Assessing and Repairing Roof Leaks and Damage

In a time of economic uncertainty, replacing a roof is not always a viable option, regardless of the number of leaks, because often the money is just not there. Still, water intrusion must be stopped and the interior of the building must be protected. Repairing the roof becomes an attractive alternative to re-covering or replacing the existing system. But there are some things to think about before trying to repair the roof.

One approach that is often taken is to call RAMCON to come and fix the leaks. This is certainly effective. However, sometimes the problem is that repairs are just not enough or may be the wrong approach entirely.

The first step should be to find out what you’ve got. If you have a warranty, the warranty will tell you who the manufacturer is and what kind of roof system is installed. If you don’t have a warranty or you can’t find it and you do not already know what kind of roof you have, RAMCON will show you. We’ll determine the roof assembly, approximate age and condition of the roof.

If the roof can be repaired, we’ll provide exact costs to fix the existing problem and get you taken care of. Like always, we warranty all the work we perform for one year. However, there are times that additional repairs are not justified, and often may cause more harm than good. If this is the case, we work with you to provide the accurate costs for recovery or replacement.

It is essential to ensure that leaks are really coming from the roof. Not all leaks come from the roof membrane. They can be a result of problems with parapet walls, windows, rooftop mechanical units, plumbing or other sources that disguise themselves as roof leaks. On
ce these have all been eliminated as the source of leaks, the rest of the roof is subject to leak investigation. In general, most leaks occur at penetration and base flashing's rather than the field of the roof. Look for cracks, scrapes, blisters, punctures or cuts in the membrane. Check seams to be sure they are adhered and watertight. Check for erosion of the membrane, especially around drains and downspouts. Once the probable leak locations are identified, a certified RAMCON technician can make a permanent repair to protect the system.

Walking the Repair and Replace Line

Because of the recession, there may be many roofs out there straddling the repair/replace line. So what are some sure-fire signs that will help facility managers tell if a replacement is necessary? Let’s take a look.

Although all roof membranes have different physical properties and failure modes there are certain deficiencies that are common to all roof membranes. Here are some common failure modes for all membranes to look out for:

1. Brittleness: All roof membranes become brittle at the end of their service life. This phenomenon is more rapid in some membranes. Once the material becomes brittle it losses the elasticity required to provide weatherproofing service. The material can be tested (tensile/elongation tests) to determine remaining service life or failure can be illustrated through grazing/cracks and splits in the membrane surface. Visual observation of material scrim or reinforcement is also an indication o

2. Wet Insulation: All roof insulations lose structural and thermal integrity once they are wet. All wet insulation should be removed from the system to avoid costly structural deck damage (particularly on metal decks). Typically, if more than 25% of a roof system has wet insulation, a full roof replacement is recommended. Wet insulation can be determined by any method of moisture testing. If non-destructive moisture testing is conducted, core samples should be conducted to verify that the material is wet. Some adhered membranes will illustrate wet insulation through excessive blistering and membrane ridging.

3. Flashings/Penetrations: Flashings and penetrations are the most vulnerable point of a roof system and nearly two-thirds of all roof leaks occur at these points. Openings, splits and sagging of flashings materials are common causes of roof leaks. Excessive openings or displacement of these materials can lead to free flow of moisture infiltration into the system and the building.

If you are experiencing any of these problems, they certainly will not get better on its own. Reach out with RAMCON and we’ll perform a free, comprehensive evaluation to determine how your roof is performing. We’ll provide you a complete report and documentation to assist you in making the best decisions possible.

f material failure.

2013 Storm Names

The following names will be used for named storms that form in the North Atlantic in 2013. Retired names, if any, will be announced by the World Meteorological Organization in the spring of 2014. The names not retired from this list will be used again in the 2019 season. This is the same list used in the 2007 season.

Andrea
Barry
Chantal
Dorian
Erin
Fernand
Gabrielle
Humberto
Ingrid
Jerry
Karen
Lorenzo
Melissa
Nestor
Olga
Pablo
Rebekah
Sebastien
Tanya
Van
Wendy

The name Sandy has been retired from the Tropical Storm List due to the 72 deaths and the $50 billion plus in damages created in 2012. Sandy was retired in the spring of 2013 and will be replaced with the name Sara. Normally, the name stays in rotation and can be reused every six years. Sandy is the 77th name to be retired from the list.

