Pitch Pans: Critical Maintenance Elements to Protect Your Portfolio
One of the simplest ways building owners can protect the integrity of their roof is to schedule maintenance on pitch pans. Pitch pans, which are found on many older style roofs, cover and protect irregular roof penetrations that are difficult to flash and seal. Though these are simple roofing elements, they play an important role…
Ponding Water on a Roof: When Can it Damage Your Investment and How to Resolve Common Causes
Ponding water is one of the most common issues affecting commercial roofs—and a leading contributor to long-term damage and cost. Left untreated, it can accelerate roof aging, lead to expensive repairs, and reduce the overall value of your property. Knowing when ponding becomes a problem—and how to address it—is key to protecting your investment. Ponding…
Assessing Risk: When to Opt for Insurance Against Wind Damage
Wind: it’s a serious threat that can destroy roofs and severely damage the properties in a building or infrastructure portfolio. Many building owners and facilities managers believe that a manufacturer’s warranty will cover most, if not all, wind damage. However, they should familiarize themselves with the details, clauses, and limitations of their warranties to avoid…
Defend Your Investment: 4 Membrane Considerations For Better Roofing ROI
When installing or updating the roof of a commercial building, owners and property managers must consider the roof’s membrane – and how it impacts their investment. The right choice in membrane – as well as the potential upgrades and additional materials – determine the difference between a resistant, long-lasting roof and one that costs thousands…
The 5 Most Common Causes of Roof Leaks
Most roof leaks are caused by one of five common factors: people, issues with seams, neglect, rooftop equipment, and weather. Prevention is of course better than repair. Once you get to know the main offenders, you can develop a strategy to avoid problems before they arise. People: It’s OK to walk on your roof. Roofs…
3 Ways In-House Sheet Metal Improves Construction Projects
Any roof contractor can put a roof on a building, but the job isn’t finished until the metal trim is installed. Typical contractors install the roof and then send the same team back on a later day to install the trim. But when a contractor runs their own sheet-metal shop, they have some serious advantages…
The 411 on ES-1
ES-1 is a pass/fail test, administered by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), that challenges the integrity of different metals under the simulated stress of high winds and storms. It was put into place to achieve uniformity in edge-metal quality after Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and today it sets the wind design standard for edge…
3 Roof Material Options for Replacing Your Roof
So it’s time to replace your roof. But do you even know what kind of roof you have or what kind of roof you want? There are generally three possible options for your existing flat roof: single-ply, a coating, or built-up. Each is chosen for specific reasons and provide optimal results in different situations. Get…
Fully Adhered or Mechanically Attached: Which to choose?
Roofs are typically fastened to commercial buildings in one of two ways: mechanically attached or fully adhered (there are others but these are the most popular). Virtually all roofs—fastened through either method—sit on top of a layer of insulation that rests between the roof and a metal deck, which is fixed to the structure below.…