Monday, August 29, 2011

Two ‘Cool Roof’ Myths


Even with the mounds of literature and white papers on technical studies, building owners and managers still have misconceptions and gray areas about cool-roof applications.

Myth #1: Eventually, all white roofs turn gray and all black roofs turn gray, so there is no long-term benefit from installing a cool roof.
Typically, the reflectivity of a light-colored roof will decrease about 20 percent during its first year according to an LBNL study. Another study found that solar reflectance of white-coated roofs can drop 25 percent, with most of the loss occurring in the first and second year.

The solar reflectance of cool roofs tends to decrease over time, but another study by LBNL showed that washing a weathered cool-roof membrane resulted in a significant solar reflectance increase. Other studies have shown that modest cleaning can restore 90+ percent of the original solar reflectance.

Some cool roof membranes also have a higher resistance to dirt accumulation than others, so budget-conscious organizations might have to weigh the resulting increase in energy use for a dirty membrane against the cost of cleaning. For a detailed analysis and case study by RAMCON on cool reflective roofs and how keeping your roof clean pays off, visit http://bit.ly/oZcQMr

Myth 2: Using a cool-roof product when reroofing minimizes the need for insulation.
While it is true that using a cool roof on a building with a low level of insulation can generate greater energy savings, an energy–efficient roofing system should have adequate insulation in addition to a solar-reflective surface. To find out what is the optimal amount of insulation for a given location, you can refer to the International Energy Conservation Code. You can find it here: http://bit.ly/oAAy4Q

Monday, August 22, 2011

Have You Become Complacent?


Since the destructive 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, only 4 hurricanes have made a U.S. landfall, all doing so in the western half of the Gulf of Mexico, most notably, September 2008’s Hurricane Ike.

Furthermore, since Hurricane Ike’s destructive rampage, the U.S. has had only a few hurricane “close-calls” the past 2 seasons.

Complacency makes you less attentive, less aware, less able to react when a serious situation presents itself.

As the U.S. faces a potential tropical threat later this week from Hurricane Irene, a major concern among meteorologists is “hurricane preparedness complacency”.

Do you know what the condition of your roof is? Will it be able to withstand hurricane or tropical force winds? Are the drains functioning properly to effectively and quickly remove the water to avoid ponding water?

It is not necessary to be in the direct path of a hurricane to feel and experience the effects of it. Don’t ever assume you are safe. It is always better to be prepared, rather than left picking up the pieces.

For more information on preparation, visit: http://www.ramconroofing.com/hurricane.htm. Or call RAMCON at 1-877-726-2661 to speak to a roofing expert today!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hurricane Preparations

Check out our hurricane website. It is filled with information to help you prepare your roof and facility for any major storms.

http://www.ramconroofing.com/hurricane.htm


Monday, August 15, 2011

Protecting Your Roof In The Face Of An Impending Storm

When you see that hurricane bearing down on you, what are some of the last minute things you can do to ensure that your roof will weather the storm? Let’s go over 7 proven steps.
  1. The number one item for protecting a roof against a storm is to be certain that air conditioning unit covers are attached with all the required screws. Most damage to roofs comes from items already on the roof. The worst culprits are mechanical units and their screen enclosures. Air conditioning units, ventilator fans, satellite dishes, antennae, and the like are all potential debris during a storm. We often reflect here at RAMCON about Hurricane Andrew sending an unsecured 30-ton air conditioning units rolling across a roof. But the most common damage during all of the storms was from air conditioning unit cover panels that were not completely secured. Similarly, ventilator fans lost the covers and antennae lost arms. All of these sharp metal pieces caused long rows of gashes as they blew across the roof and dug into the membrane, allowing direct water intrusion.
  2. Put satellite dishes, small air conditioning units and cell phone cable trays on stands and secure them to the structure rather than putting them on wood sleepers or holding them in place with concrete blocks. Concrete blocks and sleepers will blow around in a heavy storm. Strap the equipment to the stand with metal straps to keep them in place. 
  3. Check the lightning protection system to be sure that the cables are well secured to walls and tight on the roof. Be sure the air terminals are well attached to the system. The cables will move during the storm and the air terminals with their sharp points will poke holes in the roof. 
  4. Secure condensate lines. The wood blocks normally used to support condensate lines gouge the roof as the pipes are blown back and forth, slicing and damaging the system.
  5. Check the roof for weak spots like torn flashings and loose perimeter metal accessories. Reinforce weak gravel stops and copings to be sure they will stay in place.
  6. Clean debris off the roof and check to see that drains are free-flowing and not cluttered with debris. Check gutters and downspouts to be sure they are well-secured and not clogged. Remember, water weighs 62lbs a cubic foot and your structure is unlikely designed to handle such heavy loads. 
  7. Know what is on the roof and its current condition. During the past few storms, insurance companies have sometimes denied claims based on prior damage. They argue that they have no way of knowing what damage existed prior to the storm so they are not responsible for any damage that has occurred. A smart move is to schedule a RAMCON inspection now to document the condition. As a RAMCON client, it’s free and a smart move.
Hurricanes don’t have to mean a total loss for a roof. If the roof is well-designed — with wind events included as a part of the total package of design parameters — properly installed and well-maintained by RAMCON, it has a solid chance of weathering the storm.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Weathering the Storm: BUR versus TPO/PVC/EPDM


