Roof and Hurricane Preparedness

With hurricane season coming into full swing at the end of the month, most facility managers and building owners in Florida have one eye on the news hoping that another 2004 hurricane season is not upon us.

Rather than wait until a storm is on the radar and there is little to no time to prepare, now is the perfect time for managers to think about their roofs. A study from The Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues (RICOWI) and information released by the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association (ARMA) examine the weaknesses in roofs during hurricane conditions and outline the necessary steps to prevent severe damage in the future.

The Causes Of Roof Failure
Installation practices are often the reason that roofs do not perform. The RICOWI study examined roofs after the 2004 season, which included the destructive hurricanes Charley and Ivan. Its findings revealed the defects in installation. “Failure of roofing systems resulted from vulnerability at the perimeter and punctures and tears from debris,” says David Roodvoets, wind event coordinator for Houston, TX-based RICOWI. “The attachment to the deck could not resist the loads created when the perimeter securement failed, which led to progressive loss of membrane coverage.”

The study found that roofs designed after 1992’s devastating Hurricane Andrew performed well unless there were installation problems. These include internal pressurization from openings (typically created by failed accessories); perimeter detachment; and corrosion issues. As Andre Desjarlais, member of the RICOWI team, clarifies, “If you can’t hold the edge down, no matter what kind of roof you have, the whole thing is going to come down. The issue of fastener corrosion was seen over and over again.” When high speed winds entered buildings through these spaces, roofs were compromised.

Preparation For 2010
Careful installation practices can make a significant difference in a roof’s hurricane preparedness. According to the RICOWI study, nearly 95% of roof failures were caused by poor workmanship and substituted materials. We’ve seen, on occasion, nails from local hardware stores were used in place of proper fasteners. The question you should ask yourself now is this: “Is my roofing system prepared for a hurricane?

The Good News
If you’re unsure or have doubts, you really should call RAMCON to come and perform a comprehensive inspection. We offer free inspections and reviews for all our clients and will provide you documentation about that status of your system. We’ll help you document a dry roofing system which will aid you with your insurance company should a roof become damaged during a storm.
Our technicians will review the roof assembly, assure that all the rooftop units are secured and there are no weak spots in the system. We’ll identify missing fasteners, voids and punctures and much more so you can know your system is ready.

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Picking A Cool Roof: SRI Index Is Key

Most roofing industry experts agree that a cool roof is one that exhibits a combination of high reflectivity and high emissivity. But the questions have always been how high is high and what combination of the two yields the most benefit?

One way to make a decision is to use the Solar Roof Index (SRI) to evaluate a cool roof. The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED 2.2 uses SRI as a way to evaluate a cool roof. LEED version 2.2 is the first national specification to use a relatively new measure of reporting a cool roof’s properties. LEED 2.2 sustainable sites credit 7.2 states that to receive one point, building owners should use a roof with a Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of 78 over at least 75 percent of the roof’s surface for roofs with slopes less than 2:12.

SRI is a unit developed by scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. SRI incorporates reflectivity and emissivity properties into one, easy-to-read, standardized measure so that roof buyers won’t have to scratch their heads and try to figure out if a high reflectivity and low emissivity is better or worse than a medium reflectivity and high emissivity.

SRI is calculated with a complex formula spelled out in ASTM E 1980 and is a scale of 1 to 100 that is a measure of a roof’s combined thermal properties. It is defined so that a standard black (reflectance 0.05, emittance 0.90) is 0 and a standard white (reflectance 0.80, emittance 0.90) is 100. But some hot roofs can have negative values, and some white thermoplastics and white roof coatings have scored as high as 104 to 110. SRI as a method for reporting cool roof data will probably take a little while to catch on. Most manufacturers still report separate emissivity and reflectivity data in their literature, but the Cool Roof Rating Council, an organization that verifies and labels cool roofing products has begun using the measure, while retaining reflectivity and emissivity measurements.

Different roofing technologies have different SRI values. Asphalt coatings for example have aluminum pigments added to asphalt cutbacks and emulsions to give coatings solar reflectance index (SRI) values of 21-30 on a scale of 0-100.

Acrylic elastometers on the other hand, a new-generation coatings, have a highly reflective surface, often with an SRI greater than 100. Most highly reflective acrylic elastomers are white, and workers can install them over existing bituminous or non-bituminous roofing. Acrylic elastomers typically are specified at 12 mils for five-year warranties and at 20 mils for 10-year warranties. Some manufacturers specify up to 40 mil applications.

Explained: Cool Roofing System Rebates

Getting Started
As hard as you might try, it’s just not possible to ignore a roof. In the long run, the roof will always make its presence felt, sometimes in very inconvenient ways- just ask the hospital that had its surgical suite damaged by a leaky roof.

It can be hard to win capital dollars for roofing even in the best of times (that hospital roof failed during a much stronger economy). But roofs in sad shape simply cannot be ignored. If a roof is already a candidate for replacement, re-covering or re-coating, savvy facility executives should go the extra mile and consider cool roofing options.

There are plenty of reasons why. For one thing, some utility providers offer incentives to spur users into purchasing cool roofing systems. A roof that’s both reflective and emissive can provide a range of benefits for the entire organization. A cool roof can significantly cut heating and cooling loads. It can also act as a shot in the arm for public relations efforts.