Staying Sharp This Storm Season

“It’s been several years since the last bad hurricane, so you can get complacent,” says Rodger Osborne, director of facilities for the Martin County School district, one of the areas hit hardest by Frances, and then Jeanne three weeks later in 2004. “This taught us to inspect all roof installations more closely. It’s something we just can’t take for granted.”

A roof is rarely noticed unless there is a problem, but nothing brings it to the forefront of people’s minds like a storm that damages it or blows it off altogether. Sometimes, damage caused by hurricanes is unavoidable, as when flying debris punctures the roof. More often, though, roof damage can be prevented.

The first and most important part of preparedness, and an important lesson from the 2004 hurricane season, is that a preventive roof maintenance program is critical. While the new, more stringent roof codes are well-and-good for new facilities or new roof installations, facilities with older roofs are certainly at much greater risk for more extensive hurricane damage.

Considering the unpredictability of hurricane paths, facility executives may have only a few days to prepare. If facility executives keep up a rigorous preventive maintenance routine, the roof has a better chance of weathering the storm without facility staff having to scramble to make last minute preparations or repairs. Of course, even if the roof has been kept up, some disaster mitigation preparations are still in order.

Experts recommend having an experienced, knowledgeable, contractor do a complete inspection of the roof prior to the storm to pick up any loose items, such as screws, nuts or loose pieces of metal flashing, and taking down other objects that could be dislodged, such as satellite dishes or antennas. This could also be extremely beneficial after a storm, should there be damage and insurance claims, and documentation become necessary.

To have your roof thoroughly inspected, simply call one of our Customer Service Representatives today at 877-726-2661

Take Advantage of the 30% Federal Tax Credit Through Solar Roofing

Many businesses have already demonstrated that an investment in solar energy is a smart move. But for those who are in a need of a new or replacement roof – it can be a brilliant move.

If your existing roof is even close to needing replacement, you might want to integrate a solar photovoltaic system at the time of replacement.  Since the new roof qualifies as the solar attachment system, it is now eligible for the 30% Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC).

When the 30% credit is applied to the whole roof and solar bundle, the tax savings alone are usually enough to cover all the cost of the solar energy system. In effect, the value of the solar energy is enjoyed for the next 25 plus years at no or little extra cost. Additionally, the complete system may be depreciated with the advanced 5 year MACRS schedule afforded to solar power systems.

Due to the savings from the solar-roof bundle, we are helping some clients replace a roof several years before it was necessary to take advantage of this before the Investment Tax Credit sunsets in 2016.

RAMCON has the expertise and materials to ensure that your new roof and new solar system have matching expected useful life-times and warranties. Since most PV modules come with a 25-year energy production guarantee, it is important to select a roofing system that has a similar warranty and expected life-cycle.

RAMCON offers solar roofing solutions for TPO (as pictured), modified SBS and other materials which will perform under warranty throughout the whole life of the solar power system.

An investment in solar roofing allows you to:
•    Lock-in and levelize your energy expenses through a capital investment in solar power. Solar module prices have bottomed out and are not likely to go lower.  Interest rates are unusually low and can be used to lock in your energy bill at a levelized rate.
•    Apply the 30% tax credit and the 5 - Year MACRS to the entire solar roof project. The accelerated depreciation with the Year-One Bonus-50% allows you to Claim 60% in depreciation in the first year.
•    Attain the sustainable TRIPLE bottom line;  People, Planet and Profit. Solar Roofing earns LEED points and achieves corporate sustainability benchmarks which are increasingly demanded by retailers and tenants.

For more information on solar roofing and the Federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC), please visit www.RAMCONRoofing.com or call us directly at (877) 726-2661.

The Weakest Link In Your Roof

Every roof has them, and many of us know the headaches they can cause. We’re talking about roof penetrations (vent pipes, drains, pitch pockets), which are often the roof’s weak link. With single-ply membranes, this means a boot or field-formed membrane that is adhered or welded to the roof membrane with a draw band — a metal collar that fits around the protrusion — and sealant at the top. It’s important to ensure that the draw band is tightly attached but does not cut into the flashing and that the sealant at the top is installed with no voids or unadhered sections. The membrane flashings on single ply roofs at pipes and other penetrations, no matter what the material used, are usually the first items on the roof to deteriorate from age and abuse, so careful attention should be paid to the condition of these flashings.

