Autumn is here!! Time for Annual Roof Maintenance

As the days grow shorter and the nights grow colder, it is time for proactive building owners and property managers to hire a responsible roofing contractor to perform roof maintenance. So what exactly does that mean? This post will explain!

Savvy Building owners, Facilities Managers, and Property Managers schedule regular maintenance for their roofs every year. Here is a comprehensive listing of what you should look for.

DRAINAGE -Drains are the most critical area on any roof. Low slope roofs have a number of drainage options. Some roofs have a simple drip edge that allows water to run off the edge of the building. If you have a drip edge, make sure that the lip of the drip edge is not preventing water from flowing off the edge. Carefully inspect the perimeter and make corrections as needed. Look for separation of the membrane from the metal edge and stress fractures at corners and joints.
It is common to see built-in Primary and Secondary Drains with internal guttering like these below. These drains are rugged, heavy duty drains that take plenty of abuse. Inspect the drain rings and make sure they are firmly fastened in place. Look for any cracks or splits n the membrane and drain area and repair as needed. Also make sure that these types of drains have screens in place. A tennis ball or leaves can easily clog the primary and secondary drain.
Many roofs utilize "through wall scuppers". Scuppers should be inspected on the inside and the outside for cracks or fractures. Many times water will flow through the scupper with no problem, but then leak back into the facility through the outside edge. Make sure the outside edge is sealed with an elastomeric material.

Some roofs have a combination of all three. Here is a popular combination - a primary drain with a through wall scupper for overflow.




Make sure that whatever drainage system your facility uses that the drains are clear and flowing. Scuppers and drains should be cleared of all debris, and repaired/reinforced as needed. If water is allowed to build up due to a clogged drain, severe damage can occur. It is not uncommon for a roof to collapse due to faulty drains. Water is heavy, it weighs 8.35 lbs per gallon. 1000 gallons of water can quickly accumulate on a roof and overstress the structure leading to catastrophe! Don't be caught unaware. Inspect, clean, repair, and water test your drains every year.

PIPE FLASHINGS & PENETRATIONS

Pipe Flashings and Penetrations are common leak sources. Annual Maintenance includes inspecting these areas. Old, dried out mastic and non-reinforced repairs should be cleaned up and properly reinforced. All new repairs should also be properly surfaced.


New repairs should be made following good roofing practices and compatible materials.




WALL COVERINGS - Parapet walls should be inspected repaired as needed. It is not uncommon to see wall like this, where the roofing material is missing or blown off. Check the seams, look for loose corners and reinforce as needed.










SKYLIGHTS -Skylights area notorious leak sources and as skylights age they can develop problems. Inspect for cracked or broken domes - repair or replace as needed. Inspect the base flashing and especially the corners. Repair as needed.









SHEET METAL FLASHINGS - Coping metal and other metal flashing should be inspected and repaired as needed.















DEBRIS - Leaves and other random debris can cause big problems with drainage. Make sure that trees are trimmed away from the roof and that the drains are cleared.










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Part 4 -How to Hire a Commercial Roofing Contractor

Here are my final 5 tips to hiring a professional Commercial Flat Roofing Contractor.


Application expertise
Ask your contractor to provide a listing of the roofing manufacturers with which his firm has licensed or approved applicator agreements. This ensures that the contractor has received a minimum level of training in the system they are installing

Insist on a written proposal
This is fundamental. Always insist on a written proposal and examine it for complete descriptions of the work and specifications. Be sure the proposal includes the approximate starting and completion dates, payment procedures, and any additional issues such as landscape damage prevention and debris cleanup.

Warranties
There are two basic categories of roofing warranties: the contractor's warranty, which covers workmanship, and the manufacturer's warranty, which covers (as a minimum) materials. Be sure that your contractor offers a warranty that covers workmanship. A manufacturer's warranty alone will not protect you if the roof is improperly installed. Carefully read and understand any roofing warranty offered and watch for provisions that would void it. Make sure you review a copy prior to signing a contract. The best warranty is one that covers labor and materials for the entire warranty period, is non-prorated, and is transferable.


Completed projects and in-progress site visits
Look for a company with a proven track record that readily offers client references and a list of completed projects that you can visit. Also consider visiting an in-progress project. This will give you a real insight into the company culture. Take a look at their equipment - Is it clean and well maintained? Look at the roofing personnel – are they wearing appropriate clothing and do they have safety gear? Are they well organized? Look at the project set up – does it look clean, neat and professional? Are there qualified English speaking supervisors on-site? Lastly, talk to the building representatives and ask them how their experience has been.

