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Maybe you’re a building manager who finally persuaded the owner to invest in a new roof. Or maybe you’re the owner, and you just signed the check. Either way, you might be reluctant to spend even more money on “extras.” But things that extend the life of your roof and protect your workers aren’t extras; they’re the basics. Along with rooftop walkways, roof access stairs definitely fall into that category. Let’s take a look at why that’s true. The challenges Rooftops may not be designed for foot traffic, but that traffic is a fact of life. All rooftops need maintenance at some point. Even brand new roofs need to be inspected regularly. Unless you’ve got a drone to do a flyover for you, maintenance workers will need to check things out in person. And older roofs need both preventive maintenance and repairs, which is another reason workers will at some point need to be on the roof. All of that foot traffic can really add up over time, causing serious wear-and-tear to the roof. Equipment n...

The days are getting longer, temperatures are creeping up, and you may have even swatted a few mosquitoes. Summer is definitely on the way, and facility managers know that means increased energy costs and a struggle to keep the building cool. Fortunately, you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope for cooler weather. With some proactive roof management, there are several things you can do to help keep your building cool. 1. Perform routine roof maintenance Roof management is a year-round endeavor – but, let’s face it, nobody wants to go up on the roof during the summer heat. However, not doing that routine maintenance can significantly reduce your ability to keep the building cool. Any break in the building envelope – whether it’s a torn roof membrane or some missing flashing – can be a conduit for heat. In addition, unmaintained roofs develop leaks. And leaks lead to wet insulation, which then becomes largely ineffective. So grab some sunscreen, a hat, and some water, and go inspec...

Your building’s low-slope roofing can’t be all that complicated. After all, just about everybody has one…right? Not exactly. Even low-slope roofs come in an astounding array of options. And, if you weren’t directly involved in the design and planning process, you might not know much more about your roof than what’s visually obvious. But you really should get to know your roof better, so let’s make some introductions. Low-slope roofing systems generally fall into one of five categories:     Built-Up Roof (BUR) Membranes This category represents the classic “tar and gravel” roof. The membrane is composed of alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing fabrics called roof felts or ply sheets. These layers are then covered with a surface material, which is often gravel. Because of its durability, BUR roofing is a great option for commercial buildings that have a lot of foot traffic and equipment or roof supports. Metal Panel Roof Systems Metal roofing systems for low-slope roofs ...

Roof coatings—you’ve probably heard that these can be beneficial to your roof and your building in general. We've put together a brief guide to help you understand the types of coatings available and the benefits of the product. This information can prepare you to make a smart decision regarding your roof's care. Types of Roof Coatings While there are many types of coating, four of the most common include acrylic, silicone, foam, and thermoplastic. Each has benefits and drawbacks, and some are better suited to one type of roof than another. Additionally, some coatings are better at a task (i.e. reflecting the suns rays or protecting against leaks) than others. Taking stock of your current roof material and your overall goals are vital. Benefits of Choosing Coating With all of the products and services on the market for property owners, designers and facility managers, is a roof coating a necessity? While a roof will certainly function without a coating, there are so many benefi...

Regular roof maintenance is vital for keeping your roof watertight and preventing expensive future problems. One of the most important things on your roof maintenance checklist should be your pipe and equipment supports. Identifying and troubleshooting problems early will help ensure a long-lasting roof system. To lengthen the lifespan of your roofing system, regularly check your rooftop for the following signs of failure. 1) Sagging pipes and ducts Flexing or sagging pipes or ducts are a good indication that your rooftop supports are too far apart to bear the weight of the pipe and its contents. The proper spacing of supports depends on the weight of the pipe or duct. You may need to install additional supports or change the fittings to prevent your pipes and ducts from flexing or sagging. >> Read More: 8 Factors to Consider When Planning Roof Pipe Support Spacing >> 2) Cracks in support bases If the weight of the pipe or duct and its valves, fittings and pipe contents exc...