A modified-bitumen or asphalt roof will often use pitch pockets with pourable sealers. Alternatives are goosenecks and perma-flash. Pitch pockets are the most common, with a weak link occurring when the pourable sealer deteriorates and cracks over time. This is accelerated by any movement in the penetration, causing a separation between the penetration and the sealant. Watching for signs of cracks in the sealant in the pitch pocket and around the penetration. Re-sealing these areas routinely will help keep the roof watertight. Your RAMCON technician will ensure that the sealer is filled to the pitch pocket top to keep the penetration from holding water.

With pitch pockets, there can be additional problems. It’s vital that the sealant applied be appropriate for the roofing system. If the sealer used is asphalt or roofing cement, it will shrink over time, causing cracks within the sealer itself or causing it to pull away from the penetration. This leaves a direct path for water to enter the roof. Regular maintenance of the pitch pans includes crowning the sealer to shed water away from the penetration. (QUICK FACT: MORE THAN 1/2 OF PITCH POCKET LEAKS THAT RAMCON FIXES ARE THE RESULT OF SOMEONE SEALING THE PITCH POCKETS WITH AN IMPROPER SEALANT). RAMCON always utilizes stainless steel pitch pockets on our roofing systems, but many contractors do not. If another contractor used galvanized pitch pockets, checking the pan for rust is essential. Wherever the rusting occurs, there will eventually be a hole.

Metal penetration flashings are dependent upon compression tape and elastomeric sealants to keep the penetration watertight. The sealants should be examined on a regular basis and replaced when they begin to harden and crack. With both the pitch pockets and the metal flashings, the membrane stripping between the flanges of the metal and the roof should be adhered tightly to both the metal and the roof for an adequate seal.

If you have problems on your roof, there is a good chance it is directed from roof penetrations. When you are having penetrations installed, give us a call so we can make sure they are installed properly.

The True Costs of a Roof Leak

Every building owner or manager at one time or another faces this dilemma: When is roof replacement a better option than continued roof maintenance? Of course, the ideal answer to this question is never. But it is rare that a roof’s service life equals the service life of the rest of the building.

The more obvious answer to the question is that roof replacement is a better option when the roof’s watertight integrity — its primary function — is compromised. In other words, when leaks become intolerable, it is time to replace the roof.

But when do leaks become intolerable? Is leak tolerance the best or most cost-effective reason to make a huge capital investment? A central element in the roof-replacement decision for managers is determining when leaks become bad enough to mandate replacement.

The Economics Of A Roof Leak
In some cases, a financial model can help managers determine when roof maintenance has reached the point of diminishing returns, in which case you essentially end up throwing good money after bad. As much as we preach preventive maintenance (PM) for roof systems, at some point PM becomes useless.

It is difficult to justify the capital expense of replacing a roof, especially when that money could go toward buying new equipment and systems that would benefit the organization’s bottom line. But roof leaks also can hurt the bottom line. Consider these real-world examples:

• Interior damage. Roof leaks that damage ceiling tiles, carpet, furniture, and computers are common, but the damage can be much more severe. For example, one school lost its gymnasium floor due to damage from roof leaks. The school had to cancel or move athletic events and replace the floor, at a cost of $500,000.
• Operations downtime. A roof leak for one building owner in Hernando County shut down operations for a day, costing the company an estimated $700,000 in revenue.
• Damaged products. A Tampa retail store recently lost more than $40,000 worth of products due to one roof leak.
• Lost business. Roof leaks forced one hotel to close its top floor — its priciest rooms — for three weeks, causing significant lost revenue.
• Upset Tenants. In today’s market, it’s tough enough to find tenants, yet alone keep them. Leaks encourage tenants to seek to rent reductions and seek ways out of their leases.

We must incorporate all of these factors into any life-cycle cost analysis in trying to justify a roof replacement. Granted, for any of you who have not gone through the cost-justification process, projected costs are only predictions. But to neglect figuring in these costs is misleading and provides a false sense of security. A smart course of action is to have RAMCON perform a free roof analysis that will tell you if your roof can be economically maintained or if you are flushing money down the drain.