Preventing Mold from a Roof Leak

Pardon the pun, but we’re often flooded with calls to repair roof leaks stemming from pouring rains and heavy winds . As these roof leaks continue, building owners and managers have expressed concern about mold growth. There are a few simple steps you can take to prevent your recent roof leak from turning into a mold nightmare.

Immediate Actions When You Have a Leak:
1. Diagnose the source of leak. We can’t tell you how difficult this can be at times, as diagnosing water intrusion is a tricky art and science. My best advice to you is this: don’t bias yourself to one conclusion as to the source of leak. Rather, investigate all potential sources and even replicate the leak (if possible) to ensure you are attacking the correct problem.

2. Have the leak fixed first. There is no sense attempting to dry out the affected area if water is allowed to continue to enter the home.

3. Determine the extent of water damage. How much water damage is there before I need to call a professional water extraction company? A quick tip: If you can’t dry it yourself within 48 hours—it is time to call a pro. After that time period, your chances of developing a mold problem skyrocket.

4. Dry out the area completely. Fans, additional ventilation and dehumidifiers are particularly helpful. If drywall has been soaked to the point where it is sagging or mushy—cut it out and get it out of the house.

Next Steps to Prevent Mold:
1. Reduce indoor air humidity. Get a hydrometer and monitor the area—strive to achieve 35% humidity or less if possible. Turn off the winter humidifier if you have one. The inconvenience of being shocked from static electricity as you move about your home will be far less than the mess caused by a mold remediation project.

2. Improve ventilation. Air exchange in your home is critical to help remove moisture.

3. Prevent the leak’s recurrence. If any mold growth began, future leaks with subsequent water intrusion will only reactivate mold growth.

Maintaining Roof Data Electronically

Prior to performing field investigation work, facility executives should implement a data recording and filing system. It does little good to invest in extensive data collection in the field unless that information can be readily recalled and expanded in subsequent years. When recording data, be sure to include the following: Roof Warranties, Inspection Reports, Repair Logs and Invoices. This provides easy access in the event of a roof emergency.

While information compiled from records and surveys can be kept manually or electronically, electronic management makes it easier to recall, review and report data. Keeping your data electronically allows facility executives to maintain detailed records for each roof section, including the warranty and repair information over a long period of years to provide for scheduled maintenance and repairs.

Our Solution to this Problem
We’ve instituted an innovative online roof management system, MyRAMCON.com which allows our preventative maintenance customers 24/7 online access to their roofing system information. With MyRAMCON, we upload all inspection reports and photographs and maintain a document archive includin your warranties, repair logs, lifetime maintenance costs and more for your convenience and comfort. We also provide innovative tools such as savings calculators, taxes/rebate information and much more. Leaving your roofing system in the hands of the professionals at RAMCON will assist in protecting your warranties, extending the life of your roof and save money while you are at it.

Try the Demo For Yourself
Visit www.MyRAMCON.com, click ‘Log Into Portfolio’ on the menu bar and use the login name ‘demo’ and password ‘demo’ to discover all the tools and information MyRAMCON brings to the table for yourself.

RAMCON is Committed to Environmental Stewardship

Sustainability means adopting practices that help RAMCON meet the needs of the present without compromising the world’s ability to meet the needs of the future. As a company, we are committed to being a leader in environmental performance. RAMCON's commitment to sustainability is aligned with our corporate commitment to creating shared value for everyone we touch - today and tomorrow.

Our Green Roofing operations ensure that preserving natural resources and minimising waste have become an integral part of the day-to-day activities. RAMCON’s commitment to sustainability is aligned with our corporate commitment to creating shared value for everyone we touch – today and tomorrow. Preserving natural resources and minimizing waste have become an integral part of all RAMCON Operations as we work to build a better future for tomorrow.

Energy is our top priority, whether saving with efficiencies or creating with photovoltaics. Over the past years, RAMCON has committed ourselves to be a driver in the Green construction revolution. We aim to reduce the amount of energy we produce and to ensure that we provide our customers with roofing systems to do the same. We aim to promote and share energy conservation methods with contractors, owners, managers and the local community. For more information on our Green Operations, visit RAMCON Green and Sustainable Roofing Operations.

The Leak Triangle

For leaks to occur, three things are required: water, a hole or path through the cladding, and a force to move the water through the hole. Take away any one of these three elements and there will be no leak. Obviously, if there is no water or path, there will be no leak.

Less obvious is the role of 'Force'. If no force exists, then even if water and a hole are present, there will not be a leak.

The five forces that move water through a hole are gravity, kinetic energy, surface tension, capillary movement and pressure difference. We can't eliminate the forces of nature, but we can work to deal with their effects.

Gravity is overcome with flashing and by allowing drainage to the exterior at the bottom of a cavity. Putting a cover over an opening controls kinetic energy. For example, we shut the window when it starts to rain. Putting a drip on ledges controls surface tension and capillary movement is stopped by adding a chamber - a capillary break. Pressure difference is caused largely by wind pressure and is controlled by adding an air barrier to the wall.

The Leak Triangle: Remove any element and there will not be a leak.

Roof Management Decisions

Rare is the organization in which roofing funds flow like water. Most maintenance and engineering managers face the quandary of too many roof problems for the money available. The problem might well be a lack of money, but it could it also be the lack of a coherent roof management plan.

