Tropical Storm Debby + Improper Penetrations = Roof Collapse

In late June, we were called to investigate the cause of a roof collapse in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Debby on an older, single-story commercial property in Tarpon Springs, FL. The building had a low-slope, built-up-roof (BUR) assembly with a short raised parapet wall, which directed drainage against the front wall to drain inlets located between crickets.

Our first step was to collect whatever data we could to recreate the history leading up to the event and then to inspect the roof to identify if the damage was solely the result of storm damage or if other factors had played a part. Our visual observation revealed that the drains were blocked with debris and other drain inlets had been added to accommodate a large deflected section located just below one of the HVAC units. A 2-inch PVC pipe had been installed in this area as a makeshift drain to take out water which apparently collected around the equipment stand. As a result of this choice to remedy the conditions with this sort of ‘band aid’ solution, water was directed to the drain inlet. The weight buildup from accumulated water could not be discharged adequately through the improvised roof drains, leading to catastrophic roof failure.

This failure was a result of roof assembly modifications that did not conform to Florida Building Code or general good practice, along with the further offense of deferred maintenance. Had this owner contacted RAMCON before installing this drain or been enrolled in RAMCON’s proactive maintenance programs, appropriate maintenance and repairs would have prevented the occurrence and the resulting costly losses.
Alterations like these run the risk of sending water to areas of the roof that were not designed to accept the added load, leading ultimately and inevitably to catastrophe.  The RAMCON team are experts at evaluating potential roof design changes and anticipating on how they will effect roof performance. As well as provide you the proper resources to budget annually for proper roof analysis, evaluation and repairs to insure the performance of BUR assemblies, or any type of system, over their necessary service life and to prevent unnecessary damages like those sustained in this case.

How To Report A Roof Leak To The Manufacturer

There is no such thing as a good time for a roof leak. Big or small, a leaky roof is inconvenient and has the potential to drain your profit, if it isn’t fixed quickly and properly. Many of you have manufacturer warranties that cover a good deal of potential leaks, but how do you contact them quickly and efficiently to get your problem solved? What kind of information do you need to have to get it processed? To simplify your research, RAMCON has created a website to provide you all of the information that you need to get it solved quickly and efficiently.

 Simply visit www.ramconroofing.com/warrantyleak.htm

We provide you each manufacturer’s step by step directions to process your leak request and get it solved fast.

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.

How To Report A Roof Leak To Us

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.

Interactive Client Portals Are Now Alive

Ever wish you knew exactly where the service crew was in route to your facility? How about knowing the results of the roof leak in ‘real time,’ including reports, drawings, and photographs? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply click a few buttons and a service crew was dispatched immediately? Well, we’ve been listening and we’ve made it happen. We are thrilled to introduce our new, innovative, easy to use roof management tool specifically created for RAMCON clients that provides you with easy to use tools to help proactively manage your roofing system, project, work orders and invoices securely from any computer, smart phone or tablet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Let’s go over some of the core features of the system:

Report Work Directly Into Our System
Have a roof leak or need service? By filling in only 4 blanks, you can input work requests directly into our system and know it’s been scheduled. Not only does this make your life easy, but it allows you to track it until completion.

Track Work Scheduled
You’ll know when it’s scheduled and completed in live time and be able to view the results instantly.
The day’s of wondering “was the work completed?” or being unable to answer tenants questions about when it is scheduled are now over.

View Building Roof History
With just a few clicks, you’ll be able to see every leak repaired, every project completed and every proposal submitted anytime you need it. You can run detailed reports to show you which areas of your roof are having the most problems and have access to critical roof information, such as type of system, age and conditions.

Warranty Management
Need to know if a roof (or even a roof section) is under warranty? No problem. You’ll be able to see all of your warranty information for any of your roofing systems immediately. The warranty holder, warranty number, expiration date and how to contact them is always available at your finger tips.

Invoices
Invoices will now be immediately available for you to view. Simply click on the Invoices Tab and know exactly what has been posted and to which specific area of your facility.

Download Project Specific Documents
As you can imagine, a significant amount of information and resources get created during any RAMCON project. Now, you’ll have the same resources at your disposal. You can specifically select any of your projects and see items such as: Scope(s) of Work, Saftey Plans, Quality Inspections, MSDS Sheets, Submittals, etc.

Fully Secure, Encrypted, and Password Protected
All of the information in your system is fully encrypted with 128 bit encription, with secure access and password protected. It’s backed up hourly to bi-coastal, bunker style buildings protected against man made or natural disasters. Then, data is saved to tape daily for media redundency. It’s the same process used by Fortune 500 banks and investment firms. 

