Flat Roof Routine Inspection Procedure

A flat roof should be inspected at least twice yearly; in autumn to ensure it is clear of leaves, dirt and debris, outlets are not blocked and the roof is free draining; in spring to discover and rectify any damage due to weather. Green, blue and other specialist roofs should be inspected in accordance with the designer’s original inspection plan

It also recommends that additional inspections should be carried out in the event of extreme weather conditions, vandalism, and construction work on or adjacent to the roof, including the installation of equipment (e.g. HAV or Air-conditioning plant, telecoms equipment or solar power generation modules). Also, where there are many trees around the roof, or it is in a particularly leafy area, more frequent inspections may be necessary.

Where flat roof refurbishment coverings have been specified by a manufacturer there will often be a warranty in place, and the terms of the warranty will normally require that inspection and maintenance are carried out at set intervals, according to their instructions. Additionally, many warranties require that such records must be maintained and be available for viewing by the manufacturer or their representatives.

Should inspection discover the need for repair or replacement of any part of the roof, the work should be undertaken as soon as possible but only after appraisal of the original roof design and assessment of the need for modification or improvement.

Repairs should be undertaken using materials compatible with the original work and, if still under an original guarantee, by the original installer. Where the roof has a manufacturer warranty, the manufacturer should be consulted regarding the specification of the remedial work, and to ensure liaison with the original installer of their system. Failure to observe this process can violate the manufacturer warranty.

All works of inspection, repair and renewal should be recorded in the owner’s building information manual.

Safety

In order to carry out the aforementioned inspection and maintenance works, operatives will require safe access to the roof. Ideally there would be internal access to the roof and guardrails around perimeters. However, where these are not present trained and competent operators should be employed to access the roof safely and set up safe inspection practices while on the roof. These practices will vary from job to job, and according to the risk assessment for the works, and experienced roofing contractors