When designing a school building, all safety and security measures must be taken into account in order to protect the lives and property of its occupants. In addition to limiting access to the campus through doors or gates, integrating security checkpoints into the flow of traffic and installing bollards where necessary, there are more recondite means of ensuring the integrity of the building and the safety of its users. A Proper Roofing Support System One that is less thought of but no less vital is a proper rooftop support system. Depending on the size of the school, ducting, piping and equipment can place a heavy unseen burden on the building's roof. When the weight of rooftop equipment exceeds the capacity of the roof supporting them, the roof itself falls in danger of severe damage that can lead to a partial or entire collapse. If the roof collapses, it may cause heavy economic damage and obliterate every other safety mechanism the schools relies on. Download our complete cata...

There are several different types of commercial roof coatings used today, including silicone, acrylic,roof-coating-2846324_1280 aluminum, and polyurethane.  They are sometimes referred to as restoration membranes because roof coatings are often applied over existing rooftop membranes, as opposed to being part of a new roof construction detail.  They can also be used in partial applications to coat and re-coat parapet walls or portions of a roof.  At this time, the major competitors in the commercial roof coatings industry are really only one of two types: silicone and acrylic.  Let’s consider some of the key aspects of these coatings such as longevity, application, cost effectiveness, climate appropriateness, sustainability, and maintenance.  Because reflective roofs can moderate energy use over the course of a new or even an existing building’s lifetime and because energy savings mean cost savings, certain coatings can be a sustainable choice in most climates....

Very few roofs end up lasting for their projected lifespan. Any issue that arises during the installation of a roof will inevitably become magnified over time as sunlight, rain, snow, hail, and debris do their work. Ironically, even the process of inspecting a roof can in some ways bring about its early demise. Here are just a few of the biggest challenges that a commercial roof may face over its lifespan. Poor Installation A sub-par roofing installation is one that uses lower-grade materials and/or incorrect installation methods. Your goal as the owner of a commercial roof is to prevent this from the outset – getting it right the first time is significantly less expensive than fixing a contractor error. Installation errors can be the result of contractors misinterpreting a poorly-annotated design. They can also result from contractors who like to take shortcuts. Your best decision in either case is to hire a roofing consultant who can ride herd on both your contractors and your archit...

The summer season is here, ushering in months of sunshine, vacationing…and hurricanes forming in the ocean. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and this year, it’s especially important to make sure your buildings are ready. According to the Atlantic Defense Fund, hurricanes in recent years have been accompanied by higher storm surges, stronger winds, and more destruction. These storms are becoming stronger and intensifying faster, which is causing hurricanes to become more costly for property-owning businesses and homeowners. Commercial building managers not only have to worry about the integrity of their buildings but also the safety of their rooftop equipment. Hurricane preparedness is critical for avoiding hurricane roof damage. There are many things that commercial building owners and business owners can do to prepare their commercial property before an impending storm. The real key to bringing your commercial building through a hurricane is to have ...

With the changing season, it’s time to think about fall readiness and eventual winter prep through commercial roof maintenance. Your commercial rooftop went through a lot this year! High heat in summer and cold nights in spring and winter could have caused damage to your commercial roof.  Now that the cold weather is coming around again, it's important to know your roof's status and to inspect areas that can degrade over time. Knowing the condition of your roof and taking steps to protect your roof from future storms can help prolong your roof's service life.  Clean the Roof and Remove Debris Debris causes damage to rooftop materials in a variety of ways. By locking in moisture, debris like leaves, paper and organic materials can lead to the degradation of materials like caulk, rubber and more. Other debris, like branches and sharp objects, can cause punctures on rooftop surfaces, leading to small tears that get bigger over time.  Clean your roof and remove debris before ...