Provisions for on-site supervision
Have the contractor explain his project supervision and quality control procedures. Request the name of the person who will be in charge, how many workers will be required and the estimated time of completion .


So, there you go! In my experience following these guidelines will ensure that only the most qualified and professional contractors work on your project. Of course problems or issues might still crop up before, during, or after the project, but responsible and professional companies will do what it takes to make things right. That’s why they are professionals. Best of luck!

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The Sloan Family Tree House!

I received a telephone call a few months ago from a very nice woman named Miriam. She was referred to me by someone in her office that I have worked for in the past. She described to me a roofing situation that she assured me "was very unique". I thought to myself, "unique? I've seen everything, nothing can surprise me".

Boy was I wrong!! Her family home, located in beautiful, but relatively isolated Topanga CA, has, Miriam explained, an enormous Oak Tree growing through the roof. Then she e-mailed me some photos to prove it!

Intrigued, I decided to take a look for myself. After making my way down the winding, twisting roads of Topanga CA., I came to the place Miriam and her family affectionately call their "tree house"!

There is indeed an Oak tree growing through the roof! In fact the Oak tree is the dominating feature of the Topanga Canyon home. Its huge branches poke through the roof in five places. Outside, it's 75 ft wide leafy canopy covers their house like a giant umbrella. Estimated at over 300 years old, the tree is the matriarch of a grove of oaks that shade the Old Topanga Canyon Road property. Its gnarled branches have grown so long that some of them rest on a rocky slope behind the house. It is quite a beautiful site.

As bucolic a scene this is, the situation on the roof - well, it was not as pretty. Layers of built up roof cement applied over the past 57 years, plastic sheeting, and assorted attempts at installing metal flashing had left a roofing mess!

I admit, I was a bit flummoxed at first, but since I am a Roofing expert who even has a blog about "ROOFING ANSWERS", how could I not take on this challenge? This situation called for a long term solution that would eliminate leaks without causing any damage to the tree. After speaking with a local tree expert, I let Miriam know that I could fix her problem!

The solution utilized a combination of "old school" techniques and "modern" materials.



Here is our excellent crew, Steve Mills and his son Jarrod, applying the secret ingredients!! We used a water-based, permanently elastomeric, flashing compound. This material never hardens, it remains highly flexible. While this material was wet it was reinforced with a polyester fabric.

The key was creating a folded crease in the fabric. This would allow for further tree growth and more importantly allow for movement when the wind blows without tearing or stressing the fabric. After allowing the first layer to cure, we applied a second layer of reinforcement and a final top coat. Here is the finished results with the proud crew!!



Steve (on the right), a thirty year roofing veteran had this to say about the project, "This was a really fun job. It is not often that I get to work on something so unique. I've always loved Oak trees, so to be involved in such a cool project is really something I can be proud of." `

These days, the tree house is something of a Topanga landmark. Miriam told me that they've actually received mail addressed to "The house with the tree growing through it, Topanga CA"!! A decades-old conservation district plaque records one of the Coastal Live Oak's branches at a circumference of 7 feet, 7 inches. It's more than 8 feet now. Today the family that calls the tree house "home" can look forward to the rainy season!!

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Part 3 - How to Hire a Commercial Roofing Contractor

Today I am back with more secrets to hiring the best Commercial Roofing Contractor. In this post we'll discuss a few more things you can do to ensure you only work with the most qualified professionals!


Financial stability

A truly professional roofing contractor should have a Dunn and Bradstreet (D&B) rating that is updated annually. A professional contractor will be able to supply you with any current financial information you need. This should include: current assets, net fixed assets, current liabilities, other liabilities and references from a financial institution or auditing firm. If they are unable or unwilling to provide this information, take your business elsewhere.


A permanent place of business
You should only consider a Roofing contractor that is well established with a permanent physical address. A post office box address or a business address that is located in a residential area is usually a warning sign. Protect yourself and perform a quick “Google Earth” or "Bing Maps" inspection of the address on their business cards. Does the location look like a professional roofing company is located there? Can you see roofing trucks and materials in the yard?

You should also confirm the following: telephone number, fax number, tax identification number and, where required, a business license. This place doesn't fit the bill!!!

