RAMCON's Preventative Maintenance Programs- Now Covering Over 20 Million Square Feet of Roof!

In today’s economy, it’s important to stretch every dollar as far as it can go. Your roofing investment is no exception. It’s no secret your roofing system is one of a buildings most costly elements. So what if we can extend the life of your existing roof by 5 or 10 years? How about reducing un-budgeted roof expenses and emergencies or eliminating them entirely? Well, we can and we do it every day. We’ve developed the RAMCON Star Program with one goal in mind: Saving you thousands over the lifespan of your roofing system. Browse our customized plans below and discover how.

Bronze Star Plan

With our entry level preventative maintenance program, we include an annual assessment and preventative maintenance service that performs remedial repairs. For a minimum investment of only pennies per square foot, this program provides the basic preventative attention required by most roofing manufacturers. A Bronze Star Plan pays for itself quickly by identifying small problems and repairing them quickly before they become big and expensive. 

Silver Star Plan
 As our intermediate and more proactive program, our Silver Star Plan is our most chosen preventative maintenance program with over a million square feet covered. This program includes two annual condition assessments and preventative maintenance services that performs more intensive repairs. With this plan we also provide an online MyRAMCON account allowing you to monitor your portfolio online, anytime 24/7. In addition, this program includes one no-cost leak response per year and a committed response time of 12 hours.

Gold Star Plan

The ultimate proactive roof maintenance program, our Gold Star Plan includes four condition assessments and preventative maintenance services per year. Never worry about un-budgeted roof emergencies again with an included Unlimited Leak Response Program. You have a problem, you call and we fix it…end of story. Our Gold Star Plan includes a detailed roof history and database, 5 year replacement and renovation budgeting and a committed response time of 8 hours. No other preventative maintenance program even comes close.

Okay, so now you know RAMCON has a solution to fix your needs. So now what? Easy, give us a call or shoot us an e-mail. We’ll send a team out to do a no cost roof evaluation. We’ll let you know what the condition is, and do the calculations to determine how long your roof life can be extended and dollars saved. It’s simple, effective, efficient and smart.

10 Reasons Roofs Should Be Inspected

Roofs are often said to be like tires. We only think of them when a problem arises, and we only replace them when we absolutely must. But, when we do think of tires and maintain them regularly, we can extend their useful lives. Similarly, we need to ensure that the roof receives the proper maintenance to increase its useful life.

Extending roof life starts with regular inspections. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends inspecting all roofs twice a year: once after the coldest weather, once after the hottest weather. (And it's always a good idea to inspect the roof following any major weather event.) But why should roofs be inspected, and what do we hope to discover by doing so?

All roofs should be inspected whether they are low slope roofs or steep roofs. A low slope roof is one with a slope of less than 3:12 whereas a roof with a slope greater than 3:12 is considered to be a steep roof. All low slope roofs should have at least 2 percent slope, which is approximately 1⁄4-inch per foot.

What follows are ten pieces of advices — or the ten most common reasons — to inspect roofs at least twice per year.

1. Weathering and Aging
The benchmark life for multi-ply bituminous low-slope roofs is 20 to 30 years and approximately 15 to 25 years for most single-ply roofs. All roofs undergo normal weathering and aging, and the effects of those factors are usually visible. As roofs weather and age normally, openings may occur, leading to water infiltration. Regular inspections call attention to weathered areas and enable an owner to schedule maintenance on these deficiencies to prevent further damage.

2. Routine Maintenance Damage
If your roof is not protected properly, damage can occur from tradespeople performing maintenance on air conditioners and other systems. This sometimes occurs because of trades failing to close mechanical access panels on roofs or leaving refrigerant containers. In addition, maintenance trades often fail to clean up their debris. Items left on roofs can become flying objects in high winds. A regular inspection program incorporates roof cleaning into the ongoing maintenance cycle.