Most managers in commercial and institutional facilities agree, in theory, that regular inspections are an essential part of a roof asset management program. They also would recognize and agree with the basic roof management tenet that regular inspections and routine maintenance reduce ownership costs, reduce leak frequency and severity, extend roof life, and reduce management inefficiencies.

But, in practice, by the time many organizations think about starting a roof management plan, they need a roof replacement program. The opportunities to maintain and repair have been supplanted by the obligation to fund and implement roof replacements.

If organizations can extend the life of each roof under management one year, they break even on the roof management plan costs. If they can extend each roof by two or three years, the plan can reduce roof expenditures by a multiple of its costs.

So why don’t all organizations have a viable roof inspection and maintenance plan? Is it inertia or a fear of the unknown? It’s hard to fathom. What is that even a minimal plan is better than no plan. The best advice for managers is to get started now.

Action Steps to Take
It’s time to call RAMCON to get up on the roofs and perform a condition assessment. No roof can be managed appropriately without first knowing the roof’s history and then understanding its current condition. Managers can best obtain current roof condition by scheduling this roof assessment.

How often an organization needs to perform various tasks associated with a roof PM program depends on the roof’s age and condition, environmental influences, rooftop traffic, occupancy sensitivity, size and roof accessibility.

The information gathered during an inspection does no good if it sits on a shelf accumulating dust. Managers need to study the information, as it will help identify opportunities to make repairs, conduct maintenance or anticipate re-roofing. Formulating a plan will help managers communicate better with upper management, the roofing contractor and maintenance staff.

Perhaps the most important goal of all is to avoid having a roof replaced before its design life is reached or having to perform emergency repairs at the least opportune time. To avoid letting a good roof sit neglected and doomed to early failure, managers can begin the effort with a well-devised roof inspection and maintenance plan.

Photovoltaic Technology and Benefits

Photovoltaic technology has been around since the late 1950’s, when it was used to provide electric power for earth-orbiting satellites. Photovoltaic (PV) or solar cells are semiconductor devices that convert sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. When grouped together and electrically configured into modules, they can be used to power any number of electrical loads. Today, PV modules are being used as a power system for both residential and commercial uses and are rapidly be installed with roof systems on buildings as well as being interconnected to utility networks.

Installing photovoltaic systems can not only reduce your overall utility costs, but may offer economic opportunities such as state rebates or Federal tax incentives. RAMCON provides the ability for nearly all of our roofs to be installed with photovoltaic systems, which allow the roof area to be used to produce reliable, affordable “green” power for businesses, schools, hospitals, and federal agencies.

Features and Benefits

• Eligible for LEED™ (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits. Photovoltaic systems can add up to 3 direct points depending on the energy supplied to the building.
• Eligible for a Federal Business Energy Tax credit of 10%.
• State Incentives California, Florida, Hawaii, New York, Illinois, and New Jersey are states that are currently offering either tax relief or rebates for photovoltaic systems.
• Offset the high cost of peak-power usage. Customers can generate their own peak-power electricity converting a traditional roof top liability into an energy producing asset.
• Recovers capital investment because the Federal Government, along with some State Governments, offer a five-year accelerated depreciation incentive for companies installing solar roofing systems. This significant incentive can generate an attractive ROI for clients in most situations.

Learn more at www.ramconroofing.com/photovoltaicscenter.htm

The Guide: Vegetative Roofing Systems

One sustainable storm water management technique which continues to grow in popularity in Florida is the application of green roof technologies. This involves replacing or supplementing a traditional roofing material with vegetation. The vegetation prevents the rain from quickly running down the roof surface and offsite. Water instead percolates through soil and feeds plants in the process. The vegetative roof system provides a storage component and enhances the quality of runoff through natural filtration. In general, the system is composed of a waterproofing layer, a soil layer, and a plant layer. A vegetated roof is obviously easiest to create on a minimal slope, but it can be created on surfaces with a pitch of up to 45° with large trees, shrubs, and other landscapes. Vegetative roofs require irrigation and drainage systems to maintain the garden, which can add considerable load to the roof.

In contrast to the intensive design, extensive roof systems are primarily built for the environmental benefit. They typically use only inches of soil depth and contain small, hardy plants and thick grasses which are accessed for maintenance. Additionally, loads to a building are between 15-50 lbs per square foot. The blocks are usually a heavy gauge container with about 4” of soil supporting a low-growing plant species. A pad is fastened to the bottom of the block to protect the roof surface and allow controlled drainage through the unit. The typical weight of the system is 12-18 lbs per square foot. The cost of a green roof system can vary considerably depending upon the type of installation and factors such as the overall size, plant selection, depth of growing medium, use of irrigation, and accessibility options. It is important to note that, while green roof technology does typically require a greater initial investment, the system can significantly extend the life of the roof and reduce the heating and cooling costs of a building.

As with many sustainable management practices, one must look at a life-cycle analysis to truly compare the costs. Thousands of property managers and construction professionals are instituting Vegetative ‘Green Roofs’ on their facilities across all of Florida.

RAMCON maintains a complete line of vegetative roofing solutions, as well was photovoltaic (solar) and highly reflective systems for lifetime roof savings. Learn more about vegetative roofing systems online at www.vegetativeroofing.com