Specifying insulation that extends a roof system’s performance life is essential, but it is only one factor building owners and managers must consider. When managers select roof insulation, they also must account for the building’s thermal needs, satisfy applicable energy codes, and deliver a roof assembly acceptable to your facility’s insurance carrier.
To perform successfully, insulation has to become an integral part of the roof assembly and must function in concert with the membrane and the structural deck. Wise insulation choices result in successful roof systems that perform over the long term, while poor choices can be detrimental to roof performance. We can help you select the best option for your needs. Below, we discuss the 4 typical types of roof insulation.
Insulation Types
A variety of rigid insulation types are available to you, including wood fiber, perlite, polyisocyanurate, expanded or extruded polystyrene, cellular glass, and gypsum board.
Wood fiber is an organic insulation board composed of wood, cane, or vegetable fibers mixed with fillers and binders. The insulation can be asphalt impregnated or asphalt coated to enhance moisture resistance. You may want to consider uncoated insulation in applications where the selected roof covering is incompatible with asphalt-based coatings.
Perlite insulation board is composed of inorganic, expanded siliceous volcanic glass (perlite) combined with organic fibers and binders. The top surface of the insulation board features an asphalt coating or a proprietary coating formulated to limit adhesive — asphalt — absorption into the insulation during the roof-membrane application.
Polyisocyanurate is a closed-cell foam plastic insulating core sandwiched between organic or inorganic felt facers, glass-fiber mat facers, or glass-fiber-reinforced aluminum foil facers. A blowing agent expands the foam material, creating the closed-cell structure that gives the insulation its high thermal resistance. Polyisocyanurate’s insulating efficiency remains higher than other rigid insulation.
Gypsum Board is a non-structural, non-combustible, water-resistant, treated gypsum core panel. The board is available with a proprietary, non-asphaltic coating on one side to enhance roof-membrane adhesion. Gypsum board typically is used as a cover board over foam-plastic insulations, as a thermal barrier over a steel deck, or as a vapor-retarder substrate.
Overview
There are numerous ways of increasing thermal resistance with insulation, which offers you the opportunity to save thousands of dollars in operating costs. On your next project, we’ll work with you to find the solution that fits both your needs and budget. We’ll develop solutions to maximize rebates and R-Values while meeting necessary building codes.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Your Roof: Repair vs. Replace
You’ve likely experienced unscheduled capital expenditures due to roofing repairs. Many of these water-infiltration-related repairs can be avoided by developing and following a scheduled maintenance program for the life of a roofing system. Even with stringent adherence to a thorough maintenance program, however, the decision to re-roof an existing roofing system will have to be made at some time within or towards the end of the expected service life of the roof. Many issues — such as the location, type of system currently in place, cost, construction schedule, occupant requirements, and long- and short-term use of the building — have to be addressed as part of this decision. Although it is possible to identify many of the physical issues that affect roof performance in general terms, the appropriate decision must be addressed on a building-by-building basis.
The first step to be taken, before beginning the decision process, is to estimate the remaining service life of the roof. We derive this estimate from factors that include water infiltration, moisture trapped in the underlying insulation, aggregate movement across the roof, membrane slippage or embrittlement of single-ply membranes.
RAMCON can investigate the existing system and answer these questions for you, as well as comment on any related code or technical issues. We can also eliminate false or misleading assumptions, such as incorrectly attributing water infiltration to the roof system when the water is actually entering the building through alternative sources.
Is it cost efficient to repair my roof?
Repairing an existing roof or replacing sections of a roofing system become difficult to justify if the deterioration leading to the need for a repair is due to long-term exposure to the elements or the advanced age of the roof. Truth is, if deterioration is extensive, the application of a maintenance coating will rarely solve the problem for long.
If the roof is leaking because the existing system is aged, it will be just a matter of time before the entire system will need to be replaced. In those cases, the cost of the temporary solutions may not be justifiable; the money would be better spent recovering or replacing the roof. The best course of action would be to have a RAMCON Service Account Manger inspect your roofing system and determine the viable options.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Enemies of Your Roof
Your roofing system’s performance is affected by numerous factors. Given the fact that your ultimate goal is to have a roofing system that lasts a long time with low lifetime maintenance costs, we need to know what we’re up against.
Sun: Heat and ultraviolet rays cause roofing materials to deteriorate over time. Think about it, direct sunlight causes the material heat and cool rapidly, causing deterioration. Usually this occurs faster on the sides facing south.
Rain: When water gets underneath the membrane, flashing or other materials, it can work its way along the roof deck to a penetration point in the deck, resulting in a roof leak. Often, water can sit on the deck for a considerable amount of time which encourages deck and insulation deterioration and may significantly increase the cost of re-roofing the system.
Wind: High winds can cause all sorts of damage on the roofing system. If condensation lines are not securely attached to the roof, they will swing back and forth, causing slices and punctures to the membrane. Flying debris and equipment will also cause serious damage to the surface, allowing points of water penetration. Extremely high winds can cause extensive damage.
Moss, Algae and Vegetation: Moss and algae can grow directly on the membrane, especially around AC fluid lines. Once growing, it holds even more moisture to a roof system’s surface, causing deterioration. In addition, vegetation roots also can work their way into the system and structure. Besides creating a black-green stain, algae can retain moisture, causing rot and deterioration as well. Trees and bushes should be trimmed away from the building to eliminate damp, shaded areas, and drainage systems should be kept clean to ensure good drainage.
