Gaco Commercial Roof Consultations | We Find the Right Solution For You

Working with Gaco

How We Find the Right Solution for You 

We Meet You Where You Are

Gaco has manufactured waterproofing and insulating solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential applications since 1955. Today, Gaco products cover millions of square feet of buildings, and we remain one of the only single-source solution partners for building owners. We manufacture, inspect, and warranty all of our products, which translates to less headache and wasted time for our customers. Furthermore, our nationwide Licensed Applicators are eligible to apply 10, 15, and 20-year limited* factory labor and material warranties*. 

We have earned the trust of building owners by blending the complementary strengths of our team, the Gaco Licensed Applicators, and design professionals to offer high impact solutions. We take the time to understand your timeline, budget, and goals. It doesn’t matter whether your roof requires repair, restoration, or replacement. Our team of sales consultants and Licensed Gaco Applicators work with what you have, no matter where you are in your journey as a building owner.

Do you need an economical fix before selling your building or an easy way to stop a leaking roof?  How about renewing a roof that’s nearing the end of the life cycle? Here, we shine a light on our sales and assessment process, so you know what to expect when you contact Gaco, your partner in innovative roof restoration, waterproofing, and insulation solutions. 

When to Contact Gaco

Unlike your building’s parking lot, entrance area, or interior, the roof is neither a convenient nor common area to inspect. That said, four important events should trigger a call to Gaco for a roof consultation. One call could help you safeguard your property — likely one of your most important investments. 

Leaking Roof

Commercial roof leaks can manifest themselves in many ways: drips from the ceiling, puddles on the floor, stained ceiling tiles or walls, or foul-smelling mold. But no matter how a leak surfaces, you can bet it’ll be a total drain. 

What causes roof leaks? Commercial roof leaks can be traced back to a couple of sources: 

• Ponding water: Poor drainage on a flat commercial roof can lead to ponding water and unnecessary stress on your building’s structure. One square foot of water (that’s only one inch deep) weighs about 5 pounds. Widen that pool of water across your low slope roof, and you can start to imagine the extra strain it could put on a building and its roofing components. 

• Failing seals: Does your roof have pipes, drains, vents, hot stacks, or an HVAC unit? Water can seep into any part around these outlets. If these areas have not been properly sealed or the seals have failed, roof leaks will almost always follow. 

• Damage to critical parts: There are two main parts to your commercial roof, the membrane and the flashing. The membrane acts as a cover and the flashing seals the roof’s perimeter. Damages or changes to either one of these parts can lead to roof leaks. 
• Time: Every roof will need to be fixed up or replaced at some point, just like walls need to be repainted and floors redone. 

Whatever the leak source, Gaco licensed contractors can figure it out. Call Gaco for commercial roof leak detection and know that replacing the entire roof isn’t typically our first recommendation, as it’s often not the best solution. Full replacement isn’t the only solution, either. We may be able to patch or seal your leaking flat roof quickly, efficiently, and at a fraction of the cost of a re-roof.

End of Roof Life Cycle

Leaks aren’t the only indicator that it’s time to call for roof repair. From harsh UV exposure, large rips and tears in the roofing material or seams can also point to a roof that’s nearing the end of its life. The constant need for repairs can too, or when your annual repair budget inches close to restoration costs. And as we mentioned before, time can also be an indicator for repair or replacement. A quick consultation with a Gaco technical expert and Licensed Applicator can help ensure that you restore your roof with the best solution for your needs. 

Selling Your Building

Often buyers and sellers negotiate a price and it is common for the condition of the roof to be part of the sales negotiation process. Roofs are evaluated by transferrable Manufacturer warranty availability, if the roof assembly meets building code requirements, the level of energy-efficiency, and estimated longevity of the system. Get ahead of the process and avoid any surprises. Call Gaco for a free consultation with a Licensed Applicator as you look toward selling your commercial property.

End of Warranty

Roof warranties are priceless when it comes to protecting your budget and building from costly repairs. Even if you haven’t noticed any issues during the roof’s lifetime, an expired roof warranty is a good reminder that your roof is aging and may need some attention. 

Call Gaco when your commercial roof warranty expires, and we’ll walk you through your options for renewing it. While you could let your warranty expire, we don’t recommend it. An expired warranty opens your business and overall property investment up to financial risk if the roof is severely damaged and needs repair or replacement. 

In the end, every roof is a different story and requires a different solution. Many building owners or property managers call us worried — worried that they’ll need to displace tenants and rearrange everything to pay for a new roof. A majority of the time, however, there’s a different (and better) solution available to them. 

