Roofing for multi-family residential buildings may resemble that of a house more than a commercial or industrial building, but takes on a different meaning when it comes to repairs or when it’s time to conduct a full replacement. The obvious difference is the sheer size of a roof covering multiple residences, but there’s also a different set of expectations as to the functionality of the roof. With a single family home, options are available to save money “right now” while planning for more extensive repairs later; for a multiple family dwelling has to remain in good working order according to everybody’s expectations.
Apartments
Because apartments are usually rental properties, the rental rate is expected to include the price of ongoing residential repairs and maintenance. Your tenants expect the roof to remain leak-proof consistently rather than have you send a contractor out to fix leaks every few months. Some repairs are expected throughout the life of a roof, but eventually you need to plan for a full replacement when the roof nears the end of its functional use to avoid the inconvenience to your tenants of having constant leaks form.
Condominiums
Condominiums can pose a variety of situations as to whether the individual owners, multi-level owner owners sharing certain expenses, or the homeowners association is responsible for the roof. For such a scenario the roofing contractor needs to be able to match a section of roof to the existing roof, although even better is to replace the entire roof. Most likely, if your roof is leaking your neighbors’ roofs are also developing leaks as what you’re both using was installed at the same time and has undergone the same conditions.
Student Housing
Student housing roofs have particular necessities you may not consider for other roofing styles. First, students can’t focus on their studies when they are distracted by a roof leak. Secondly, students come from all walks of life with different sets of expectations. Some students may be the first of their family to attend university and were raised in a home in which they became accustomed to dealing with regular roof leaks. Part of their education is learning how to fit in with the professional career rather than the trade job lifestyle. Others are from wealthy families and their parents have higher expectations for their children’s living arrangements. Either way, the roof requires regular inspections to provide preemptive repairs and replacement.