Subcontracts
Ask the contractor if he plans on performing the work himself or sub-contracting to someone else. A professional roofing contractor only uses sub-contractors for specialty areas outside of their core competency (i.e. tear off, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, etc.). Beware of any “sales” companies that “farm” out the labor on your project to another company. History has shown these operations to be unstable or even unethical.

Knowledge of roof systems
There have been tremendous changes in the roofing industry over the past several years. The introduction of new roofing materials, changing code requirements that mandate “cool roofs”, along with advances in technology, can make an unfamiliar area seem even more daunting. A professional roofing contractor is familiar with the different types of roof systems and will help you make the best decision for your building and budget.

Affiliation with roofing industry organizations
Ask the contractor if his company is a member of a local, state, regional or national roofing industry association. Involvement in a professional organization tends to keep a contractor better informed about the latest developments and issues in the industry. At a minimum always insist on using only National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) members.


Affiliation with professional organizations

A professional roofing contractor is usually affiliated with numerous professional organizations such as: IREM, BOMA, NAIOP, IFMA, CREW and others. As a bonus, many of these organizations can perform much of the pre-screening for you! Before you start thumbing through the Yellow Pages looking for a roofing contractor check with your local IREM chapter and ask for referrals. Remember, anyone can purchase an advertisement in the Yellow pages, but not just anyone can become a member of these groups.

There are a few more final items that you should check before you go forward and sign a contract, stay tuned for our fourth and final installment!!

Part 2- How to Hire a Commercial Roofing Contractor

We're back!!! Here is Part 2 of How to Hire a Commercial Flat Roofing Contractor. In this segment you'll learn all about Roofing contractor's insurance requirements and the major differences between various types of liability insurance.

Insurance

Always ask the roofing contractor for proof of insurance and insist on seeing copies of insurance certificates that verify workers' compensation and general liability coverage before they ever set foot on your property! Then, if you elect to hire the contractor, ensure that you have a policy endorsement naming your company or entity as additionally insured. Make sure the coverage is in effect through the duration of your job. Get a list of all subcontractors who may be on the project and insist on endorsements from those companies as well.

If a contractor is not properly insured the owner may be liable for accidents that occur on the property. Many building owners and managers have been dragged into expensive proceedings involving uninsured contractors. Don’t become one of them! (or you'll look like this stressed out cat!)

A good rule of thumb for flat roofing contractors is to require at least $5,000,000 in general Liability coverage. Be aware that there are significant differences in liability policies. The best contractors have liability policies that includes “occurrence” coverage not merely “claims made” coverage.


If your contractor is not carrying the correct type of liability insurance you could be stuck with property damages or an injury claim that could cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Many contractors look to save money by purchasing the cheapest type of liability insurance possible, the “Claims Made” policy. Construction “Claims Made” policies became popular in the mid 1980’s and have been around ever since. The promise of these policies is lower costs to the contractor. However the Claims Made policy for contractors can cost their customers a lot of money in the long run. The preferred liability insurance your contractor should carry is an “Occurrence” Policy.

Why is an Occurrence policy better than a Claims Made policy?

Under an Occurrence policy the coverage is triggered when an “occurrence” happens during the time the contractor is working on your property. The key to an Occurrence policy lies within the continued coverage even after the policy has expired. The insurance company will cover a claim even if the claim is not filed until years after the project is completed. This rule applies even if the contractor’s policy has long expired. An example would be if an individual is injured on the job site, other than someone covered by worker's compensation, and the extent of the injury was not realize for several years. The Occurrence policy would cover the claim even if the claim was filed 10 years after the event.

A Claims Made policy on the other hand has a different coverage trigger. A claim must be brought during the time in which the Claims Made policy is in force. This simply means that once the contractors policy expires damages and/or injuries that have occurred during the construction period but have not been filed for will not be covered.

Things to Remember

The Claims Made policy ceases to provide coverage at the point of cancellation. An Extending Reporting Period only extends coverage an additional 60 days after the Claims Made policy expires. A Supplemental Extended Reporting Period endorsement provides additional coverage only if it is requested within the allowed time frame. The occurrence policy is the safest coverage for building owners who intend for their contractor to provide the maximum liability coverage that is straight forward and to the point. It is strongly recommended that prior to hiring a contractor the building owner check to make sure an Occurrence liability policy is in place.

