A “zombie roof” is just what it sounds like – a roof that died once upon a time but is still there, waiting for the economy to improve so you have the funds to replace it. Just like human zombies, they will eat your brain because during every rainfall or storm you will live in fear of what may result from the zombie.
What causes a roof to turn into a zombie? Mainly denial. Many facility managers don’t believe a roof that is five years old or less could need replacement, so they refuse to cough up the necessary funds.
Another reason is that the issues are unseen and therefore go unnoticed. If the decomposition is not visible, the zombie passes as a living entity and the facility manager is unaware it has exceeded its full life.
Finally there is the disguised zombie – a roof that has been patched, re-covered and coated so the actual state of the roof is unknown. Don’t be fooled, however, because the true zombie is lurking right beneath the surface.
Using fairly simple economics you can spot a zombie roof. Determine the cost of a new roof and divide it by the number of years the roof would last (between 15 and 20). The number you end up with is the yearly cost of the roof. Add up the repair charges and the costs of any repairs of damages to the interior building and contents – if the second number is larger than the first, the roof is a zombie.
These numbers can also be a good justification for investing in a new roof. Call Showalter to get your roofing estimate – and avoid the zombies!
