The longer the system will last the more it will cost. The time frames for solutions are approximately 1-5 years, 10-20 years and 20-30 years. Roofers think mostly in terms of warranties. The roofs utilizing the 10 and 15 year warranties, with care, will typically last longer 18+ years. The longer warranties were not commonly utilized by building owners until recently. One could reasonably expect the roofs utilizing the 20-30 year warranty systems, with care, to last even longer.
Author Archive for Ann – Page 4
The choice starts out with identifying your budget and the length of time before you wish to face this question again.
Posted by Ann
· August 2, 2011
Categories : What Length of System Fits Your Needs
- The property is to be kept long term and a larger investment can be afforded.
- The roof is a base for photovoltaic panels whose longevity is similar.
- It can be marketed to current or prospective tenants.
Categories : What Length of System Fits Your Needs
- A new roofing system on the property is required and the 10-15 year warranty is the most cost effective solution.
- It can be marketed to current or prospective tenants.
Categories : What Length of System Fits Your Needs
- The end of the useful life of the roofing system is near.
- Funds are not available for a longer term solution.
- The building is being sold and a better roof will not help sell it or bring the return on investment a longer term roofing solution would upon the sale of the building.
Categories : What Length of System Fits Your Needs
Warranties can come from a manufacturer or a roofing contractor. There are a few contractors who claim they are also manufacturers. We recommend obtaining the manufacturer’s warranty as the manufacturer typically has more resources than a contractor and will be better able to back up any claims over time. Manufacturers typically send an inspector out to make sure the roofing was done to their specifications before issuing the warranty – this further protects the building owner. Warranties cost money – typically $.xx per square foot with minimum amounts. The longer the warranty is the higher the cost per square foot is. This warranty money should be stored in the manufacturer’s reserves against claims.
Check the warranty language carefully looking for a particular wind speed over which the roofing is not warranteed. If no wind speed is stated get one that does state the wind speed. Many manufacturers state 55 miles per hour. Upgrades to 72 miles per hour may cost little. Upgrading to higher than 72 m.p.h generally requires an increase to the fastening of the roofing materials and will increase the cost of your roofing system if that system supports the increase. If your building is on the coast or the roof is very high off the ground this makes a big difference in how the roofing system is secured to the deck. Make sure the warranty does not have a dollar limit specified. Check to make sure both labor and materials are covered by the warranty. It is possible to get different warrantees, one for the system (labor and materials) and one for just the materials and they can cover different lengths of time. We know of only one company that covers damages to inside of the building if their roof leaks (Duro-last). Another thing to check is if the warranty is transferrable – if so how much will it cost? This will come into play if you are selling or buying the building. Most warrantees should be transferrable, possibly at a small paperwork cost.
Lastly, look at the language on the warranty and check the conditions under which your actions will void it – things like using non-licensed contractors for repairs, allowing grease/oil on the roof, use of other manufacturers materials for patches and failure to timely report leaks are all warranty killers for most manufacturers.
Categories : What Length of System Fits Your Needs
Short Term Repairs – How to extend the life of a low-slope roof for a few more years:
Posted by Ann
· August 2, 2011
Note: If the roofing system is wet or damaged (see previous page) then trying to extend the life of the roof risks damaging or further damaging the deck or structural supports, which in the worst case can cause a roof collapse.
Categories : Extending Roof Life
Single-ply membranes mostly include EPDM (rubber – black or white), PVC (plastic based – white, grey, tan or sometimes other colors) or TPO (plastic based – white, gray, tan or sometimes other colors). There is a much larger base of installed EPDM systems than TPO or PVC, although the ratio is changing. Single-ply membranes can basically be installed in 3 ways:
- Fully adhered (glued) to insulation or directly to the deck.
- Mechanically fastened with plates/bars through the insulation/roof deck.
- Ballasted (weighed down with 1″-2″ dia. stones).
Categories : Extending Roof Life
The first thing to fail with age on EPDM roofs are the field seams (where the rolls of EPDM are glued/taped together during roofing), the factory seams (where pieces of EPDM have been glued together to produce rolls in the factory) and flashings (extra EPDM wrapping around projections from the roof such as roof top units, pipes and drains). Depending on the craftsmanship used to install the roof, the amount of moisture, and structural stability, the seams and flashings may fail anywhere between 15-25 years. To prevent failures the seams can be covered (stripped in) with EPDM tape and the flashings can be re-done. We have seen seams treated with more sealant to extend their life but while that costs less it also lasts a shorter period of time.
The roof should be inspected for any holes or cuts and patched with EPDM. The perimeter edges should be inspected and repaired if any of the EPDM has pulled away from the metal securing the EPDM to the roof (drip edge, termination bar or coping). Make sure all the metal is secure and if not, re-secure or replace it. Clean up any spills of grease or oil. Do not use asphalt based products as they are chemically incompatible with EPDM (no asphalt roofing cement!). For ballasted roofs it is very labor intensive to check the membrane for cuts and slices because all the rock has to be shifted, the membrane cleaned, inspected and the rock shifted back – for this reason it seldom happens.
Remove all debris from the roof. Limit traffic to maintenance people only and check for damage after any contractors have been on the roof. Roofs are not generally designed to handle lots of traffic – in addition to people dropping sharp things, the insulation where people consistently step can be crushed. Check for ponding (see special ponding section on other page).
Categories : Extending Roof Life
TPO and PVC membrane are heat welded as the rolls and flashings are installed. This provides a stronger seam than EPDM provided the welding is done properly. If the welding is done poorly then the seams/flashings may fail after a period of time. Some of the problems found in the plastic based membranes occur from the different chemical make-up. Older versions of plastic membrane could crack and shatter in below freezing temperatures. Splits and holes can also occur. Seams and flashings welded properly should last as long as the membrane. Slices and cracks are the most problematic issues with plastic based single-ply membrane. Proper patches require heat welding a piece of similar material. Check for ponding (see special ponding section on other page).
Categories : Extending Roof Life
Modified bitumen is an asphalt based roofing material that comes in rolls and those rolls are either adhered to the insulation/roof deck with adhesive or hot asphalt. The seams between the asphalt rolls are torched and mated together. We don’t see alot of modified bitumen in New England, we assume the use of fire when applying the roofing plays a part. Bald asphalt has an asphalt layer with no gravel on top. After a certain amount of years the oils dry out and cause the roofing material to crack. Modified bitumen and bald asphalt roofs can either have more modified bitumen pieces torched onto cracks/holes/flashings or asphalt roofing cement with reinforcing mesh can be used. If the mesh is not used the asphalt roofing cement by itself shrinks and cracks. Coatings of petroleum based products (restaurants) or non-petroleum based products can be used to fill cracks over wide areas. These seem to last 2-5 years. Some coatings will take extra measures and may last into the 10 year range. Check for ponding (see special ponding section on other page).
Categories : Extending Roof Life
Roofing Systems & Components – Examples
We are proud to be licensed by:
Copyright © 2024 New Century Roofing, LLC.
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved
Website design by Xtreme Brand Makeover