How to plan maintenance for a fibre cement roof and avoid unnecessary repairs

Photographs help to assess whether a visible mark is new or was present from the start. At handover it is also worth clarifying how later access will be arranged. If servicing requires special equipment, the owner should know about it. Documentation does not replace a visual inspection, but it makes interpreting one considerably easier. The protocol should also indicate the comments left for correction and confirmation that they have been carried out. This means the first inspection does not begin with reconstructing verbal agreements.

The system instructions should set out the basic principles of inspection. In addition to regular checks, a visual inspection may be needed after strong wind, a branch strike or work carried out on the roof. Asbestos-free fibre cement beneath trees requires different attention from a roof slope in open terrain. This does not mean climbing onto the roof every day. Many changes can first be noticed from the ground or from a safe place inside. Watch for displacement, new damp patches and unusual noises. If damage is suspected, establish the proper method of checking rather than attempting to walk on the sheets.

Leaves and small branches in the gutters can cause water to overflow onto the façade and dampen the eaves. A blockage at a roof penetration changes the local run-off. Fibre cement sheets will not remove the effects of blocked drainage. The check should cover gutters, outlets and the zones where dirt accumulates. At the same time, it should be verified whether additional equipment is impeding the flow. A cable laid in the trough of the corrugation can trap leaves and water. Removing the obstruction is often more effective than adding sealant where a secondary trace of moisture has appeared.

A visible change in a joint requires the cause to be identified. Excessive pressure can be as harmful as too little. During an inspection, not all screws should be tightened to one arbitrary tool setting. Fibre cement sheets must retain the movement provided for at the hole, and the seal must remain in the correct condition and position. Corrosion of metal components and cracks around fastenings should also be checked. If several defects occur in a similar place, the cause may be the support or the installation method. Replacing a screw alone may then not solve the problem of the whole row.

Surface soiling, a damaged coating and a cracked sheet are different cases. Each requires different treatment. Asbestos-free fibre cement should be cleaned by a method permitted for the product, without assuming that a stronger preparation will be better. Not every natural change of shade needs to be removed. What matters most is that the details function and that drainage works. Fibre cement sheets should not be treated like a hardened floor when washing. Access and fall protection must be appropriate for work on a fragile covering. If the surface requires renovation, establish what is permitted before buying paint or a product for removing deposits.

The date, location, photograph and a short description are enough. Also note the weather in which the leak appeared and whether installation work had been carried out earlier. Fibre cement sheets may be watertight in ordinary rain and reveal a problem only with wind-driven precipitation. Such information helps the contractor to narrow down the area to be checked. It is worth distinguishing condensation from water penetrating through a joint. Extensive moisture from below need not have the same cause as a localised damp patch. The register also makes it possible to notice a recurring defect and to abandon another temporary measure that brings only brief improvement.

Keep the profile data, the instructions and information about the fastenings. This will make it easier to buy a compatible component and to define the scope of works. A stock of sheets makes sense only if it can be stored correctly. For a large roof slope it is worth knowing a team with experience of the given type of covering. Fibre cement sheets should not wait for an improvised repair during the first gale. The maintenance plan also includes protecting the equipment beneath the roof and cordoning off the work zone. This means that replacing a single sheet need not turn into a chaotic shutdown of the whole building.

At handover, establish the scope of inspections, the method of access and where the documents are to be kept. Regular maintenance is meant to detect the causes of problems, not merely to remove their visible effects.