If your contractor is carrying a Claims Made policy request that they add the Supplemental Extended Reporting Period endorsement. This way you will protect your business from a possible unexpected financial hardship due to property damage or personal injury.


Wow,that was a lot of information!! Stay tuned for Part 3, things get really exciting there!!!

Flat roofs. Flat roofing.  Roofing. Roofing materials. Roof repair. Roofing Contractor. New roof. Metal roof. Commercial roofing. Roof Replacement. Cool roofs. Cool Roofing. Roof Coating.

Part 1 - How to Hire a Commercial Flat Roofing Contractor

A leaky roof can be the cause of major headaches for facility managers, tenants and property managers, but hiring the wrong roofing contractor can make things even worse! The purpose of this article is to provide guidelines for hiring the right commercial roofing contractor. Follow these steps and your roofing problems will disappear. (Of course, if you are located in California, Nevada or Arizona, you can just contact me - what could be easier?!!)

The best way to protect yourself and those you represent is to insist on working only with a professional. What is a professional roofing contractor? A professional generally is recognized as a person who has hands-on experience, specialized knowledge and received intensive training. So how can you tell a qualified contractor from an unqualified one? There are no foolproof methods, but there are some important things that you can do to help make the best possible decision.

License and bond

Most states have licensing requirements for Roofing Contractors. In California, where I live, the law requires roofing contractors be licensed and bonded. Check to see if a prospective roofing contractor is properly licensed and bonded by visiting www.cslb.ca.gov

There are a three ways to check the status: by Contractors license number, by Contractor Company Name, by Contractor Personnel Name.


You should check all three!! Check for any disciplinary actions that have been filed against the contractor. Determine if the qualifying partner or qualifying individual listed on the license is involved with other entities and investigate those entities too. Oftentimes a clever but shady contractor can make minor changes to a business name and hide a disreputable or problematic past. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions! Professionals will appreciate your diligence and attention to detail while undesirables will run and hide.

Performance Bond
You may also want to consider a Performance bond when working with a contractor for the first time. A performance bond adds roughly 1-2% to the cost of the project and ensures that the contractor will complete the job in accordance with the specifications and schedule. A professional Roofing contractor will not have any problem obtaining a performance bond.

That wraps up Part 1 - but remember, these are only the BARE Minimum requirements. You should stay tuned for Part 2 to for more sophisticated advice and tips that can really save you from trouble!

Flat roofs. Flat roofing.  Roofing. Roofing materials. Roof repair. Roofing Contractor. New roof. Metal roof. Commercial roofing. Roof Replacement. Cool roofs. Cool Roofing. Roof Coating.

DO I NEED A "COOL ROOF"? PART 1

That is the $62,500.00 question! The simple answer is, maybe! Much depends upon the location of your facility. If you live in a cold weather area, where heating is a larger expense than cooling, the answer is probably no, you may not need a "cool roof". However, if you spend more each year to cool your facility than to heat it, a "cool roof" is usually a money saving investment.

Cool roofs are ideal in the Southern and Southwestern areas of the United States. Building owners in these areas can reap major benefits by installing "Cool Roofs". Cool roofs reduce energy cost, increase the lifespan of HVAC equipment, reduce smog, and have lower life cycle costs than other roof systems.

Let's take a look at these issues one at a time. For this post I will focus on the potential Energy Savings.

Reduced Energy Costs. On a typical 90 degree summer day, the surface temperature of a Black EPDM (rubber) roof is over 185 degrees Fahrenheit. That is hot enough to make a nice cup of tea! The most common roof in the Southwest, a mineral surface "CAPSHEET" roof, doesn't do much better at 185 degrees Fahrenheit.

A "Cool Roof", by contrast, will have a surface temperature of 105 -110 degrees Fahrenheit. That is only 15-20 degrees Fahrenheit above the ambient air temperature. Less heat on the roof means that less heat can radiate into the building. Less heat translates to lower energy costs!


So Alex, how much money are we talking about here?

