Single-Ply Roofing (TPO & PVC) Maintenance: It's Common Sense

The use of highly reflective single-ply roofing membranes (TPO & PVC in particular) has been growing in popularity for commercial and institutional applications in Florida. This growth arises from an increased focus in facilities on energy efficiency, sustainability, ease of installation, and cost.

The vast majority of these roofing systems are performing well, but based on an in depth evaluation of more than 520 million square feet of buildings in the last 10 years, many building owners have spent millions of dollars replacing single-ply roofs that, unfortunately, have failed prematurely.

The first question that normally comes up after inspecting a roof that has failed prematurely is, “What caused this roof to fail?” In general, five common factors result in a roof failing prematurely: improper design, improper construction, defective materials, abuse, and lack of maintenance

In most cases, combinations of these factors contribute to roof failure. But the overwhelming driver behind premature roof failure is simply the lack of maintenance. Therefore, as a service to our customers, we want to help you understand the drivers behind the lack of roof maintenance, and what activities you can implement that will maximize the performance of your single-ply roofing system.

The Road Block
Let’s face it, by now you know a maintenance program for a single-ply roof can be a cost-effective, efficient strategy to extend roof life. So why on earth are there owners and managers who fail to implement such a program? Generally, there are three reasons:

Out of sight, out of mind. This old adage often applies to roof maintenance. You and your team are busy and have many responsibilities. If the roof is not leaking or is not harming the facility or its occupants, it is one less item to worry about.

Warranties. The growing practice of using a roof warranty’s length to differentiate single-ply roof membranes has driven the standard 10 year warranty period of a decade ago to a 15 to 20 year warranty period today. Perhaps you believe the warranty will take care of any problems related to a new roof during the length of the warranty period This is a costly mistake.

You see, while the warranty might cover material and labor, depending on the warranty type, it specifically requires you to conduct and document roof maintenance. Failure to complete the maintenance, and the manufacturer can void the warranty.

Funding. Repairing and maintaining a roof is inexpensive compared to the cost of premature roof failure. Not convinced? Give us a call and we will show you the math on your specific roofing system. Premature failure can lead to additional financial and health risks associated with facility downtime, damaged materials and components, structural damage, and claims related to mold and mildew. When budgeting, its important to consider using a life-cycle cost model to evaluate the benefits of roof maintenance. The model should weigh projected maintenance costs against the anticipated increase in roof service life and the financial risks associated with premature failure. You’ll find it pays off.

Maximizing Performance
The truth is, the best time to develop a maintenance program for a single-ply roof is during the design phase of a project or during initial talks of a roof replacement/recovery. The type of roof system that is designed and installed will affect the amount and type of future maintenance. You need to know this.

What If You Already Have A Roof Installed?
The simple fact is, no matter when a roof maintenance program is implemented, the sooner it can begin, the greater the savings will be. At RAMCON, we recommend a 3 step approach to get started.

Call us to conduct a comprehensive roof evaluation. This survey provides a solid foundation for the roof-maintenance program. The information we provide will allow you to plan, prioritize, and make informed decisions regarding maintenance, repair and possible replacement of roof assets.

The next step is a detailed plan to get the roof into a condition where it can be proactively maintained. Are there leaks that currently exist? Let's get them fixed. Are there pending problems that you have no idea are even developing? We'll find out. The goal here is to get the system to a point where we significantly reduce or eliminate the 'x factors' in the roof performance.

Finally, execute the plan developed and implement a proactive maintenance program. Roofs do not remain in a static condition. If we do not repair deficiencies as they develop in a timely manner, a minor expense can easily and quickly result in increased repair costs and even a premature roof failure.

A RAMCON well conceived and executed roof maintenance plans is one of the most cost effective and sustainable strategies. managers can implement to maximize the service life of fa single-ply roof while demonstrating efficient use of limited company funds.

Conclusion 
Now you are left with two choices. You can continue down the path where you respond to roof issues as they develop into leaks, or you can take proactive steps and break the cycle that never ends (leak, fix, leak, fix). It's proven to be much more cost effective both in maintenance dollars and lifetime performance. Break the cycle and give us a call. We'll help you in every step of the way.

Four Common BUR Asphalt Roof Leak Sources

The way an asphalt roof wears — the bumps and wrinkles it bears — can show a lot about why it is failing. Each type of failure — blisters, splits, and punctures — typically results from a specific cause. Poor design, for example, can lead to splits and debris can cause punctures. Understanding the causes of the most common types of roofing problems can help facility executives prevent the errors that too often shorten the life of the roof.

1. Blisters. Bubble-like or long, thin raised areas on the roof are called blisters.They occur when a gas, usually water vapor, is trapped within the roofing system either between the plies or between the plies and the insulation. The heat of the sun during the day causes the gas to expand. The expansion of the gas creates a pressure within the system that pushes the plies apart, resulting in the blister.

Blisters would not occur if there were not some reason for moisture in the membrane. Two common causes are applying the roof to a damp substrate, as during a re-cover, and applying wet materials, such as felts, that have absorbed dew or rain on the edges. The moisture that causes blisters can often be traced back to another problem: improper storage of insulation which allows water to soak through holes in shrink wrap or at the bottom of the stack where shrink wrap doesn’t cover. Moisture can also get into a roof installed in the presence of rain or dew.

