Planet Laundry Dec 2020

COVER STORY

HVAC parts. These arematerials that can poke holes in your roof. Preventive maintenance should take place twice a year. Look for any problem areas, which would be seams that are peeling up, or holes and tears in the membrane. And, of course, fix any problems immediately. Roofs won’t get better by themselves, only worse.” No doubt, the simplest form a maintenance is cleaning the roof, especially of lint. “There is a tendency for lint to build up on the roof, if your dryers vent through the roof,”Maes explained.“That’s a potential fire hazard. Additionally, depending on the configuration of your roof, lint can clog up the roof drains and create a whole host of problems. For example, during one of the hurricanes down here, a shopping center not far fromme had its entire roof collapse because the drains were clogged with leaves. In that case, it wasn’t lint, but it’s the same principle.” “With several dryers pumping a huge amount of air and lint on the roof, you will see fuzzy deposits everywhere,”Marrazzo added. “A broomworks, but a leaf blower can be much more effective. While you’re up there, also check your roof drains, which look like tiny flying saucers and are about the size of a basketball. Be sure they are unobstructed so that any water can make it to the ground without causing a leak in the roof.” With all of that lint blowing around, you may find that it has collected on the coils of your rooftop air conditioning unit. “The coils of the AC unit look like the radiator of your car,” Marrazzo said. “These are not to be bent while cleaning, so do

not use a power washer. Instead, purchase a spray can of air conditioner coil cleaner, and follow the directions on the can. Then, use a garden hose to complete the cleaning. You should notice a measurable difference in the temperature and utility bill of your store.” Due Diligence: Roofs With the purchase of any commercial property, one of the key components is the roof. Clearly, the newer the roof the better – and, if the roof still has a guarantee, better still. “I’d have a licensed roofer check it to see what condition it’s in and how long until it will need to be replaced,”Hansen suggested.“Also, check to see if it’s still under warranty, as some warranties can go as long as 20 to 25 years. If it’s under warranty, make sure the company is still in business. I had a roof that was approximately 12 years old, with a 20-year warranty – but the manufacturer went out of business, so there was no one to honor the warranty.” “One of the numbers calculated into any commercial property purchase is the cost of a replacement roof, as well as the useful life left on the current roof,”Hinrichs added. “This is then used to determine the budgetary annual cost of the property.” “If you’re buying an existing laundry, visit on a rainy day or look at the base of the dryer stack before it turns into the machine,”Marrazzo recommended. “If there is a clear spot on the floor surrounded by dirt and dust, there is probably a leak at the flashing. Understand that, as 180-degree air leaves the

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PlanetLaundry Magazine

planetlaundry.com

Magazine of the Coin Laundry Association