That is a very good good question! Here is an example for a facility located in California:

This facility is a medical office building located in Tarzana, CA. The total roof area is 25,000 sq ft. This is an older building that was built in 1980. The offices are open 5.5 days per week. The existing roof system is an Asphalt Built Up Roof (BUR) system with CAPSHEET surfacing. The building has no roof insulation installed and is heated by natural gas. The HVAC equipment is approximately 5 years old, relatively efficient, and in good condition. For our example the average cost of electricity is 15 cents per KWH, and natural gas is 66 cents/therm. (these assumptions are based upon actual utility company data for the area). Here is what the Building Owners should expect to save per year according to the
Energy Star Roofing Calculator:


ENERGY STAR ROOFING CALCULATOR

Savings Per Year

	Per 1000 sq. ft.		Total
	Qty.	$	Qty.	$
Electricity	2,816.07 kWh	$422.41	70,401.75 kWh	$10,560.26
Natural Gas	-18.59 therms	$-12.08	-464.70 therms	$-302.06
Total		$410.33		$10,258.20

WOW!!! That's $10,258.00 Per YEAR!! If you are already going to replace your roof, this is like receiving free money. In my experience, if a top quality "Cool Roof" system with a 15 year warranty were installed on this facility, it would cost the owners no more than $2.50 per square foot. That translates to a maximum investment of $62,500.00. Resulting in a payback of only 6.09 years! The question that we now have to ask is this: are energy prices likely to increase or decrease in the future? If the past is any indication, energy prices will continue to rise. That means that the payback period could be shorter and the potential savings could be much, much larger.

So there you have it, Cool Roofs save money!! In a future entry we'll discuss some of the other benefits, so stay tuned!!

WHAT IS A "COOL ROOF"?

Today it seems that the hottest trend (pun intended!!) in the Commercial Roofing market are "Cool Roofs". So what the heck is a "Cool Roof" and why do you need one? First, let's talk about what qualifies a flat roof to be called "Cool".
For a flat roof to be considered "cool" it must meet two criteria: it must have high solar reflectance and high emissivity. So what the heck does that mean?

Solar Reflectance is a pretty simple concept to understand.

Solar reflectance is a measure of the ability of a surface material to reflect sunlight—including the visible, infrared, and ultraviolet wavelengths—on a scale of 0 to 1. Solar reflectance is also called "albedo".

"Cool Roofs" generally reflect at least 70 percent of the Sun's rays away from the building. Many products have 85% or higher. White roofs usually have high reflectivity, while black roofs have low reflectivity. With me so far? OK! Lets tackle emissivity.

Emissivity is a little trickier concept. Here is the definition:

The emissivity of a material (usually written ε or e) is the ratio of energy radiated by a particular material to energy radiated by a black body at the same temperature. It is a measure of a material's ability to radiate absorbed energy.

Here is a way to envision emissivity: Imagine a chrome bumper out in the sun on a hot day.

We know that it has very high reflectance, it is like a mirror! But if you picked up this piece of chrome it would be very hot. That means it has very low emissivity; it holds heat! This would not be good combination for a "cool roof". It would reflect the suns rays but still allow too much of the heat to enter the building.

Bottom line? A cool roof reflects and emits the sun's heat back to the sky instead of transferring it to the building below. "Coolness" is measured by two properties, solar reflectance and thermal emittance. Both properties are measured from 0 to 1 and the higher the value, the "cooler" the roof.

Wow! This stuff is easy. So why do you need a cool roof? That will be the subject of my next article. 



Flat roofs. Flat roofing.  Roofing. Roofing materials. Roof repair. Roofing Contractor. New roof. Metal roof. Commercial roofing. Roof Replacement. Cool roofs. Cool Roofing. Roof Coating.

Welcome!!

Hey everybody! My name is Alex Stewart. I have been in the Commercial Roofing Industry for over 20 years. This blog is all about Low Slope Commercial Flat Roofing. If you are an asset manager, property manager, facility manager, building engineer, building owner, or just someone who wants to learn more about flat roofs you've come to the right place!

I will be sharing with you all of the latest "Cool Roof" Technology, various roofing systems, and even "garden roofs". I will also explain to you in plain English the advantages and disadvantages of the various systems and materials. It is my goal to make this blog a "go-to" resource that you can rely upon! Because I am an actual roofing contractor, these posts will be based upon my actual "real world" experience, not based on the opinions of a manufacturer's marketing department or an overzealous salesman. You can rely on me for independent, real world advice. That is my pledge to you. I hope that you'll join me!


Flat roofs. Flat roofing.  Roofing. Roofing materials. Roof repair. Roofing Contractor. New roof. Metal roof. Commercial roofing. Roof Replacement. Cool roofs. Cool Roofing. Roof Coating.