Inspection And Maintenance Of Steel Roof And Wall Cladding Systems

How often should inspections take place?

How often should inspections take place?

They should be carried out periodically through the building's lifetime. It is difficult to quantify how often as different building locations and designs will demand different levels of maintenance. It is suggested that the building be inspected after the first year of occupation to assess future maintenance requirements and the duration required between inspections.

In line with Health & Safety Executive (HSE) latest Working at Height Regulations, every effort must be made to avoid having to go on to the roof to facilitate inspections. It may be possible to inspect the roof from a cherry picker, an access hatch or with binoculars from ground level or adjacent buildings.

Build up of dirt and debris

A build-up of dirt and debris can occur on all surfaces, on all elevations and on roof cladding. Such build-up will be particularly profound at any irregularity, such as at corners, penetrations and gutters. In some environments such as industrial estates and areas close to busy roads, dirt will build up more quickly than elsewhere.

Rainfall will have a degree of washing effect. However, any area of the building sheltered from rain, for example the top of roller doors or overhanging eaves, will not benefit from this natural cleaning effect.

Cleaning

Large quantities of debris can also lead to the overflowing or ponding of water, particularly in guttering, which may also lead to corrosion. To avoid this, debris should be swept into a pile, using a stiff, soft-bristled brush and removed. Shovels or hard tools should be avoided. All dirty areas should then be washed down using clean water. Do not use salt water or high pressure jets with a hose. If necessary use a recommended cleaning product, or a 10% solution of a good household or industrial detergent, before applying a final hose down with clean water. A soft-bristled brush can be used for particularly stubborn deposits.

Oil can be removed by wiping the area with white spirit before cleaning and rinsing as for general dirt and debris.

In some areas birds can be a nuisance. A build-up of bird droppings can occur on roofs and this may significantly alter the pH of the surface water run-off. Buildings used as communal roosts, where an excessive build-up of bird droppings is possible, should be regularly monitored and cleaned down.

by: Gareth Hoyle

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