Making Roof Choices After Years of Neglect

It’s no secret, over these past few years many of our roof maintenance concerns have been on the back burner. After all, with vacant space abound and lower rents prevailing, it was difficult to justify expenses on proactive maintenance. Unfortunately, the side effect we’ve seen is thousands of problems that could have been prevented if they were identified and addressed earlier. Delaying a costly roof replacement project may not have only been desired, it may have been a financial necessity. As we begin to rebuild and reevaluate for the future, a focus group of our clients said they were reassessing their long-term goals and short-term needs in regards to their facilities’ roofing systems.

Roofs fail for many reasons. The causes of premature roof failure include poor design, poor materials, poor installation, lack of maintenance, natural causes, man-made concerns (e.g., material defects, incorrect or lack of response to roof problems), tenant abuse, change in building use, building component failure due to incompatibility of components, and rooftop traffic by other trades. Proactive roof maintenance can often detect early signs of failing components and allow time to mitigate the concerns and increase the roof’s service life.

Now, more than ever, you really should think about a RAMCON roof maintenance program to extend the life of the roof and drastically reduce the leaks that develop. All roof systems require maintenance. In fact, most roof warranties require it, so failure to do so may void the warranty, bring about an early demise of the roof and result in unwanted moisture intrusion, production and work stoppages. In addition, maintenance will extend the service life of the roof, thus promoting a key element of sustainability: long service life. Even better, some manufacturers will extend the warranty duration of your roof up to 25% (turning a 20 year warranty into a 25 year warranty) at no expense to you!

In most cases, roof systems protect 95 percent of a building owner’s assets, yet they are a relatively fragile component of a building. While many other building components are more visible and tend to be maintained on a regular basis, a roof system often is overlooked.

As previously discussed in many articles, leading causes of premature roof system failure include poor roof design and installation, neglect of proper maintenance and lack of appropriate repairs. Properly maintaining the roof can extend the service life, thus deferring costly roof replacement. This can allow time for financial planning for future replacement. It also helps ensure that there are no roof-related interruptions to the building occupants. As you begin to budget for 2014, keep in mind that RAMCON is available to assist you in not only fixing roof leaks, but preventing them before they happen at a fraction of the cost.

Inspection Strategy: The Worst Shall Be First

Don’t be one of those managers whose roof requires replacement before reaching its design life, or for whom emergency repairs are needed at the worst time. In short, don’t neglect good roofs and doom them to early failure. Periodic inspection and maintenance of roofing assets are the most important elements of a successful roof-management program.

One recommended strategy might be described as "top down, bottom up." Managers can succeed more quickly by focusing on roofs in the worst condition — those at the top of the priority list — while still attending to those at the bottom of the list — those in good condition and performing well.

The strategy calls for directing most available funds toward putting out immediate emergencies, such as severe leaks. At the same time, some funds also must go toward prolonging the life of newer roofs. Only by pro actively maintaining your roofing systems can you reduce the service life maintenance expenses and increase the lifespan of your roof, thus increasing your return on investment.

Using this two-pronged approach, you can ensure roofs in your portfolio do not need to be replaced prematurely.

Extend Your Roof Life....And Budget

How do you extend the life of your roof if the tough economy has caused your capital budget, and your plans for a new roof, to be slashed?

If you haven’t already instituted a comprehensive roof maintenance program, which should include a historical record of actions performed, regularly scheduled inspections, solutions and recommendations for deficiencies found upon inspection, and repairs made as needed with appropriate documentation, then you need to make sure to implement one as soon as possible. You want to make sure that repairs are actually done in a timely manner and that the repairs are done correctly.

If you’re already past the point of no return, a full-scale roof restoration is sort of the last resort. We recommend this if you really do need a new roof, but don’t have the money to afford a new one. A roof restoration may include re-flashing all roof curbs, base flashings, roof edges and drains. You could also recoat the existing roof with various roof coating products that could extend the roof life by seven to 10 years or more.

However, keep in mind that if the roof is really in tough shape, establish a plan for when the roof really has to be replaced, and present a list of options to the CFO, along with possible

consequences if the roof fails.

Understanding Roof Warranties And Their Coverage

With everything that could go wrong with a roof, what kind of warranty should facility executives look for? The answer is, “It depends.” Some warranties offer substantial benefit while others are relatively worthless.

There are three types of warranties. The most basic warranty covers materials, but not the labor to remove, replace or repair the damaged product.

A standard warranty covers labor and material. This type of long-term warranty usually represents a one-time cost of about 25 to 35 cents per square foot. In this case, installers must usually be prequalified by the manufacturer. Using an outside installer could void the warranty (and likely you’d never get one to begin with). This is a common problem that owners face when searching for the ‘cheapest’ options.

An extended 10 to 25 year warranty places no dollar amount on repair or replacement costs. In some cases, it might even cover damage caused by leaks.

While it might be tempting to forgo the warranty, particularly if you have to pay for it, without a warranty, the building owner is protected only under applicable state laws governing product performance.

The major manufacturers have standard warranties that are fairly comprehensive, and these companies are usually backed by assets, so there is some assurance they will be able to stand behind the warranty.

However, all warranties come with an important caveat: They rarely favor the customer. It should be understood that all roof manufacturer warranties are designed to protect the manufacturer. The limitations are not favorable to building owners. Most major roof warranties have 25+ limitations.

Limitations usually exclude damage caused by excessive foot traffic, other trades, such as HVAC technicians and acts of nature. For example, warranties that don’t cover damage from winds stronger than gale force are useless in places like Florida, where a routine thunderstorm can pack that much punch. In that case, the warranty doesn’t cover anything. It’s basically useless. The way warranties are written, if a roofing manufacturer wants out, they can get out.

If the damage is weather-related, for example, the manufacturer might do a quick repair then say it’s not a warranty claim. It is important to act promptly if a roof is damaged. If the repair is done on a timely basis, then the warranty will remain intact. If it’s not repaired properly, then that voids the warranty.

Warranties also are a measure of the roofing manufacturer’s responsiveness. Some will stand behind it. Others avoid it. It’s just a function o

Facility executives and building owners also must do their part. Building owners must hold up their end of the agreement with maintenance to make sure the roof is free of debris and the drains are unclogged. They must notify the manufacturer of new roof equipment and make sure they keep on top of the other limitations expressed in the warranty.
f reputation for the manufacturer. RAMCON will only work with manufacturers who stand behind their warranties.

Preparation Is Key

As of June 1st, hurricane season is officially here. Is your roof prepared?

Are all of your flashings properly sealed?
Are your drains and gutters free of debris? Do they quickly remove water from the roofing system?
Are there any voids, open seams or penetrations that will allow water under the membrane?
Is every piece of rooftop equipment properly secured to the roof?
Are the perimeters of your roof properly fastened for wind uplift?

They may seem like unimportant questions, but hurricane (or even tropical storm) force winds, can cause major damage if your roofing system is not properly prepared.