Discussing Single-Ply Roofing Systems

The rise of single-ply roofing systems has given building owners and managers in institutional and commercial facilities an expanded range of options for replacing an existing roof. Even so, specification decisions remain challenging because managers must consider such issues as sustainability, durability, the new system's impact on the existing building, and, of course, cost.

But you might be wise to embrace the process of roof specification because they are likely to face such situations numerous times during their lifespan. In each case, their decisions will have long-term effects on the organization and its bottom line.

If you consider that your building is going to last 50 years, and an TPO roof has a service life of about 14-20 years, you're going to replace your roof any number of times over the life of the building. If you have a plan to inspect and repair and stay ahead of things, you can increase the service life of your roof to the extent that you're fiscally responsible and able to plan for the inevitable replacement.

On The Upside
Single-ply roofing systems come in a number of different types, including EPDM, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), and they offer a range of potential benefits.

For most, the benefits include that they're economical, relatively cost effective to install to provide you with the reflective savings sought in our hot Florida environment. They can also withstand a large amount of stretching and elongation before failure.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               
They also offer installation benefits. They're generally more cost effective to install than multi-ply roofing systems. Typically, the installation consists of a single-ply membrane and adhesive or fasteners, not multiple membranes and layers or hot adhesives, such as hot asphalt. This creates a situation where the general advantage is lower cost. The installation cost is generally cheaper, due to reduced labor costs for installing a single layer of membrane, shorter construction schedule, schedules, and related installation costs.

Single-Ply Roofing Systems Do Have Unique Challenges
 Single-ply roofing systems also can present you with some serious challenges. For one thing, they are very susceptible to damage from rooftop activity.

If you're up there servicing HVAC equipment and you drop an access panel, they can be easily punctured.

It's a single-ply membrane, so you don't have the redundancy of multiple plies of membranes. If you get a breach in the membrane, your cover board and insulation are immediately getting wet because there are no additional layers of protection. Moisture in your roofing system can result in curling or degradation of the insulation or cover board, and it will immediately impact the membrane. You can get adhesion loss or some other type of failure. They're less forgiving systems, in comparison to modified bitumen or asphalt roofing systems, which have inherent redundancies.

Design Specification Matters
The task of determining whether a single-ply system is the most appropriate choice depends on several factors. The first involves the design and landscape of the roof. Single-ply rolls are larger and wider than those for other types of roofing systems, so they also have fewer seams, but they also are more difficult to manage around penetrations.

For that reason, single-ply systems are probably extremely advantageous on large roofs with minimal penetrations. We advise our clients to consider other common elements of rooftops that can result in more foot traffic.

Ask yourself, are there mechanical systems that constantly need to be maintained? Is there going to be a lot of foot traffic? Are there many roof penetrations? Are there complex penetrations to flash? Do you need a more durable membrane? Those factors are really the most important aspects to consider when choosing whether a TPO membrane is truly most effective and cost efficient over the lifespan of the roof.

But in some cases, the type of facility can affect roof specification. Every building occupant will tell you that their facility is sensitive to water penetration, but some are more so than others. Say it's a critical-care facility or a hospital, where the ability to tolerate water penetration is absolutely zero. Then there may be a consideration regarding the lack of redundancy that single-plies bring to the table.

So yes, single-ply roofing systems offer several competitive advantages, however they are not always the right solution, nor are they always more cost effective over the lifespan of the roofing system. When you’re planning your next roofing project, give RAMCON a call and we’ll help you run the numbers and select the roof that’s both best for your needs and budget.

The Enemies of Your Roofing System

Your roofing system’s performance is affected by numerous factors. Given the fact that your ultimate goal is to have a roofing system that lasts a long time with low lifetime maintenance costs, we need to know what we’re up against.

Sun: Heat and ultraviolet rays cause roofing materials to deteriorate over time. Think about it, direct sunlight causes the material to heat and cool rapidly, causing deterioration. Usually this occurs faster on the sides facing south.

 

 Rain: When water gets underneath the membrane, flashing or other materials, it can work its way along the roof deck to a penetration point in the deck, resulting in a roof leak. Often, water can sit on the deck for a considerable amount of time which encourages deck and insulation deterioration and may significantly increase the cost of re-roofing the system.

 Wind: High winds can cause all sorts of damage on the roofing system. If condensation lines are not securely attached to the roof, they will swing back and forth, causing slices and punctures to the membrane. Flying debris and equipment will also cause serious damage to the surface, allowing points of water penetration. Extremely high winds can cause extensive damage.

 Moss, Algae and Vegetation: Moss and algae can grow directly on the membrane, especially around AC fluid lines. Once growing, it holds even more moisture to a roof system’s surface, causing deterioration. In addition, vegetation roots also can work their way into the system and structure. Make sure all vegetation is trimmed away from the building.

 Trees and Leaves: Tree branches touching a roof will scratch and gouge roofing materials when the branches are blown by the wind. Falling branches from overhanging trees will almost certainly puncture most membranes. Leaves on a roof system’s surface retain moisture and cause rot, and leaves in the drainage system will cause the roof the ‘pond’ water.

 Missing or Damaged Materials: When a piece of your roofing system is missing or damaged, the roof structure and the building interior are vulnerable to water damage. The problem is likely to compound, as the missing or damaged piece will cause surrounding areas to be damaged as well.