Finding Help
When it comes to justifying cool roofs in a today's tough economy, rebates from gas and electric utilities are among the surest bets. Generally speaking, the utilities pay back a certain percentage -usually about $.20 on the dollar — after installation and documentation. “Utilities are looking for ways that they can reduce capacity,” says William Kirn, chairman of the technical committee of the Cool Roof Rating Council. “It’s a form of demand-side management, since cool roofing has been shown to push back peak-demand energy use.” A tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot is available to owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings that save at least 50% of the heating and cooling energy of a building that meets ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001. Deductions up to $.60 per square foot can be taken for measures that meet the criteria for any one of three building system: the building envelope, lighting, or heating and cooling systems. These tax deductions are available for systems “placed in service” from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2013.

Finally, there may be financial incentives to facilities that are voluntarily built to the rating systems for green or sustainable building systems — such as Green Globes or the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

On your next project, consider the 'cool roof' option. Discover more by visiting www.ramconroofing.com

Preventing Mold from a Roof Leak

Pardon the pun, but we’re often flooded with calls to repair roof leaks stemming from pouring rains and heavy winds . As these roof leaks continue, building owners and managers have expressed concern about mold growth. There are a few simple steps you can take to prevent your recent roof leak from turning into a mold nightmare.

Immediate Actions When You Have a Leak:
1. Diagnose the source of leak. We can’t tell you how difficult this can be at times, as diagnosing water intrusion is a tricky art and science. My best advice to you is this: don’t bias yourself to one conclusion as to the source of leak. Rather, investigate all potential sources and even replicate the leak (if possible) to ensure you are attacking the correct problem.

2. Have the leak fixed first. There is no sense attempting to dry out the affected area if water is allowed to continue to enter the home.

3. Determine the extent of water damage. How much water damage is there before I need to call a professional water extraction company? A quick tip: If you can’t dry it yourself within 48 hours—it is time to call a pro. After that time period, your chances of developing a mold problem skyrocket.

4. Dry out the area completely. Fans, additional ventilation and dehumidifiers are particularly helpful. If drywall has been soaked to the point where it is sagging or mushy—cut it out and get it out of the house.

Next Steps to Prevent Mold:
1. Reduce indoor air humidity. Get a hydrometer and monitor the area—strive to achieve 35% humidity or less if possible. Turn off the winter humidifier if you have one. The inconvenience of being shocked from static electricity as you move about your home will be far less than the mess caused by a mold remediation project.

2. Improve ventilation. Air exchange in your home is critical to help remove moisture.

3. Prevent the leak’s recurrence. If any mold growth began, future leaks with subsequent water intrusion will only reactivate mold growth.

Maintaining Roof Data Electronically

Prior to performing field investigation work, facility executives should implement a data recording and filing system. It does little good to invest in extensive data collection in the field unless that information can be readily recalled and expanded in subsequent years. When recording data, be sure to include the following: Roof Warranties, Inspection Reports, Repair Logs and Invoices. This provides easy access in the event of a roof emergency.

While information compiled from records and surveys can be kept manually or electronically, electronic management makes it easier to recall, review and report data. Keeping your data electronically allows facility executives to maintain detailed records for each roof section, including the warranty and repair information over a long period of years to provide for scheduled maintenance and repairs.

Our Solution to this Problem
We’ve instituted an innovative online roof management system, MyRAMCON.com which allows our preventative maintenance customers 24/7 online access to their roofing system information. With MyRAMCON, we upload all inspection reports and photographs and maintain a document archive includin your warranties, repair logs, lifetime maintenance costs and more for your convenience and comfort. We also provide innovative tools such as savings calculators, taxes/rebate information and much more. Leaving your roofing system in the hands of the professionals at RAMCON will assist in protecting your warranties, extending the life of your roof and save money while you are at it.

Try the Demo For Yourself
Visit www.MyRAMCON.com, click ‘Log Into Portfolio’ on the menu bar and use the login name ‘demo’ and password ‘demo’ to discover all the tools and information MyRAMCON brings to the table for yourself.

RAMCON is Committed to Environmental Stewardship

Sustainability means adopting practices that help RAMCON meet the needs of the present without compromising the world’s ability to meet the needs of the future. As a company, we are committed to being a leader in environmental performance. RAMCON's commitment to sustainability is aligned with our corporate commitment to creating shared value for everyone we touch - today and tomorrow.

Our Green Roofing operations ensure that preserving natural resources and minimising waste have become an integral part of the day-to-day activities. RAMCON’s commitment to sustainability is aligned with our corporate commitment to creating shared value for everyone we touch – today and tomorrow. Preserving natural resources and minimizing waste have become an integral part of all RAMCON Operations as we work to build a better future for tomorrow.

Energy is our top priority, whether saving with efficiencies or creating with photovoltaics. Over the past years, RAMCON has committed ourselves to be a driver in the Green construction revolution. We aim to reduce the amount of energy we produce and to ensure that we provide our customers with roofing systems to do the same. We aim to promote and share energy conservation methods with contractors, owners, managers and the local community. For more information on our Green Operations, visit RAMCON Green and Sustainable Roofing Operations.