Tag - Commercial

Roof system x-ray

ROOF SYSTEM X-RAY

Roof System x-ray (sort of read on) A roof system x-ray or better known as an infrared of your roof system, performed with a drone, can be both cost-effective and eye-opening.  The featured picture is an infrared of the below building.  Drone Infrared Imaging flew about 80' off the ground to capture the below image.  The pvc roof system has seen its better days.  The roof is now dull and dingy.  The black stained areas usually have to do with the lack of drainage on the system.  A roof that has poor drainage does not mean those areas are leaking.  In this example, it is revealed that it is opposite. roof system x-ray What would a roof consultant say? A roof consultant would probably recommend a complete tear off for this roof system.  Good plan if the owner of the building could afford it.  The infrared drone is just reading the moisture of the layer of insulation directly under the roof system.  It can't read the other layer which is under the initial roof system and over the deck.  The only way to know the moisture content in that layer would be to investigate leaks by doing a series of core samples. Infrared Scan helps to provide economical roof system option The roofing contractor removed the top layer of roofing.  The infrared helped make this decision.  The moisture did not penetrate the initial layer of insulation over the deck so they could leave that roof in place.  This made it very affordable and something that the owner was willing to do.  The requirements for roof insulation are very high.  Roof insulation is now the highest component of the roof system.  A recovery board was installed instead of all the different layers of insulation which saved money.  There was a labor saving by not tearing off the bottom roof.  As a result, a building owner was happy!

ROOF INFRARED OR LOTS OF COOL COLORS

Roof Infrared Interpretation Yes the roof above does have leak issues. The roof is a BUR roof and the gravel is spread evenly across the roof (meaning the roof should have cooled off at the same temperature which it did not). Can you just look at a roof infrared scan and tell what is going on?  Are all the red areas on the scan a roof leak?  Are there some roofs that can't be scanned?  These questions will be answered in this blog post. Question #1.  First off, there are so many different roof membranes producing so many levels of radiant heat that a hot spot could mean many things.  For example a large area of ponding water could cause the membrane to be cooler than it should be.  Another example could be repairs that are black in color could produce hotter than usual temperatures.  This would lead one to believe that the roof has leaks in all of those areas.  This is why it is very important to have someone like Drone Infrared Imaging with 30 years of commercial roofing experience interpreting what the infrared scan is revealing. Question #2.  There are different palettes of color that Flir Camera can be set at, so saying that all the spots that are red are leaks won't work.  Even if it is set at a rainbow setting, red spots could come from many different avenues.  HVAC units (see picture) in the summer operate very hot and can cause the membrane to stay warm longer.  Different membranes DJI_0049used on the same roof systems for repairs.  Even tar that has bled through the gravel of a BUR roof system can cause hot spot.  My point here is you need to know your membranes and the ambient heat that they produce. Question #3.  For the last question the answer is yes.  One example is a EPDM Ballasted Roof.  The ballast stays at a consistent temperature masking the real temperature of the EPDM under the ballast.    
Drone Infrared Imaging

FLAT ROOFS LEAK. TRUE?

What's the real reason flat roofs leak? If you talk to almost any facility manager they would tell you all flat roofs leak.  In this article we are going to look at the reasons why a commercial roof would leak.  Before we get started, please note that this is not about one particular roof or owner.  This is about flat roofs in general.  Doing an infrared scan of any roof is a good starting point towards taking care of any roofing system.  With the latest technology, an infrared scan can be performed through drone technology.  Most roofs can be scanned with several infrared photographs. Roofing mistake #1 Owners, property managers, leasing companies, and retailers often make one mistake which is waiting until their roofs leak to take care of the problem.  Commercial roofs are a major investment and they need to be taken care of similar to your car.  Would anyone wait for their car to stop before they maintain the vehicle?  Never changing the oil in the car will cause the car to fail way before its time.  It is the same with any roofing system.  If you don't maintain the roof it will fail way before it's time.  Manufacturers of roofing material all want their roofs to be maintained.  Why because they want to know how their roofing material is performing.  There is also some things that are not covered in the warranty that need continued attention.  All sealants such as pourable sealant and caulking are not covered under the warranty agreement.  So if the pitch pocket (where wires and lines come through) dries out and or shrinks and the roof leaks, this makes one think that the roof system is failing.  Not true.  Please maintain your roof at least once a year if not twice a year, it will save you money in the long run. Roofing mistake #2 Realizing that the above is the most important for any type of roofing system whether it is new or old, the next thing that needs to be done is know who is going onto your roof.  I can't tell you the number of times I have been on a roof that has a leak that was caused by other contractors.  This is usually the scenario.  A contractor goes onto the roof, works on a piece of equipment, finds out he needs to replace something and drops the part or tool on the roof causing a puncture.  Sometimes these can be very small and take a good while to show up as a roof leak and sometimes they can leak immediately.  Oil from condenser unit can cause havoc on a lot of roof system especially EPDM (rubber roof).  They will begin deteriorating shortly after the oil is spilled.  The bottom line is make sure you trust the people who are going onto your roof.
Contractor pokes hole in the roof
HVAC Contractor pokes a hole in the roof
Roofing mistake #3 Putting additional pieces of equipment through your roof needs to have a professional roofing contractor install the flashing.  What you don't want is for a subcontractor to install the equipment and install roofing cement to the bottom flange.  This is about a one year fix and sometimes it is less depending on the movement of the equipment as it is operating.  A professional install of the flashing takes time and will cost some money, but it is well worth it in the end.  The most vulnerable area of your roof is the penetrations through the roof, if they are done right, there is a better chance to extend the life of your roof.
Drone Infrared Imaging

PROPERTY MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW HOW THEIR ROOFS ARE PERFORMING

ROOFS LEAK! When do people usually take care of their roofs... when they leak!  There is another alternative.  Taking care of roof begins with a good inspection to access to see if there is any damage.  Buildings that are over two stories tend to get neglected the most.  Every storm has the potential to blow off one shingle, chimney cap, ridge cap or exhaust vent.  Would you want to know if these are missing and schedule to fix them before it leaked into the plywood, then onto the insulation and finally through the drywall.  I believe the answer would be... YES. PROPERTY MANAGER INSIGHT Commercial flat roofs can experience the same kinds of damage.  Actually flat roofs are more susceptible to larger roof blow offs that are shingle roofs.  Inspections are a good way to know for sure that your roof is safe and secure.  At Drone Infrared Imaging, we can put a drone in air and quickly assess damages.  Property managers especially need to be in the know.  Dealing with complains all day is exhausting for property managers.  Wouldn't it be great to know your roof is safe and secure thus eliminating that headache. DRONE INSPECTION We recommend have properties inspected at least 2-4 times a year with possible drone inspection right after a severe storm.  The drone can take pictures of every aspect of the building, not just the roof.  Drones have the ability to capture pictures like a 3-D.  So the perspective is different from a straight up google earth picture (although they are starting to use some 3-D).  To be able to see if there is soffit or fascia torn off or gutters missing or plugged can save money in the long run.  How can it save you money?  By being able to fix the issues before it causes inside damage. Inside damage is costly to fix, so anytime this can be avoided, it will be beneficial for all involved.