Category Archives: Building Roofing

Perform Annual Roof Inspections and Maintenance

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Every reputable roofing, architectural, and construction organization agrees: The best way to extend the life of your roof is to perform regular inspection and maintenance.

Regular Roof Inspection and Maintenance Are Recommended By:

  • BOMA
  • Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence
  • Single Ply Roofing Institute
  • The Roof Consultants Institute
  • Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association
  • Midwest Roofing Contractors Association
  • Northeast Roofing Contractors Association
  • National Roofing Contractors Association
  • And many others

GAF actually offers a program called “The Well Roof Advantage”

This program offers a 25 percent extension to your coverage, when you perform regular inspections and maintenance. In fact many manufacturers will void your warranty all together if your roof is not properly maintained. The GAF program seems pretty straight forward, you just need to notify them, and they will remind you when your annual inspections are due. If you have had a new GAF roof installed within the last two years, it might be wise to check and see if you are eligible for this program or programs similar to this one.

Roof Break-ins and Protection

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I’ve been reading more and more about people breaking into buildings through the roof. Which I’m sure a lot of business owners are more concerned about the damage done to the roof, than the actual items they stole or at least attempted to steal.

I just read about police arresting two teenagers after the roof of a mall was cut in an apparent failed attempt to steal some sneakers. Investigators say two teens were captured at the scene. A third youth escaped while trying to flee via the roof. More than a dozen pairs of shoes were abandoned atop the roof.

The teens are facing burglary and evading arrest charges. The mall was forced to close down early that day, and now will have to fix the roof. These little burglaries are costing companies a lot of headaches and money.

Some Companies have bulked up Security

Some companies have taking it to the extreme to prevent these types of roof break-ins. A Miami business has chosen to house a dog on the roof of their building for property security.

dog on roof Dog on Roof

 The company claimed that they have been burglarized three times and the presence of dogs seems to be the only way to keep thieves at bay. Animal activist are burning up about the dog living in these types of conditions. Which is very understanding, anyone that has been on top of a roof during the hot summer months would understand. I’m not writing this to decide who is right or wrong, personally I just think it is a very interesting story.

Importance of Maintaining a Building’s Roof

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Scheduled maintenance is critical to a buildings long term success for their commercial roof system.  According to studies of over 2,000 building owners, scheduled roof maintenance is recognized and utilized by most facility professionals. Infact almost eighty percent have a regular maintenance plan for their building. However, many of these building owners, have multiple properties. And nearly a quarter of them have maintenance plans on fewer than half of their buildings.

Many building owners don’t understand the importance of a regular maintenance plan. They think a new roof should last, and don’t understand why they should spend additional money. You may have installed the top of the line roof system, but it will still need to be maintained. The same can be said of a Bentley car, just because the car cost $300,000 it will still need to have regular checkups to keep it in great shape. Maintenance and repairs are necessary to get the most service life out of a building’s roof system.

Thermoset Membrane

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What are Thermoset Membranes?

All thermoset membranes possess the quality of recovery. Since thermoset membranes are rubber like, it will stretch, but return to its original shape when released. The amount the material elongates is reduced by the presence of reinforcement in the membrane.

TYPE OF THERMOSET MEMBRANE

EPDM – One of the most common single-ply membranes used on buildings today.

EPICHLOROHYDRENE (ECH)

NEOPRENE (CR)

HYPALON (CSPE) – Hypalon can have a variety of repair procedures. The repair process can be different from the other type of membranes mentioned.

GENERAL REPAIR

Surface Coating Deterioration – EPDM, Neoprene, ECH, Hypalon

  1. Thoughly clean the surface of the membrane of all debris, dirt and unbonded coating using a pressure washer (keep the pressure around 700psi to avoid damaging the membrane).
  2. Allow the membrane to dry.
  3. Inspect for loose coating. If any additional loose coating is found, repeat steps 1-2.
  4. Reapply new coating that is compatible with the membrane material and existing coating.