3. Storm Damage
High winds, hail, and other weather events can create damage to roofs that may trigger repairs or insurance claims. Roofs should be inspected immediately following weather events to prevent further damage due to water infiltration. Damage from winds or hail can be slight and require little more than minor maintenance, or the problems can be major and require roof replacement. Insurance loss adjusters have reported that a significant amount of storm damage is actually caused by material, components, or debris blown from roofs in high winds. Tree limbs and branches can fall on roofs creating significant damage. Roof blow-offs start at the perimeter, and when roofs are not properly designed or installed to provide proper perimeter securement, severe damage can occur. Storm damage may require emergency repairs costing even more money.

Regular inspections are a great way to keep the roof in good shape. Among other things, an inspection can help find leaks, drainage problems, and damage from vegetation.

4. Leak Assessment
Leaks after heavy rain are the primary trigger for most inspections. But a leak is only symptomatic of a problem that may have been building for some time. In some cases, if you're looking for a silver lining, a leak is actually good news. That's because without evidence of a roof leak, a festering problem of undetected moisture infiltration may continue to create unseen deterioration, such as rotting wood, mold, wet insulation, or corrosion.

It takes an experienced professional to conduct a thorough leak investigation and diagnosis, because the entry point for moisture may be far away from the visual evidence or detection point. Leaks can be evidence of serious roof problems or minor local issues. Many roofs in excellent condition occasionally have leaks due to minor flashing problems.

As a general rule, low slope roofs rarely leak in the open field of the roof. Leaks tend to occur around discontinuities, such as changes in elevation, penetrations, expansion joints, and flashings. On the other hand, severely deteriorated roofs may not show visible evidence of leakage, particularly over concrete decks where water may migrate a great distance before reaching an entry point through the concrete. When such a condition occurs, damage due to moisture saturation of the roof insulation may be so significant that the roof must be replaced.

5. Proper Drainage
Few characteristics are as important to roof performance as roof slope and drainage. Water standing on a roof increases the likelihood of leaks and moisture infiltration many-fold. Ensuring good drainage is a very important reason for regular roof inspections. Leaves, trash, debris, and thrown objects often clog or obstruct roof drains, thus creating standing water conditions. Regular cleaning of roofs can help remove such obstructions and permit water to drain efficiently, thereby reducing the likelihood of leaks. Moreover, water is heavy — weighing approximately 5 pounds per square foot per inch deep. Poor drainage also accelerates deterioration of roofing materials, leading to a shorter life of the entire roof assembly. If a leak occurs from standing water, insulation can become saturated over a wide area, requiring complete roof replacement.

6. Vegetation Damage
Vegetation can grow on roofs when gutters and other low areas are not cleaned regularly. Birds land and nest on roofs. They also deposit seeds, which promote the growth of vegetation. Gutters are a particular source of vegetation growth because of the accumulation of dirt, seeds, and moisture. In addition, tree branches scraping on roofs during wind can cause significant damage. Gutters should be cleaned regularly, and trees near roofs should be trimmed to prevent contact with roof surfaces.

A further problem with vegetation growth is that roots can penetrate through the roof membrane and create leakage. Root damage to roofs from vegetation can be significant and pervasive. Regular inspection can help draw an owner's attention to a budding problem before further damage is done.

With the roof, out of sight often means out of mind. That's unfortunate, since regular roof inspections can help avoid long term costs. A better strategy is for facility managers to make roof inspections a priority.

7. Roof Cleaning
Regular roof inspections also draw attention to the need for regular roof cleaning. No task can provide a better payback than the low-cost practice of cleaning trash and debris from the roof. A clean roof is less likely to have wind damage. Loose trash and debris not only may cause wind damage in a storm, but trash tends to wash to the low points at drains or gutters. Trash obstructs proper roof drainage and creates leak problems that would otherwise not exist.

8. Security
Thieves often break into buildings through unlocked roof hatches or skylights. Regular inspections can disclose security breaches and enable owners to reduce the likelihood of vandalism or burglary. While a broken skylight is likely to be a source of water leakage, unsecured skylights can also present a security threat.