We uncover that solution during your on-site consultation. 

What to Expect During a Consultation

Everything starts with your personalized on-site consultation, where you’ll meet both your Gaco sales consultant and your Gaco Licensed Applicator. Your consultation is completely free. 

Before the Consultation

Before arriving, we’ll ask you some questions to better prepare our team, and it’s okay if you don’t have all the answers! We will work with you to understand some of the following: 

• Who manages your roofing decisions, and how?
• Are roofing decisions made for an entire portfolio of buildings, or do individual facilities make their own roofing decisions?
• Do you have a pre-existing Request for Proposal (RFP) or Request for Quote (RFQ) process? If so, what is it?
• Will any consultants or architects be involved? 
• Do you currently work with roofing contractors? If so, who?
• Do you have vendor standardization programs, like for lighting, painting, or flooring? What would you like to see from a vendor?
• What kinds of national account programs do you have with current vendors, and what do you like or dislike about your current programs? 
• What do you want most from the manufacturers you work with?
• What is your roofing budget?
• When does your fiscal year end?
• What do your roof maintenance and management strategies look like for the next 1, 3, and 5-years?
• What are your current roofing system specifications? 
• Do we have access to the roof?

During the Consultation

On the day of your consultation, your Gaco sales consultant and Gaco Licensed Applicator will both be present—that’s a level of collaboration you won’t find with many other companies. We work alongside our local contractors, listening and supporting them so they can best serve your needs and expectations. We include them in your repair, patch, or replace from the get-go and remain one of the only single-source solution partners for building owners.  

From the Inside-Out

First, we’ll review your current warranty and any existing information you have about the roof. 

If you’ve reported a leak, we’ll start with a walk-through of the inside of the building. Where is the water coming from? What route is it taking? 

If you’re selling the building or looking at an end of lifecycle or warranty situation, we’ll start on the roof. From the roof perimeter to the middle, your Gaco sales consultant and Licensed Applicator will walk the roof together, looking for signs of damage or potential trouble. They will examine the structure for: 

• Cracks
• Holes
• Standing water
• Splitting or blistering
• Shrinkage
• Wind uplift
• Punctures
• Storm damage
• Poor maintenance

As they walk the roof, your Gaco team will take detailed notes and pictures, logging every detail you may need to know about your building’s roof condition.

A Thorough Consultation

To learn more about the condition of your roof and help identify the right solution, a Gaco Licensed Applicator may ask for your permission to perform a more thorough investigation by taking a core sample. 

What is a core sample? A core sample extraction involves removing a small section from the roof assembly to evaluate every layer within the roof’s composition. The sample is expertly removed and the section is expertly repaired. 

Examining a core sample is like looking at the rings of a tree trunk. You can evaluate the roof’s:

• Thickness
• Number of layers
• Type of substrate, or supporting system 
• Slope
• Hazardous materials
• Moisture levels
• Age

How long does the consultation process take? It depends on the ease of roof access, number of roof sections, and the types of roof being evaluated. Many 20,000 sq. ft. commercial buildings can be reviewed in about an hour.  

After the Consultation

Report & Conversation

Following a visual review of the roof and core sample analysis, your Gaco team will provide you with a detailed report. 

Your consultation report will include a thorough explanation (with pictures) of current roof deficiencies along with customized solutions and recommendations.

This phase of the process is when you’ll truly understand and experience the Gaco difference. Gaco is part of the Holcim Building Envelope family, which means we can access every imaginable solution for roof repair, restoration, or replacement, as well as decking and waterproofing solutions, and beyond. We can work with what you have, right here and now. We can patch now, repair later. Repair now, replace later. Your circumstances dictate the solution as much as the roof condition. 

If you’re comparing companies, take note of this key differentiator, too: Gaco is a single-source, top to bottom partner. We make the product, inspect it, install it, and warranty it. Controlling the entire process saves you from wasting time and money trying to coordinate contractors and suppliers, payments, warranty details, and so on. 

Gaco Has the Right Solution

Going with Gaco means going with the easiest, most hands-off solution for you, along with the highest level of industry expertise when it comes to repairing or replacing a commercial roof. Our products cover millions of square feet of buildings in every climate. Let us protect your building from the elements and provide the guaranteed performance you’re looking for. Contact Gaco today and let’s start a conversation.

*Conditions apply. Please visit gaco.com/warranty/ for full details or reach out to your local area manager.