  Roof pipe supports are precision-engineered components, strategically designed to shoulder the weight of pipes, ducts, and equipment while effectively distributing these loads. These supports form an essential link in creating secure and enduring roofing installations. The essence of roof pipe support design lies in the astute comprehension of several physics principles. These range from load and force balancing all the way to maintaining equilibrium before, during, and after thermal expansion. Each support must tackle the challenges posed by gravity, inertia, and dynamic loads while maintaining the integrity of the entire roofing system. In this article, we will take a closer look at the science behind roof pipe and equipment supports to help you understand just how important they are. Understanding The Physics of Rooftop Pipe Supports Roof pipe supports are not merely static structures; they are dynamic systems engineered to withstand and distribute various forces and loads. Th...

The design and installation of rooftop pipe supports are things a business should approach with utmost care because they can have long-term implications for the pipes and the integrity and durability of the roof. Adopting a few best practices when it comes to choosing, designing, and installing rooftop pipe support solutions can help businesses get the best out of this investment for their commercial/industrial facilities. Rooftop Pipe Support Best Practices A few best practices when it comes to designing, selecting, and installing rooftop pipe support are: Taking Roof Integrity and Durability Into Account A good rooftop pipe support system should benefit the integrity and durability of the roof instead of diminishing it. There are several factors that can push the system either way, including weight distribution and individual support placement. Including this perspective in the scope of rooftop pipe supports can help you make the right decisions. Pipe Expansion and Contraction Pipes ...

When it comes to harsh weather, most people think of cold, snow, and ice. But, if you manage a building in a warmer climate, you probably define harsh weather a little differently: blistering sun and heat punctuated by occasional rain and wind. And, since a roof’s main job is to protect the building and everything inside it, choosing the right low-slope roofing system for your climate is a business imperative. Last month, we talked about some of the most common choices for low-slope roofing systems. Now that summer is on its way (and, if you live in a warmer climate, it’s probably already here), let’s look at low-slope roofing options from a different perspective: Which are best suited to sunny, hot summers? Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPF)  SPF roofing systems have been used in the American Southwest – where facilities managers have learned a thing or two about the impact sun and heat can have on a building – for more than 45 years. For one thing, SPF roofs are tough, able to stand u...

Are you as big of a fan of TED talks as we are? Innovative experts from around the world come to sound off on their ideas in short talks given at TED, which you may remember stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design. There are a lot of video recordings of talks from architects at TED, making it hard to find the best ones to check out. Our previous report on TED ran last December (if you haven’t seen those videos yet, they’re not to be missed!) There is a lot more material to check out. We’ve gone through the archives and have found three more TED talks that all architects will want to see. Using Nature’s Genius in Architecture Architect Michael Pawlyn is focused on three changes he says we need to make in the way we develop new projects: become more efficient in how we use resources; transition from the old-fashioned processes that wind up polluting the earth to using a closed loop system; and going from fossil fuels to solar power. He sees nature as a vast catalog of resources t...

It is understood by many in the know in the building industry that roofing cover boards can often be the unsung hero of a given roof assembly.  Though seemingly mundane and inexpensive, they are also highly effective and promote the durability and longevity of a roof.  In short, they are worth the investment.  Their added durability protects against damage from hail, fire, wind uplift, and other kinds of unfavorable weather, all at a very reasonable upfront cost.   They are also shown to slow the passage of heat and water vapor, providing an added layer of insulation where it is very much needed.  Rather than applying your roof surface directly upon a substrate, the cover board provides another protection against “thermal bridging” by covering over fasteners and insulation joints below. Another benefit they provide is a smoother application surface for the adherence of the actual roof membrane.  The roof substrate is often full of fasteners and many uneven ...

OSHA, or Occupational Safety and Health Standards, cites section 1926.501 as its most frequently cited violation of 2015.  In fact the essence of the standard requires a personal fall arrest system that has both adequate “strength and structural integrity” for construction workers who are exposed to vertical drops of 6 feet or more, to four feet in general industry, and to five feet in maritime scenarios and applies to all states in the USA, all US territories, and the District of Columbia.  As you may or may not imagine it, falls can be a big deal for construction workers.  According to OSHA statistics (https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html), when one analyzed the over 4,000 worker fatalities that occurred in the private industry in 2015, a significant chunk, one in five worker deaths, took place in the construction industry.  Breaking this data down further, the top four fall hazards and leading causes of private sector deaths in the construction industry ...

