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.

Windy Weather and Roofing

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Windy weather can cause safety concerns with material handling.

  • Windy weather can make installing insulation difficult.
  • Windy weather can cause hot asphalt to splash (possibly burn roofers)
  • Roofers can lose their balance, and in some rare cases actually be blown off of a roof.
  • Debris picked up by the wind is capable on injuring those on the roof.

Threatening weather can develop quickly, causing work sites to be unsafe. What to do when faced in this situation?

  1. Cover materials – to avoid damage
  2. Limit production areas – limit the roof area being installed to only what can be completed prior to the threatening weather.
  3. Plan for temporary tie-offs wherever the roof insulation will be discontinued.

Cold Weather Work Practices – Roofing 101

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Now that the winter is upon us this should be an excellent topic to discuss.

Cold Weather can Create Hazardous Working Conditions 

  • Concentration levels in workers can diminish
  • Ice can form on the roof, causing the surface of the roof to become slippery.

Cold Weather can Create Quality Issues

  • Cold weather can reduce production by making it difficult to use certain roofing materials, such as hot asphalt and caulkings.
  • Cold temperatures may require that asphalt be handled differently since asphalt cools quickly.
  • Cold weather can reduce the adhesion between components.
  • Material may not lay flat or conform properly to the roof substrate

Some areas are not affected by extreme cold weather.

 Warm weather roofing areas

 

States like Florida, especially South Florida will likely never experience some of these quality issues due to extreme cold weather.

Wet Weather Conditions – Roofing 101

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Different types of weather conditions create different types of concerns for productivity, quality, and safety.

Wet weather creates dangerous working conditions

1) Slippery Roofs – The surface of a roof will become slippery when wet.

2) Lightening – The chance of lightening increases with wet and stormy weather. Lighting can be a severe hazard with both ladders and cranes.

3) Electrical Shock – The risk of electrical shock from power tools is increased with wet water.

4) Quality and Production Decreases – Wet weather decreases production by roofers. The wet weather can also damage the roofing material and installation process. Wet weather can lead to wet roofing insulation and moisture entrapment within the roof assembly.

When working with Hot Asphalt

The combination of hot asphalt and water can result in the asphalt becoming frothy and increasing the likelihood of asphalt splattering and burning the roofers.