Trees and Leaves: Tree branches touching a roof will scratch and gouge roofing materials when the branches are blown by the wind. Falling branches from overhanging trees will almost certainly puncture most membranes. Leaves on a roof system’s surface retain moisture and cause rot, and leaves in the drainage system will cause the roof the ‘pond’ water.
Missing or Damaged Materials: The key to a roof system’s effectiveness is complete protection. When a piece of the system is missing or damage, the roof structure and the building interior are vulnerable to water damage. The problem is likely to compound, as the missing or damaged piece will cause surrounding areas to be damaged as well.
Punctures: The most preventable enemy, punctures, usually occurs because of carelessness on the part of people visiting the roof: HVAC technicians, window washers, painters, maintenance staff, smokers and tenants. Punctures can also occur because of debris left, blown or tossed on the roof. They may appear as tears or holes in the membrane
Flashing Deterioration: Fact: most leaks on a roof occur at the flashing areas (perimeter walls, roof penetrations, etc.). Without good, tight flashings around vents, AC units, roof hatches, skylights and wall/roof junctions, water can enter the building and cause damage to the building interior.
Neglect: The biggest enemy of the roof is often the owner. Roofs, like any equipment, require periodic routine maintenance to fix little problems early, before they become big and expensive. Just like changing the oil in your car, there are certain things that must be routinely done to maximize your roofing investment. Discover simple, comprehensive and cost efficient programs for you (plus how much it could save you) at www.MyRAMCON.com
Sun: Heat and ultraviolet rays cause roofing materials to deteriorate over time. Think about it, direct sunlight causes the material heat and cool rapidly, causing deterioration. Usually this occurs faster on the sides facing south.
Rain: When water gets underneath the membrane, flashing or other materials, it can work its way along the roof deck to a penetration point in the deck, resulting in a roof leak. Often, water can sit on the deck for a considerable amount of time which encourages deck and insulation deterioration and may significantly increase the cost of re-roofing the system.
Wind: High winds can cause all sorts of damage on the roofing system. If condensation lines are not securely attached to the roof, they will swing back and forth, causing slices and punctures to the membrane. Flying debris and equipment will also cause serious damage to the surface, allowing points of water penetration. Extremely high winds can cause extensive damage.
Moss, Algae and Vegetation: Moss and algae can grow directly on the membrane, especially around AC fluid lines. Once growing, it holds even more moisture to a roof system’s surface, causing deterioration. In addition, vegetation roots also can work their way into the system and structure. Besides creating a black-green stain, algae can retain moisture, causing rot and deterioration as well. Trees and bushes should be trimmed away from the building to eliminate damp, shaded areas, and drainage systems should be kept clean to ensure good drainage.
Trees and Leaves: Tree branches touching a roof will scratch and gouge roofing materials when the branches are blown by the wind. Falling branches from overhanging trees will almost certainly puncture most membranes. Leaves on a roof system’s surface retain moisture and cause rot, and leaves in the drainage system will cause the roof the ‘pond’ water.
Missing or Damaged Materials: The key to a roof system’s effectiveness is complete protection. When a piece of the system is missing or damage, the roof structure and the building interior are vulnerable to water damage. The problem is likely to compound, as the missing or damaged piece will cause surrounding areas to be damaged as well.
Punctures: The most preventable enemy, punctures, usually occurs because of carelessness on the part of people visiting the roof: HVAC technicians, window washers, painters, maintenance staff, smokers and tenants. Punctures can also occur because of debris left, blown or tossed on the roof. They may appear as tears or holes in the membrane
Flashing Deterioration: Fact: most leaks on a roof occur at the flashing areas (perimeter walls, roof penetrations, etc.). Without good, tight flashings around vents, AC units, roof hatches, skylights and wall/roof junctions, water can enter the building and cause damage to the building interior.
Neglect: The biggest enemy of the roof is often the owner. Roofs, like any equipment, require periodic routine maintenance to fix little problems early, before they become big and expensive. Just like changing the oil in your car, there are certain things that must be routinely done to maximize your roofing investment. Discover simple, comprehensive and cost efficient programs for you (plus how much it could save you) at www.MyRAMCON.com
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Accurate Budgeting - an Invaluable Tool
Yes, it is that time of year again. It is time to begin the budget process. But, how do you arrive at the bottom line figure for your roofing budget? Do you make an “educated guess” or is it just a complete “shot in the dark”? Maybe you are a little more practical, and you know that a roof is undergoing constant wear and attack from the elements, so you add a standard 10% to 15% to last year’s budget?
However, none of these approaches takes the composition, condition, age or life expectancy of each roof into consideration. It is still imperative to have answers to the following questions:
- Exactly what type and how many roofs are on each property?
- Will the pace of needed repairs accelerate and how fast?
- Are certain areas of the roof experiencing greater problems than others?
- Were previous repaired leaks located in the field or at the flashings?
- Is there trouble brewing up there, and can it be prevented?
- How many years will the roof last?
- How much should be budgeted for emergency repairs?
- How much should be budgeted for preventative maintenance?
- How much should be budgeted for roof replacement, if necessary?
- Detailed captioned photographs visually depicting the entire roofing system.
- Report of conditions of the field and flashing areas of the roof.
- Professional estimates in years of the roofs remaining serviceable life.
- Exact figures for:
- Anticipated yearly maintenance
- Preventative roof maintenance items, if required, and their effect on lengthening of your roof’s serviceable life.
- Roof replacement options and costs, if necessary.
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