Is Your Roof Ready For Storm Season?

Your roof is often the only line of defense against Mother Nature’s fury. At this point, do you know the conditions that exist on your roofs? Not just your anticipated maintenance expenses and such, but which pitch pockets have issues or if there are voids or punctures in the membrane? Are the drainage ports properly sealed?

If you are not sure, give us a call now. As a RAMCON client, we will send an inspection crew at no expense to inspect your roof and determine how the roof is performing and if there are any areas that are likely to allow for direct water intrusion.

We’ll bring the existing assembly, age, conditions and concerns to your attention so you can make an educated decision towards how you wish to address the problems. There’s no sales pitch and no gimmicks, just a chance for us to help our clients and bring peace of mind.

To schedule your inspection for this week, please call (813) 663-9667 and ask to schedule a roof inspection.  We’ll handle the rest and you’ll have all the resources you need.

Busy 2013 Hurricane Season Predicted by Meteorologists

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is likely to be more active than usual, with 18 named storms, nine hurricanes and four major hurricanes, according to the annual spring forecast of Colorado State University meteorologists. That compares with a 1981-2010 average of 12 named storms, 6.5 hurricanes and two major hurricanes each year.

We always remind our clients that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them, and they need to prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.

The forecast was released on last Wednesday. On Thursday, the National Hurricane Center announced that “Sandy” has been retired from the six-year list of names used for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin because of the damage and death caused by the 2012 storm in Jamaica, Cuba and the United States. Sandy is the 77th name to be retired since storms began to be named in 1950, and will be replaced with “Sara,” beginning in 2018.

How did they come up with these predictions? Well, forecasters compare meteorological and water temperature conditions in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to the conditions that occurred each year between 1981 and 2010 to come up with their predictions. This year, they say, the above-average forecast is being triggered by unusually warmer temperatures in the tropical Atlantic during the past few months and the low chance of an El Nino event occurring this summer and fall. El Nino is a warmer-than-average surface water pattern in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean that has been shown to increase wind shear in the Atlantic that obstructs the formation of hurricanes, and correlates to fewer hurricanes. La Nina, which is colder than average water temperatures, tends to reduce shear in the Atlantic, increasing the number of hurricanes. This year’s neutral Pacific water temperature conditions, when combined with other factors, points to a more active season.

The second key factor is warmer than normal sea surface temperatures from January through March in the tropical region of the Atlantic Ocean, where hurricanes form. The forecast said past years with similar warmer winter to spring sea surface temperatures have seen weaker trade winds and westerly high-level shearing winds, lower than normal sea level pressures and above-normal sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic during the following August to October period.

The weaker trade winds make it easier for patches of thunderstorms to gather as tropical waves move across the Atlantic, while the slower upper level winds allow the storm clouds to grow taller. Lower than normal sea level pressures, again, allow thunderstorms to be created more quickly, while the higher temperature surface water provides the heat source for those clouds. As the thunderstorms grow, there’s a greater chance they’ll form tropical depressions, storms and hurricanes. The forecasters predict a 96 percent chance of a hurricane hitting somewhere along the U.S. coast, compared to a long-term average of 84 percent, and an 80 percent chance of a hurricane hitting somewhere along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, compared to the long-term average of 60 percent.

For more information on how to protect your roofing system, please visit www.ramconroofing.com/stormproof.htm

Evaluating The Roofing System After A Storm

You can’t do much to repair or maintain a roof while the storm is underway; a roof isn’t a safe place to be in bad weather. First and foremost, if you sense problems during a storm like ceiling tiles falling or sprinklers popping, indications that the roof may be caving in, you’ll want to evacuate the building immediately.

Once you’ve taken all the steps you can to ensure the roof will weather the storm (best achieved with an inspection from RAMCON), what happens when it’s over? It’s wise to perform a post storm roof inspection.

Evaluate the Damage
As soon as it’s safe to examine the roof, it’s important that we do so. RAMCON has teams that specialize in post-storm inspections and can quickly and effectively inspect the roof for any substantial damage.

As we review the system, taking action may be warranted. Anything that’s causing leaks is top priority and needs attention as soon as possible. Damage to the membrane, such as cuts, punctures and voids, needs to be addressed. It’s also vital to check the roof drains and gutters to see if they became clogged, which is common in a strong storm with debris flying around.

Similarly, we’ll need to see whether any metal flashings have come loose, creating a risk of water getting behind the flashing and into the facility. If the roof has multiple levels, we will pay particular attention to the intersections of the walls and roof levels to make sure nothing has been dislodged.

Also on the checklist: listening for a crunching sound as we walk the roof. That may indicate that the roof actually was lifted by the storm and is settling back into place as you walk over it, if that happens, we need to check it further. We may see that the fasteners have backed up and penetrated the roof membrane, so that they may cause leaks when the next storm hits.  Several areas warrant checking that might not be apparent at first glance. For instance, we confirm that all penetrations and penetration flashings remain firmly attached to the roof. The same goes for any equipment screens, which should be “storm-worthy for the next event”.

While roof maintenance often takes a back seat to other priorities on your “To-Do” list, it is an important part of managing and looking after the asset. An ongoing maintenance program can prevent more serious and costly problems down the road.