Membranes Are Not The Only Cool Roofs Available

When we think of “cool roofs” we often think of the TPO membrane roof because of it’s bright white color. However, the typical membrane roof is not the only game in town. Did you know that there are many colors of metal roofing that also qualify as “cool” roofing?

Florida Power and Light conducted a study on roofs and electric bills a couple of years ago. While the study confirmed long held beliefs that the whiter, and therefore, more reflective the roof, the lower the electric bill. The surprising fact that came out of the study was that, “white, galvanized metal roofing material saves the most energy as a result of its high reflectance and superior ability to cool quickly at night.”

But, there is even more good news, white is no longer the only approved “cool” color when it comes to metal roofing. In fact there are dozens of approved “cool” colors in metal roofing, so you do not have to give up the look you want to get the energy savings you need.

Want to find out more about cool metal roofing, simply call one of our Customer Service Representatives today at 877-726-2661.

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 Client Portal by visiting www.ramconroofing.com/clientlogin.htm
Fax your request to 813-663-9665

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.

How To Report A 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 your request processed?

To simplify your research, RAMCON has created a website to provide you all of the information that you need.

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. If you have questions or need assistance please feel free to contact us by either calling us Toll-Free at (877) 726-2661 or by emailing us at RoofLeaks@RamconRoofing.com. We will be more than happy to help!

Cloud Based Roof Management

Discovery MyRAMCON, RAMCON’s Cloud-Based Online Customer Portal that gives you access to the information on your own terms. Whether you are in your office, at your home, or in the field, the information you need is always at your fingertips.

• Manage & budget for your roof(s) in real time.

• Dispatch & track our service crew with one click.
• Experience roof inspections like never before.

Cloud-Based Roof Management

Using MyRAMCON, you can get control of your roofing portfolio for all of your buildings. Whether you have one building or hundreds, you will be able to take control of your roof(s). Our roof ing technicians provide real time reporting on all roof repairs and projects. This empowers building owners and property managers to swiftly create accurate repair and replacement (capital improvement) budgets for their facilities. The end-result will allow you to master your roof asset by prolonging its lifespan and forecast when a roof replacement is needed.

In addition, you are able to upload warranty documents, CAD drawings, or other important documents and securely store them in cloud.

Make sure to contact a RAMCON Roofing Specialist for a personalized demo today!

 

Dispatch & Track Our Service Crews with One Click

MyRAMCON gives you the capability to send dispatch requests to our Team from any computer or internet-enabled device. With "packaging style" tracking, you can follow your dispatch requests in real time and inside the portal until the problem is resolved.

All service tickets, invoices, and repair documentation is stored for future review.

 

Experience Inspection Reports Like Never Before MyRAMCON creates visibility through generating quality inspection reports for your property. Roof inspections are uploaded to the customer portal seamlessly and can be viewed from any device with internet access.

Forget printed paper reports that collect dust on your shelf. MyRAMCON generates "living" inspection reports that are always being updated when service work is completed on your roof.

Video In Roof Inspections
Interact with an inspection report like never before. MyRAMCON roof inspections feature video observations from your roof when accessed through the online customer portal. Visit your roof without ever leaving your office chair.

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.