Tag - Roofing

Roof Safety

Roof Safety

BASIC PRACTICAL RULES FOR ROOF SAFETY If it looks unsafe it probably is unsafe.  I don't know how many times we have been on job sites to see obvious glaring violations.  The worst is when the owner comes on the roof and they can tell the violations without knowing the violations.  Point being make sure your roof projects look safe!  One final note here, if your job site looks crappy even though you are safe, it gives the appearance of being unsafe.  Let's keep job sites cleaned up. Roof safety should be taught and caught.  Don't get caught in the trap of, well we didn't have many accidents last year so let's skimp on safety this year.  It always works out bad.  Having Drone Infrared Imaging capture pictures and video from your projects to use in the roof safety class room is priceless.  Not only to point out the things that need correcting but hopefully to point out perfectly staged job sites. When safety equipment looks old, it looks unsafe.  Yes I know some of us are conservative and we like to use things until it dies but let's try to stay clear of doing that regarding safety. AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION.. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  A little precaution before a crisis occurs is preferable to a lot of fixing up afterward.  Roof safety can prevent a lot of personal injuries.  It can also prevent the ultimate tragedy which is loss of life.  Workman's compensation claims can cost a tremendous amount of money and can drag on for years.  If there is time given in the class room with pictures from Drone Infrared Imaging, that's a great start.  After that having tool box talks with your guys on a weekly basis.  One more thing, your foreman should be very safety conscious and as a result should hold all the guys under his care to a high standard of safety. BE SAFE!
Thermoplastic Roof

THERMOPLASTIC ROOFS, BENEFIT IN THE MIDWEST?

White thermoplastic roofs are cool The most common thermoplastic roofs are PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin).  Both of these materials will prove to be cooler roof systems than most materials out there.  On a 90 degree day, an EPDM roof can get upwards of 170 degrees.  On a 90 degree day, thermoplastic roofs will be at a temperature of 110 degrees (approx.).  This is a significant difference in temperature.  Most consultants would argue that the temperature doesn't matter in the Midwest because they want the warmth in the winter.  I will tell you the biggest benefit in the last paragraph. Thermoplastic roofs in the summer Whether you are in the Midwest or not having a cool roof allows buildings to stay cooler thus reducing the cost of cooling buildings.  The other thing it does is allow HVAC units to operate more efficiently through reduced heat around the unit.  Both of these factors contribute to energy saving costs in the summertime months.  In future posts, I will have infrared shot via a drone to prove my points. Thermoplastic roofs in the winter The effects of the sun is significantly less in the wintertime because the sun is no longer high in the sky or directly overhead.  The absorption of the suns rays is not as strong as the dead of summer causing the black roof materials to reach temperatures that are less than if the sun would be directly overhead.  Don't get me wrong, is it beneficial to have a roof that is warm in the winter on a sunny day, YES.  The effects however are not as significant as the summertime cooling.  Is the energy savings more significant in the south, YES. Thermoplastic roofs biggest benefit Ultraviolet rays are probably one of the most damaging factors to any roof system.  Roof materials deteriorate because they dry out and crack or shrink.  Anything that can be done to avoid this process would be beneficial the roof system.  Thermoplastic roof can have a .070 - .085 reflection of the sun.  Thermoplastic white products are reflecting 70-85% of the suns rays back into the atmosphere as opposed to absorbing them and drying out the product.  So whether you are in the Midwest or the deep South, this benefit will always remain.
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.