement over time can cause seams to grow weak and leak. Conversely, in the bitter cold and freeze of winter, the roof contracts and becomes brittle. This can also cause problems.

The term for this contraction and expansion is normal wear and tear. As you can see, there doesn't have to be a storm or a falling object like a tree limb to make a roof leak. If your commercial or industrial roof has been up there for fifteen or twenty years, it's time to have it checked out before you see any signs of a leak. It will save you money in the long run.