9. Warranty Repairs
Many owners pay for repairs that are covered under a contractor or manufacturer's roof warranty. Leaks can be caused by many factors, only some of which are covered under a roof warranty. However, when a leak is detected, an owner should have a qualified person perform an inspection to determine whether or not to file a warranty claim. When a roof warranty claim is filed, the contractor or manufacturer will visit the site and make a determination whether the leak or repair is covered. The key for the owner is maintaining possession and ready access to the warranty document, as well as timely filing of the claim.

10. Needed Improvements
Regular inspections highlight the need for continual building improvements, many of which affect the roof. For example, the increased presence of electronic equipment, computers, security systems, and video displays has encouraged many owners to install lightning protection on older buildings.

Roof access is an important provision for all buildings. It is well known in the industry that roofs that are accessible are maintained while roofs that are difficult to access are ignored. Regular inspections are facilitated with improved safe access to roofs. Installing permanent ladders and safety rails around roof hatches greatly facilitates safe access to roofs.

Establishing a schedule for routine roof inspections should be a priority for building owners. Inspections are inexpensive and can provide valuable information that can prevent expensive repairs later. In addition, regular roof inspections provide a checklist for routine maintenance work and enable owners to prepare budgets for future years. Roof inspections are the first step in a proactive roof management program that can help owners have planned and scheduled repairs instead of emergency leak repairs. Few other building maintenance procedures provide a better return on investment than regular roof inspections.

Budgeting for Roofing

A quality, accurate roof budget is an invaluable tool, especially with the severe weather that is common in Florida, but how do you go about doing it?

 

1. KNOW YOUR ROOF

In order to accurately plan for roofing expenses for the upcoming year, you must know the condition of your existing roof.

          How many?

          What kinds of roofing systems are installed?

          Are there areas of concern?

          Have there been previous leaks?

          What is the remaining usable life?

 

2. CALL RAMCON

We can thoroughly inspect each roof in your portfolio and put together detailed reports, including anticipated expenses for the upcoming year.

3. REVIEW/PLAN
Review the reports created by RAMCON and rest at peace knowing that you are ready to handle your roofing systems this year! As Florida’s leading full-service roofing contractor, RAMCON is happy to assist in the budgeting process. Contact us today at Info@RamconRoofing.com or 877-726-2661.

7 Common Roofing Problems

Obvious or unforeseen, roof problems are always a pain and undoubtedly a significant expense. Therefore, RAMCON investigated our 2013 records and examined which problems are most common and the conditions that can either cause or be the result of premature failure and reduced service life of your roofing systems. This is not a self-diagnostic guide, but rather an informative list of some of the problems most often battled by building owners and manage that we serve.

 1. Flashings and Seams

With any roof - no matter what type - if you’ve got roof leaks, then you’ve got a problem. Leaks can occur for a number of reasons. Built-up roofs (BUR) might experience leaks due to flashing details that weren’t fastened properly during installation. The problems an owner is typically going to have [with a BUR system] is that 95 percent of leaks occur at flashing details - anywhere the membrane itself is terminated or interrupted.

Our records also pinpoints improper installation of flashing as a source of leaks on torch-applied modified bitumen roofs. Inadequate head laps and backwater laps are another mod bit installation problem that can allow moisture infiltration. Water can get under the membrane if the field of roof is installed so that water flows against the lap. The consequences of backwater laps are leaks and blisters, which can also lead to roof failure. With cold-applied modified bitumen roofs, improper storage of materials can result in moisture infiltration built into the roofing system, and under-application of adhesive can result in poor lamination and roof leaks.

Leaks can result when single-ply membrane roofs are installed with poor seams. You’ve got to have good seams with single-ply, because if you don’t, you don’t have much. The membranes themselves will hold water. It’s vitally important on single-ply roofs to have the seams heat-welded properly.

2. Poor Installation and Unsatisfactory Workmanship
A faulty installation dramatically increases the likelihood of problems and reduces a roof system’s life expectancy. In fact, workmanship tends to be one of the most common problems or common reasons for problems that crop up at some point in the life of the roof. BUR system installation can be problematic if specific preparations are not taken. Torch-applied mod bit system performance can be compromised if crews do not relax the sheets prior to installation. Material preparation is also important to a quality installation. Sheets installed that have not relaxed or are installed when ambient conditions such as temperature are not right can result in wrinkles, leaks, fish mouths, contraction of sheets, or blisters.