How Important is Wind Design for Your Commercial Building If you happen to own a building with a roof, the Bernoulli effect is out to get you. Daniel Bernoulli, the 18th-Century Swiss mathematician, recognized the following principle: The faster a fluid is moving, the lower its pressure. You may recognize this principle as the effect that creates lift under an aircraft’s wing. This principle is also in effect, however, when a very strong wind tries to tear the roof off your walls. The air in a strong wind is moving very fast—therefore, its pressure is very low. The air inside your building is moving very slowly relative to the wind, so its pressure is relatively high. The area of high-pressure air inside your building wants to rise into the low-pressure air outside it—and it doesn’t care that your roof is in the way. The specific force we’re referring to here is known as uplift. The forces acting to prevent uplift are known as uplift resistance. Every roof is built with a certain amoun...

It is commonly assumed that an architect knows what they’re doing. After all, the architect has gone to school, joined a practice, and designed several buildings. Why should your building be any different? Here’s the thing – the problem is not that the architect doesn’t know what they’re doing. The problem is that the architect may not understand how to adequately communicate what they’re doing – that this, the intent of their design – to the contractors who are physically assembling the building itself. Even some of the world’s most famous architects have this problem. In 2007, for example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued architect Frank Gehry after the roof of their $300 million Stata Center was found to have numerous leaks and drainage issues. Their issue was that Gehry had failed to properly communicate how the roof was to be built and had even rejected a request to redesign the roof of an outdoor amphitheater – which later developed serious problems. If even one of ...

Creating sustainable roofing has always been a great way to prove your merits as an eco-conscious organization, but there’s far more to it than that. With traditional asphalt roofs lasting a mere 20 years or so, eco-friendly roofs are about more than just doing your part for the environment—they’ll save you money in the long run as well. From green roofs to solar panels, here’s how sustainability makes a great investment for your next commercial roof. The Grass is Greener on your Green Roof A green roof—which is to say a roof on which vegetation is deliberately encouraged to grow—is a complicated yet beautiful addition to any commercial roof. Whereas a traditional roof may have two or three layers, green roofs have up to seven: membrane, roof repellant, insulation, drainage, filtering, soil, and the plants themselves. While the aesthetic result is often worth it—especially in urban office buildings in which the roof is actually visible to the surroundings—there are more benefits to a g...

The climate is indisputably changing. We notice it in things like hotter summers, more intense storms, and longer hurricane seasons. What we notice, your roof notices too. Depending on the location of your building, you’ll find that extreme weather will impact the design of your roof – and what’s more, extreme weather is likely to keep on getting more extreme. This means that in order to maximize the lifespan of your roof, you don’t just need to build: you need to overbuild, anticipating the ways in which climate will change in order to meet a moving target. How do you create resilient roofing in the wake of a changing climate? Climate Concerns Make Resilient Roofing into a Challenge Although winters may be getting milder overall, a warming planet leads to more moisture in the atmosphere – so when snow happens, you’ll see more intense blizzards. This has obvious implications for roofing – but some of the implications are less clear. For example, you might see occasional heavy blizzards...

An article from the Yale School of the Environment published in 2020 revealed that just 3.5 percent of commercial buildings in the United States have solar panels installed, while an additional one percent of commercial buildings have solar panels off-site. Some buildings are not suitable for solar power, either because they are too small or just don't need enough electricity to make solar panel investment financially efficient. However, the report revealed that about 70 percent of commercial buildings in the United States would be eligible for solar panels. These buildings would benefit from solar panels in a variety of ways. If your commercial structure is currently without solar panels, it's important to know what solar panels can do for commercial buildings. Solar panels can save your business money, contribute to a healthier and cleaner environment, and may even attract more customers who seek to support eco-friendly businesses.  Benefits of Solar Power for Your Commercial...