Inheriting A Neglected Roof

If you are a building owner or manager who takes the reins of a facility where no Preventative Maintenance (PM) plan has been initiated, there are important steps to take. In trying to transition from a reactive to a proactive system of roof maintenance—where there has been no budget for PM and there are too many problems to resolve using corrective action—it is even more important to set priorities and follow a plan to move forward toward PM.

Active leaks should be the first priority, since those will likely cause additional damage to a roof system and related areas. Because these priority repairs impact roof conditions and performance, these actions will help protect the current roof from further deterioration and eliminate the majority of active leaks.

Next up is removal of problematic or failing roof areas. You should spend capital dollars where the funds will have the greatest impact, not solely based on the age of a component or other single factor. Removal of failing areas will prevent further spending on repairs that offer a low, or even negative, return on investment.

The third step is tackling the lower priority (non-leaking) roof deficiencies and performing regularly scheduled PM activities. These actions preserve the current condition of the roof, bringing it into a more predictable and maintainable condition. This step also begins the process of pro-actively limiting future leaks into the building.

The fourth step is to replace aged roof assets, thus reducing or eliminating the reactive and costly spending that often takes place late in the roof life cycle. Timely and systematic replacement of older and weathered assets helps to preserve future capital budgets.

The fifth and final step is to begin repairs, renovations, and upgrades to current roof membranes and components. These actions extend roof service life and reduce future capital spending in the short-term by pushing out the costs of currently projected replacements in the next three to five years. This also reduces future long-term spending, since the average cycle of roof replacement is extended.

Regardless of what stage of roof maintenance planning you are in, it will always be true that a PM is a smarter and more cost-effective measure to take than reactive spending. The sooner you can transition from reactive to proactive spending for the roofing system, the better off your facilities will be.

RAMCON Project Featured on Firestone Building Products Website

RAMCON is proud to have been a part of the building of the Glazer Children's Museum in downtown Tampa, installing the roof, which is now featured in the Firestone Building Products website in their Project Portfolio. Check out the links below.

http://www.firestonebpco.com/portfolio/metal/Glazer/
http://www.firestonebpco.com/portfolio/asphalt/Glazer/

Proactive Roof Management

 A leak doesn’t need to be the first sign of roof trouble
There is a great deal of information supporting the fact that planned/preventive maintenance (PM) is key to performance and longevity for any building component. Every building owner and manager knows that an effective PM program helps balance available resources against degrees of potential risk and improves financial results by reducing total cost of ownership (TCO). This basic tenet is especially true in the case of PM as a cost-effective tool to manage roof performance.

When it comes to roofs, “out of sight, out of mind” thinking often prevails, since this facility component is not always viewed as having the same risk level as others. PM programs for roofing are often sacrificed in favor of other maintenance budget initiatives; yet, in the long run, the payback for the facility is every bit as beneficial. When a roof failure occurs, it can affect critical space and operations, and the results can be costly.

Leak Repair Is Often Too Little, Too Late
Leaks are caused by a myriad of issues that are usually only discovered when RAMCON performs a thorough investigation. Maintenance delays can increase damage and repairs, reducing roof life.

Leaks that are discovered for the first time when water enters a facility are among the most common problems related to roof performance. By the time that happens, repair needs are often significant, with the added possibility of business interruption and internal damage.

The potential threats and/or costs from a roof leak are numerous. These include emergency repairs, damage to interior finishes, structural problems, harm to inventory or equipment, damage to roof system itself, mold remediation, loss of R-value and business interruption. Emergency leak repairs (which are reactive measures) are not a replacement for proactive roof PM programs. PM targets likely areas on a roof where defects will be corrected with a minor, less expensive repair. Roof systems require regular maintenance, and manufacturers mandate this in order to keep warranties in effect.

The Economics of a Roof Leak

Every building owner or manager at one time or another faces this dilemma: When is roof replacement a better option than continued roof maintenance? Of course, the ideal answer to this question is never. But it is rare that a roof’s service life equals the service life of the rest of the building.

The more obvious answer to the question is that when the roof is no longer watertight — its primary function — roof replacement may be the better option. In other words, when leaks become intolerable, it is time to replace the roof.

But when do leaks become intolerable? Is leak tolerance the best or most cost-effective reason to make a huge capital investment? A central element in the roof-replacement decision for managers is determining when leaks become bad enough to mandate replacement.

The Economics of Leaks
In some cases, a financial model can help managers determine when roof maintenance has reached the point of diminishing returns, in which case you are simply throwing away good money to repair leaks on a roof that will have to be replaced within a matter of time anyway. As much as we preach preventive maintenance (PM) for roof systems, at some point PM becomes useless.

It is difficult to justify the capital expense of replacing a roof, especially when that money could go toward buying new equipment and systems that would benefit the organization’s bottom line. But roof leaks also can hurt the bottom line. Consider these real-world examples:

Interior damage. Roof leaks that damage ceiling tiles, carpet, furniture, and computers are common, but the damage can be much more severe. For example, one school lost its gymnasium floor due to damage from roof leaks. The school had to cancel or move athletic events and replace the floor, at a cost of $500,000.
Operations downtime. A roof leak for one building owner shut down operations for a day, costing the company an estimated $700,000 in revenue.

Damaged products. A retail store recently lost more than $40,000 worth of products due to one roof leak.
Lost business. Roof leaks forced one hotel to close its top floor — its priciest rooms — for three weeks, causing significant lost revenue.

Upset Tenants. In today’s market, it’s tough enough to find tenants, yet alone keep them. Leaks encourage tenants to seek rent reductions and seek ways out of their leases.

We must incorporate all of these factors into any life-cycle cost analysis in trying to justify a roof replacement. Granted, for any of you who have not gone through the cost-justification process, projected costs are only predictions. But to neglect figuring in these costs is misleading and provides a false sense of security. A smart course of action is to have RAMCON perform a free roof analysis that will tell you if your roof can be economically maintained or if you are flushing money down the drain.

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.

How to Report a Roof Leak

Your roofing problems don’t wait for normal business hours and neither do we. We have emergency crews on standby 24/7 for your convenience. Just follow these simple steps, and you’ll shortly have a uniformed, certified roofing technician on site to solve your problem.

1.  CONTACT RAMCON
There are several ways to report your leak, in order to make it easy for you.
Call Toll-Free (877) 726-2661
Email: RoofLeaks@RamconRoofing.com
Utilize Our Web Based Report Features at: www.RamconRoofing.com

2. REPORT THE PROBLEM.
Provide the RAMCON representative a detailed explanation of the situation, so that they can immediately begin working on getting the right crews and equipment to your location as soon as possible.

3. REST ASSURED.
We respond immediately to roofing emergencies. Very shortly, a uniformed RAMCON crew will be at your facility to solve your problem. You’ll get a full report of what was found and how it was repaired with before and after photographs to assure you that you’re asset is being well cared for by the very best.

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. If you are unsure about the answers to any of these questions, give us a call at 877-726-2661, or email info@RamconRoofing.com, and we will perform a comprehensive roof inspection, and provide you with a complete roofing system analysis report! The more you know, the better you can prepare.