 3. Lack of Maintenance

There are many reasons not to neglect the roof - including financial and business continuity reasons.
Being wise to problems can prevent their escalation. We find that a large problem in roofing is a lack of education on many levels. Specific levels of maintenance are required to prevent voiding the warranty. Perform routine inspections. Things like ponding water, vegetation growth, a piece of slipped base flashing, pitch pockets that haven’t been filled properly - these are obvious and routine issues that need to be proactively monitored. Addressing minor problems before they escalate maximizes roof life as well as minimizes headaches and expense. We corrected over 390 leaks that another roofer could not solve in 2013.

 

4. Ponding Water

Another common problem across all roof types is what we call ‘incidental ponding water.’ If water is moved off the roof, the roof has a really good chance of performing the way it should. During the design of a dead-level roof, slope should be added with tapered insulation or crickets. UV rays compounded by ponding water can have adverse effects on BUR and asphalt-based mod bit roofs. During installation of hot bituminous systems, be careful that improper mopping can produce voids in the membrane, block drains, and result in ponding water which deteriorates the roof.

But be cautioned, before roof repairs are hastily made, the source of the ponding water should be investigated. HVAC units without condensate drain lines could be the culprit. RAMCON always inspects thoroughly before making a repair to ensure we are solving the source, not reacting to just the symptoms.

 

5. Punctures and the Addition of Penetrations Post-Installation

For all owners, but especially those with single-ply systems, damage from foot traffic can be problematic. Punctures are something on high-traffic areas that can be a problem. One of the things we like to do at RAMCON is add walkway paths or extra sacrificial layers of membrane.

 

2013 records show that abuse of the finished roof as one of the nine most common problems plaguing single-ply systems, and heavy construction traffic can cause scrapes, cuts and punctures in the membrane. In addition to leaks, this can cause premature problems with the roof membrane and may void the warranty.

 

All roof systems’ performance is compromised when new equipment and penetrations are added to an existing roof, unless proper precautions are taken. When penetrations are added and deleted from a metal roof, the results can be disastrous…you are sometimes left with a compromise and a lot of caulking and sealants. Metal roofs move a lot. There is a lot of expansion and contraction, and if you are left to deal with caulking, you’re probably going to have problems.

 

6. Improper Repairs

Using materials that are not intended for application on specific roof types can result in permanent damage to the roof. One of the most common problems we saw with metal roofs in 2013 is improper repairs. Someone goes up with caulking and plastic roof cement and improper materials that are in no way intended for that purpose, and we were called afterwards to solve two problems. In fact, you can make a small problem worse through that improper repair. However, this problem isn’t exclusive to metal roofs. On a single-ply membrane, using asphalt materials (roofing cement) may actually damage the membrane itself and the wrong types of sealants on any roof are ineffective at best. RAMCON conducts all repairs in strict accordance with the manufacturer specifications.

 

7. Blistering

Blistering, ridging, splitting, and surface erosion are symptomatic with BUR, and can eventually lead to bigger problems. While blisters are not always worth fixing, one of significant size or in the seams of the system should be addressed. Inadequate attachment of hot bituminous roof systems due to asphalt heated to an improper temperature can cause blistering, along with the slipping of felts, and accelerated aging. Bad interply integrity and dry laps can also result in the appearance of blisters.

 Voids can be problematic in the application of torch-applied modified bitumen roofs. If the membrane is not torched properly, it will result in delamination, slippage, and blisters. Moisture and air trapped in modified bitumen roofs can vaporize, causing a blister.

 With cold-applied mod bit systems, the entire membrane should be installed in the same application. Our records show that consequences of improper sequencing of work as contamination and poor adhesion between the cap sheet and base ply: ultimately, blisters, delamination, leaks, and voids.

 

Ensuring a quality installation, providing the roof with consistent maintenance, and the early detection of problems through routine inspections can help maximize roof life. As the roof ages, the likelihood of problems increases. However, it is how these problems are addressed that will determine the fate and future of your roof system.