 Punctures: The most preventable enemy, punctures, usually occurs 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.

 Flashing Deterioration: Fact: most leaks on a roof occur at the flashing areas (perimeter walls, roof penetrations, etc.). Without good, tight flashings around vents, AC units, roof hatches, skylights and wall/roof junctions, water can enter the building and cause damage to the building interior.

 Neglect: The biggest enemy of the roof is often the owner. Roofs, like any equipment, require periodic routine maintenance to fix little problems early, before they become big and expensive. Discover simple, comprehensive and cost efficient programs for you (plus how much it could save you) at www.MyRAMCON.com. 

What You Need To Know About Flat Roof Coatings

There is a lot of hype in the industry about flat roof coatings. Unfortunately, building owners and managers throughout Florida are realizing their limitations and are experiencing many failures. The reason is, coatings are not the ‘solution’ for every problem. Sure, flat roof coatings can be a good investment for many facilities. A flat roof coating can extend the life of a roof because it lowers the roof temperature. It can also lead to additional energy savings as the temperature is reduced. But when a roof has very low slope or the substrate is unsuitable, a coating can be a recipe of disaster.

The truth is, there are so many different types of roofs in use today that specifying a flat roof coating isn’t easy. Different substrates require different coatings. A coating’s adhesion might depend as much on the substrate’s characteristics as on the coating type. In general, it is more difficult for coatings to adhere to hard, smooth, chemically inert surfaces and easier on rough, irregular, chemically active surfaces.

A coating’s adhesion to a substrate often improves when the installers put down a primer or base coat. Most coatings manufacturers recommend certain primers or base coats for managers trying to match a specific topcoat with a specific substrate. Managers should use only the base coat or primer specified by the coating’s manufacturer and only in the right application.

With the introduction of a variety of roof membranes, coating manufacturers have developed a variety of roof coatings to address multiple substrates with different adhesion and weathering characteristics. Due to variations in coating formulations, it’s more important than ever to consult with RAMCON on your needs, budgets and performance requirements to ensure the right coating for the roof substrate and conditions.

 

Coatings do have their place, but falling for a manufacturer or contractor’s ‘sales pitch’ isn’t an effective management technique. We are the one contractor who has specialized crews that can install every type of system or coating for just about every manufacturer. We’ll recommend what is right for your facility, not ‘what we offer’. Our entire goal is to select the right system for your needs and budget.

Cooling It Down: Lower Energy Bills with Cool Roofs

Cool roofs are a simple and effective approach to lowering the cooling energy loads of buildings and for increasing occupant comfort. By reflecting solar radiation, cool roofs reduce the amount of sunlight that is absorbed as heat in a building. As a result, the need to control indoor air temperatures with air conditioning systems (A/C) decreases, which in turn lowers energy bills.

In addition to energy cost savings, cool roofs contribute to grid stability by lowering the need for A/C use during the hottest times of the year. Cool roofs also reduce outside ambient air temperatures, which helps mitigate the urban heat island effect, a phenomenon where cities can become several degrees hotter than surrounding less developed areas.

Cool Roofs: The Basics

A "cool roof" is any roof surface comprised of highly reflective materials that keep the sun from heating up a building. At RAMCON, we install cool roofing options in almost any roofing material, and innovations in product formulation have enabled us to install systems in a variety of colors as well.

The performance of these materials is rated based on two radiative properties: solar reflectance (SR) and thermal emittance. The reflectivity of a roof’s surface is important because on hot, sunny days, standard dark roofs can be up to 90°F hotter than the ambient air temperature.

 

Cool Roofing Considerations

As with any building envelope strategy, there are several factors to take into account when considering the installation of a cool roof. While cool roofs are ideal for many buildings, their success depends on several factors, including the attributes of a building and the scope of the project. In general, cool roofs have the most benefits for facilities in very hot climates like ours that rely significantly on the use of A/C to control indoor ambient air temperatures and on facilities with little insulation, such as some warehouses.

• Project scope. Cool roofing options vary greatly based on whether the project is a new construction, complete reroof, or renovation of an existing roof. Examples of renovation options include coating an existing flat roof with a cool or light colored coating or installing a single-ply roofing system over an older metal roof.

 

• Facility specifics. Roof slope, location, and size greatly impact the reflective properties of a cool roof. Because low slope and flat roofs cannot be seen from street level, highly reflective, smooth, and bright white materials can be used without visually impacting the surroundings.

 

In addition, other building factors are important to consider, such as the number of floors and the amount and type of insulation. Cool roofs have the most impact on the upper floors of a building, with cooling energy savings between 15% and 25% for the top floor and savings of 5% to 10% for the next floor down. Unfortunately, there is usually less of an impact on overall cooling loads for high-rise buildings.

 

• Other roofing material factors. Our team at RAMCON considers many factors when selecting the right system for your facilities, such as compatibility with existing roof systems, ease of maintenance, and warranty requirements.

 

Cool roofs are an optimal approach to reducing the cooling-energy load of buildings, particularly during the hot summer months when A/C demand is high. The benefits of reduced energy usage from cool roofing materials includes lower energy bills, energy grid stability, and cooler environment overall.