Your roof can be an attractive feature for your home or commercial building. You can also string holiday lights along it. However, there are a few things you really need to avoid.
Below are 4 things that you probably shouldn’t do with your roof, not only due to your safety but also to protect the durability and life span of your roof.
1. Leave the Big Slides to the Water Parks
It may look like a great slope for a slip and slide with a loop installation. No matter how much fun it looks, think about the medical bills and the cancellation of your homeowners or commercial insurance.
With that in mind, your roof is not meant to function as a sledding area or ski slope. It will not end well.
2. No Pools or Spas
Your flat roof is not a place to install a swimming pool. Unless the building structure is engineered to support this extreme additional weight, you will find yourself with a water-bed and water everything else. Ice skating rinks are also a poor choice. The roof will not support the weight and someone will go over the edge.
If you have the right structural support, green roofs are a great option. This type helps the environment, reduces water run-off and can provide good insulation.
3. Advertising Beacons
Bright flashing lights and beacons are often used to announce grand openings and other mega events. Your roof is not the place to install these features. Most likely, you will annoy your neighbors. Your roof is not meant to look like a landing zone for fighter jets and you do not want to find one in your living room.
You may want to keep this in mind when you set up your Christmas lights. Make sure that your roof can support the weight and you are not causing damage by anchoring Santa’s sled.
4. Skip the 50-foot TV antenna
Unless you opt for professional installation, any large TV antenna is an accident looking for a place to happen. You can access the world through Internet. If you want Ham radio, do it the right way. If a huge antenna is not installed correctly, high winds will pull it off your roof. You are also likely creating a giant lightning rod. If you have questions about what you can and cannot do, ask a roofing professional.