How do you access it? Simple
Just let RAMCON know you want your client portal live, we’ll make it happen immediately. To log in, visit our website at www.ramconroofing.com. Click on the “Click Login” icon in the top right of the screen. Simply type in your ‘username’ and ‘password’ and you’ll have immediate access wherever you are, via computer, smart phone or tablet. If you would like additional users to be able to view the information, we can handle that too.

What Does It Cost?
How does nothing sound? This is an exclusive service offered to RAMCON clients to help assist you in getting the live time information you need, in an easy to use format that helps you make educated decisions.

Wrapping It All Up
Your client portal can be a powerful tool in your arsennal. You can use it as much, or as little, as you would like. It puts you in control and provides that ‘real time’ information that’s becoming more important in today’s non-stop commercial real estate market. The future starts here...

Econcomic Effects of a Roof Leak

There is one dilemma we’ve all had to face at one time or another: 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 roof replacement is a better option when the roof’s watertight integrity- its primary function- is compromised. In other words, when leaks become intolerable, it is time to replace the roof. So then begs the questions, 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 us is determining when leaks become bad enough to mandate replacement.

The Economics of Leaks
At RAMCON, we find that a financial model can help us determine when roof maintenance has reached the point of diminishing returns, in which case we essentially end up throwing good money after bad. As we at RAMCON preach preventive maintenance (PM) for roof systems, at some point PM really does become useless. It is difficult to justify the capital expense of replacing a roof, especially when that money could go toward new pavement, a new paint scheme or landscape design. 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 in excess of $500,000.

Operations Downtime. A large roof leak for one building owner in Tampa shut down operations for a day, costing the company an estimated $700,000 in revenue. We warned him for years.

Damaged Products. A retail store recently lost more than $40,000 worth of products due to one rook leak in Sarasota, on a roof that was ‘pushed back’ a year for replacement.

Lost Buisness. Roof leaks forced one hotel to close its top floor- its priciest rooms- for three weeks, causing significant lost revenue.

We must incorporate all of these factors into any lifecycle cost analysis in trying to justify a roof replacement.
Granted, for any of you whohas 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. At RAMCON, we can help you decide whether or not a roof can be fixed economically, or if you are throwing good money after bad and inviting disaster. Give us a call at (877) 726-2661.

Shelter From the Storm, Maintenance Required

Long before mankind could imagine such inventions as air conditioning, high tech security or cubicles; it discovered the benefits of a secure,watertight structure to protect against the elements. From the natural shelter of cave dwellings man emerged to construct roofs from various native materials, including animal skins, dirt and twigs, and tree bark. These early roofs needed to be completely portable and likely required constant repair. In some ways, very little has changed. The essential purpose of a roof—to shield building occupants from the ravages of weather—is the same. And we share one basic tenet—roofs should not leak. These days, the demands placed on roofs have changed significantly. They are expected to last 20 years or more and, with proper preventive maintenance and inspections, should not fail, particularly during inclement weather.

Weathering The Storm
Building owners and managers must keep in mind many things when renovating, replacing, or designing a maintenance plan for roofs. This includes increased wind loads and more frequently occurring 100 year rainfalls, hurricanes, and hail storms. Facility managers and building owners must be aware of the need for roofing systems that do more than just keep water out of their facilities. Throughout Florida, increased durability and high performance roofing systems are important protection against hurricane force winds and golf ball sized hail. The impact of the sun’s rays on a roof can also be particularly harmful. Roofing materials can decay over time due to the sun’s heat and ultraviolet rays.

How To Keep Up
Proper maintenance and informed decisions can help ensure a long life for your facility’s roof. To explain it simply, past and current, the most pressing issue and greatest challenge in roofing is to provide a reliable, watertight, and leak free waterproofing system for a 20 year service life. So how can you extend the roof service life and mitigate storm risks? Simple really, it is proven that you can prolong the life of a roof, diminish the impact of regular wear and tear, and ensure the roof remains in good condition during a storm through adequate maintenance practices. However, it is easy to install a roof and forget about it until something goes
wrong. This is a mistake that could lead to leaks or potentially damaging roof failure. Sadly, roofs are not maintenance free. Some roofing types require less maintenance than others, but they all require some degree of upkeep. The better this asset is maintained and cared for, the longer service life facility managers will get in return. Inspections are necessary to prevent costly damage. Some problems may not be evident from a superficial perspective. A leak is an obvious problem. Less obvious, however, is wet insulation, which can cause an organization to lose thousands of dollars in thermal investment. The investment in a regular maintenance, inspection, and repair program is imperative to manage the roof properly. We strongly encourage all of our clients, to extend the service life of your roof and lower lifetime maintenance costs. Ensure your roofs are regularly maintained by a quality preventative maintenance program. We offer our clients a full range of solutions, including an unlimited, no-cost leak response. You have a leak, we fix it free. End of story. Call us at (877) 726-2661 to learn more.