FREE REPORT:

Restore Instead of Reroof

With the high costs of operating a facility, many building owners are looking for alternatives to roof replacement. With the soaring costs of insulation and other construction materials, restoring an existing roof system could be the best use of an owner's maintenance budget.

There are a variety of restoration products and systems that will extend the life of low-sloped commercial roofs. These restoration systems use coatings that are efficiently applied using conventional tools and spray equipment, which makes the process easy for the contractor and affordable for the building owner.

Restoring an existing roof has the added benefits of conserving resources and minimizing landfill disposal. Finishing the roof with a reflective coating will reduce electric consumption of air conditioning equipment. All of these "green" benefits are extremely desirable for building owners.

Not all roofs are restorable

If the existing roof is not in good condition, the owner will be wasting his money attempting to upgrade a roof that has little service life remaining. Additionally, the contractor and coating manufacturer would be blamed for the inevitable failure, since they are the ones who recommended the restoration. However, by following a process for evaluating the roof, you can minimize the risks of restoration.

First, determine the condition of the insulation. Wet insulation not only transmits heat out of the building, but it also leads to deterioration of the structural roof deck and provides an optimum climate for mold. Areas of wet insulation must be removed during any roof work per building codes.

Wet insulation can be easily detected with commonly available field analytical equipment, such as an infra-red camera. The results of this analysis should be documented to clearly identify wet insulation that must be removed.

Take a roof core (and properly patch) during the moisture analysis to identify the insulation type and thickness, including the deck type. This info will be valuable if the building must be reroofed.

Perform a thorough visual inspection of the roof membrane. From this inspection, identify the type of membrane and the type of bitumen or polymer it consists of, such as asphalt, coal tar, SBS, APP, EPDM, CSPE, PVC, etc. You will need to know what materials the roof is made of in order to determine a compatible coating system and procedures for surface prep, repairs, and coating application.

Include flashings, walls, copings, curbs, and penetrations in your inspection. In many cases, the roof is in good shape but the details need work. A roof membrane is commonly and incorrectly blamed for problems with air handlers or other non-membrane flashings. The best practice is to rework problem areas and install new flashings during a restoration.

Determine if inferior conditions can be corrected during the restoration process. Small areas of wet insulation can be replaced, but beware of roofs with widespread blisters, splits, tears, or numerous punctures. These defects most likely indicate the roof should not be restored, but replaced instead. Present the results of your inspection, including photographs, to the building owner to justify your recommendations.

Specifying the new coating system is the final step. Consult with reputable roof coating manufacturers to ensure your recommendations are correct. Make sure the new coating system will retain the fire rating that the building requires. Your thorough evaluation and development of a solid scope of work will ensure a successful roof restoration system that will provide years of energy efficient and leak free service for the building owner. Odds are the building owner will be equally impressed with your approach and will seek you out when it comes time to do additional work.