2. Splitting. The most common splits occur when a metal accessory is flashed with a membrane material. As the temperature changes, metals and membranes expand and contract at very different rates. Because the membrane generally cannot move as much as the metal, it will eventually fatigue and crack when it is adhered to metal. This problem is not as common with single-ply membranes being there is better expansion and contraction capabilities, but it is common in asphalt systems. Splits are not limited to flashings, however. As most roofs age, they become more brittle and less resilient. This means that they become less resistant to movement from common sources such as temperature changes, foot traffic, and substrate movement. Because the roof cannot flex or stretch as well as it did when new, it cracks.

3. Punctures. The most preventable failure symptom, punctures, usually occur 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 and allow direct water intrusion. Since Tropical Storm Debby, RAMCON has repaired more than 637 punctures to roofs, 99% of which were preventable.

Chances are, if you have a Built-Up, Asphalt or Modified Bitumen roofing system, you have experienced some (if not all) of these issues. Give us a call and we’ll perform a detailed, thorough review of your roofing system at no expense and make sure your roof is ready to battle Mother Nature.

My RAMCON Client Portal

Since releasing the new RAMCON Client Portal just a few weeks ago, we’ve received an incredible amount of feedback, reviews, and general thankfulness. Now you can simply log in and see the entire history of your roofing portfolio in live time, from any computer, tablet, or smartphone 24/7.

So how can you make your client portal come alive? Simple, give us a call at (813) 663-9667. We’ll make it happen immediately. To log in, visit our website at www.ramconroofing.com or scan the QR code above. Once on the website click on the “Click Login” icon in the top right of the screen. Simply type in your ‘username’ and ‘password’ and you’ll have immediate  access where ever you are. If you would like additional users to be able to view the information, we can handle that too.

Your client portal can be a powerful tool in your arsenal. You can use it as much, or as little, as you would like. It puts you in control and provides that ‘real time’ information that’s becoming more important in today’s non-stop commercial real estate market. The future starts here...

Tenant Improvement Letter Sample For Your Use

RE: Tenant Improvements

Dear Tenant,

Maintaining our roofing system and ensuring the protection of our warranty is very important to our company. To assist in this matter, we require that all roof penetrations, flashing and work on the roofing system to be completed by RAMCON Roofing.

Utilizing RAMCON Roofing will protect both our roofing system, as well as benefit your improvements in several ways:.

• RAMCON will provide you with a 5% discount on all work performed.
• RAMCON will warranty all work performed on the roofing system.
• RAMCON guarantees to turn around pricing and design within 48 hours.
• RAMCON will provide complimentary onsite inspections and consultation at your request.
• RAMCON will inform in writing to the manufacturer all penetrations and modifications to fulfill our warranty obligations.
• RAMCON will coordinate manufacturer inspections and approvals, if required.

Please contact RAMCON Roofing directly and mention Tenant Improvement Program to price or schedule any work on our roofing system. RAMCON’s direct contact information is as follows:

RAMCON Roofing

5902 Breckenridge Parkway

Tampa, FL 33610

(813) 663-9667 ph

(813) 663-9665 fx

info@ramconroofing.com

Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation in this matter.

RAMCON Helps Prepare Tampa Bay For The 2012 GOP Convention

Dozens of times over the past twelve months, the RAMCON team has been called upon to help prepare the Tampa Bay area’s most identifiable centers and resorts in preparation to accommodate and host the more
than 50,000 people expected to be in attendance at the 2012 GOP National Convention. From inspections and basic maintenance that ensure the facility is leak free to entire re roofs on multi-story facilities, all the way to specialty tasks; such as, installing decks onto roof surfaces to allow press to get the perfect view. RAMCON has been trusted by Florida’s top building owners and managers to produce results. Here is just a snap shot of a few of the projects RAMCON has been working hard to get just right.

Tropicana Field
Not only home to the Tampa Bay Rays, this 40,000+ seat facility also hosted the RNC welcome party with thousands in attendance. Over the past year, RAMCON has installed new roofing systems over the entire upper levels; which was challenging not only due to its significant height and security restrictions, but also because all of the roofs are at a steep slope. Working with low slope roofing materials in this type of environment requires perfect installation (the project received a perfect 10 inspection report!)

In addition to the new roof on the upper levels, RAMCON has also dedicated service technicians to this facility on practically a daily basis. The facility was in need of help when we arrived, with over 150+ leaks being recorded. These leaks on the lower aging roofing systems have been completely brought under control.

Media Staging Area
RAMCON also fabricated and installed a custom deck assembly over top of an existing Thermoplastic Polyolefin singleply roofing system. Why? To get the best camera shot of course! With more than 13,000 members of the media in attendance, the RNC is one of the single largest Media events in the world; in being so, media producers are working hard to get the perfect view. This was certainly challenging, as the assembly had to be temporary and leave no lasting impact on the roof assembly while meeting the manufacturer’s requirements for warranty coverage. Project Result: Success!

 Delegate Resorts
With more than 15,000 hotel rooms booked for each night of the convention, RAMCON has been busy working with the area’s top resorts to ensure Mother Nature does not interrupt their stay. We have installed roofs and performed intensive maintenance on more than two dozen resorts to bring them back to excellent
condition. From complete reroofs on resorts on the water, which are exposed and subject to extreme winds from tropical systems, to complicated reroofs of bungalow suites at the Grand Hyatt Tampa; all the way to intensive maintenance and staging, RAMCON technicians have been busy working 24/7 around the clock to respond to conditions if they arise. We have dedicated thousands of hours to ensuring these resorts are ready to perform.

Wrapping Up
RAMCON is proud to have played a part in preparing Tampa to be showcased to the nation. As Don Rangler, Director of Operations at one of the resorts in Downtown Tampa recently wrote to us, “your team not only exceeded my expectations on this roof, but you’ve earned my respect and projects moving forward”.