What happens when high velocity winds meet your roofing system? Well, there’s no simple answer and no way to predict precisely which roofs will have trouble; Mother Nature is just unpredictable. Sometimes, on buildings with the same type of roof that are located side by side, one roof blows off or suffers other catastrophic damage while the other roof has very little damage. Let’s compare the two most common styles of roofing in Florida.

Built-Up Roofing Systems (BUR)
The tried and true performers of roofs that weather storms are conventional built-up or modified bitumen membranes fully adhered, especially when they are adhered to a structural concrete deck. Historically, after a major storm, many have puncture damage to flashings and cuts as a result of flying debris, but the roofs stay intact and in place. Gravel-surfaced, built-up roofs fared slightly better than the modified bitumen systems because the gravel that was well embedded in the flood coat provided protection from flying debris. The weight of the gravel also helped keep the roof down. Unfortunately, most of the built-up roofs lost a good portion of the gravel surfacing, causing other damage to surrounding buildings, but the roofs that the gravel came from suffered the least amount of punctures.

Less effective, but still very good, were the modified bitumen and built-up systems mechanically attached to steel decks. The asphalt-based roof systems that were attached to lightweight concrete or gypsum deck tended to have more wind-related damage than others. Generally, the membrane stayed intact, but sections pulled up from the deck, leaving the membrane loose on the roof but looking as if nothing had happened to it. With lightweight concrete and gypsum decks, whether the roof stayed in place mostly depended on the condition of the lightweight concrete or gypsum and its ability to resist fastener withdrawal.

Single-Ply Roofing Systems (TPO/PVC/EPDM)
Fully adhered single-ply membranes resisted blow off about as well as asphalt systems but were more susceptible to damage from flying debris. Almost all types of flexible membrane systems suffered cuts and punctures during the storms. There was one exception: Roofs that had no mechanical units or other penetrations were almost always free of puncture damage.

Overall, fully adhered single-ply membranes were more hurricane-resistant than mechanically attached systems. The mechanically attached systems weathered the storms well as long as they remained intact. Once the membrane was cut, the incidence of blown-off membranes increased. Wind is able to get into the cuts, so the roof was subject not only to negative pressure above the membrane — which pulled the membrane up — but also to positive pressure from underneath, which pushed the membrane up.

Because roofs are mostly designed for uplift pressures only, the wind was able to loosen poorly fastened screws. This causes a ripple effect: one screw pulls out, putting extra stress on those around it, which in turn causes them to pull out. This cycle repeats itself until the membrane comes all the way off.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Move Up The List


In the case of a disaster like a hurricane, it is not going to be just one building or business that is going to be affected. The damage is going to be widespread and you’ll need a fast response time and a plan.

So, how do you ensure that you and your facility will receive the quickest response possible? With RAMCON, it’s easy. Simply call us at (877) 726-1661 and we’ll make sure that the information for your facilities is automatically in our dispatch system. We’ll exchange emergency contact information and make sure that you also have the information you need from us, such as a W9, Certificates of Insurance, etc. At RAMCON, we know that you can’t put a price or value on being able to be back up and running and serving your customers with minimal down time or interrupted service.

When a storm strikes, RAMCON service teams are up and running within hours, running several shifts per day 24/7. We can respond to leaks and emergency damage immediately. With over 50,000 square feet of material and equipment in inventory (more than a lot of distributors), we have in stock what it takes to solve almost any problem.

Make sure you call RAMCON this week at (877) 726-2661, speak with one of our customer service representatives and ensure that all is ready if and when you need us.