The construction and building research conference of the Royal Institution of Chartered

Roof problems, especially roof leaks, not only disrupt building operations, but can also contribute to the occurrence of severe internal Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) problems (Oliver 1997; Rivin 2001; Haverinen, Vahteristo et al. 2003). One of the well-accepted causes of roof leaks is the lack of roof maintenance (Lounis, Vanier et al. 1998a). The out-of-sight, out-of-mind nature of a roof’s location, misjudgment regarding roof warrantees, and a lack of relevant roof maintenance information are typical reasons. The goal of this paper is to provide facility managers with critical information and proposes the move towards proactive roof maintenance. The findings give building owners a holistic view of a required roof maintenance methodology and a rationale to establish a proactive roof maintenance strategy.