Commercial Roof Questions to Consider in the Winter

Your commercial roof is tasked with keeping your building watertight throughout the year. And winter may provide the toughest challenge of all. Fall and spring are the optimal times to inspect your roof, to make sure it’s prepared for the coming winter, and to make sure it has survived the past winter. But it’s also a good idea to make a trip to the top during the winter, to make sure things are holding tight. Here are some questions to ask.

• Does the drainage system allow free water flow? There are likely multiple drainage points on your roof, whether around the perimeter or on the roof surface. These should obviously be cleared of debris so that melted snow has a place to go. Backed up – “ponded” – water that repeatedly freezes and thaws can lead to problems.
• A related question: are icicles hanging from your gutters? This is usually a sign that water isn’t flowing properly. Icicles add weight to gutters and downspouts and can cause them to break – an obvious safety hazard. Remove icicles to help foster water flow and avoid costly repairs and potential litigation.
• Has thermal expansion and contraction compromised your roof’s watertight integrity? Fluctuating temperatures can cause stresses on many components of your roof system. Membrane seams can separate, edge details can detach from the perimeter, and flashings (metal and/or membrane details that provide a transition between changes in rooftop angles) can loosen and develop gaps. These issues and others can enable leaks, which potentially damage your building’s interior and reduce the effectiveness of insulation, leading to higher heating bills.
• Is your roof in need of immediate replacement? You might not be able to wait until spring, depending on its age and condition. It’s important to note that many commercial roofing systems can be installed during the winter; if you choose to go this route, make sure you select a roofing contractor who is experienced in cold-weather roofing. Ask for references.

Tusing Builders & Roofing Services is ready to help you with any commercial roofing need you have, no matter the season. Reach out to us, we would welcome the opportunity to serve you!

There are two main types of commercial flat white roofing systems on the market today, PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) and TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin). Although they are both flat and white and may look very similar to the untrained eye, there are many differences in terms of energy performance and efficiency, formulation of materials, installation methods, and their cumulated costs over the entire life cycle of the roof.

You may have purchased your commercial building after the roof was installed, so how much do you know about the type of flat white roof you have? As a building owner, understanding your roofing system will help you to make better decisions when it’s time for repairs and for scheduling regular maintenance. Some basic background information about these two types of flat white roofing systems will give you the knowledge to keep your roof in good condition. And if your commercial roof needs to be replaced, you’ll be better informed when choosing a new flat white roof for your building.

PVC and TPO – What are they made of?

PVC roofs have been used for commercial and industrial flat roofs since the 1960s. Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) roofs have a membrane consisting of vinyl, UV light inhibitors, resin, heat-stabilizers, plasticizers, and biocides. The PVC membrane consists of 3 layers that are laminated together into a “single-ply”. The top layer is the performance layer. The middle layer is the weft-inserted anti-wicking scrim. The density of this middle layer is key to the strength and durability of the membrane. Duro-Last has among the highest in the PVC roofing industry with 18×14 threads per inch. For Duro-Last, a reflective white base layer is used, and all three layers are laminated together. The importance of a white base layer in terms of the Solar Reflective Index (SRI) is discussed further below. Due to the proprietary makeup of the PVC system, these roofs are strong, flexible, inherently fire retardant, and resistant to most chemicals.

TPO roofing systems were first introduced to the roofing industry in the 1980s as a lower-cost alternative to PVC. Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO) is made of polypropylene, ethylene-propylene rubber, and various fillers such as carbon, fiberglass, or talc mixed with polymers. A TPO roof membrane consists of 3 layers that are bound together… 2 layers of TPO that sandwich a polyester-reinforced fabric center, aka “scrim”. TPO is strong, flexible, has low flammability, and is resistant to some chemicals. However, it is less resistant to punctures and weathering than PVC. TPO is also less resistant to chemicals than PVC, so it’s not a good choice where harsh chemicals or grease are involved (restaurants, manufacturing facilities, etc.). Some TPO manufacturers use inferior formulations when fabricating their membranes, which can lead to cracking. These are all important things to keep in mind when weighing the pros and cons of PVC versus TPO roofing.

Value Engineering – How much will your roof cost?

As a commercial building owner aiming to make the best choice when selecting a new roofing system, it’s a good idea to think about “value engineering”. In a nutshell, value engineering means prioritizing durability and functionality so that you end up with a roof with a long lifespan. A long-lasting roof allows you to amortize its cost over a longer period, which is a better value for you.

Any time you substitute cheaper materials, the aim is to end up with the same performance at a lower cost. If you take the example of TPO roofing which was introduced in the 1980s as a cheaper alternative to PVC roofing, you are substituting a lower-cost material, but you are also getting a lower performance. Although TPO may cost less at the outset, you will accrue higher costs over the life cycle of the roof due to maintenance and replacement costs.

Another important cost difference to consider between TPO and PVC roofs involves the installation methods. TPO and PVC roofs can be installed using “roll goods” that are laid out on the roof and then the seams are heat-welded on site. The difference with PVC roofing is that there is an option for “custom prefabrication”.

Cool Roofs – Maximizing Energy Efficiency

In the past 20 years, with rising energy costs, roofing manufacturers and commercial building owners have started to increase their focus on keeping energy costs down. Having an energy-efficient roof means more than just lower energy bills…it also means a more comfortable and productive environment and lower long-term maintenance costs.

During the summer months when air-conditioning costs skyrocket, it’s important to know the Solar Reflective Index (SRI) of your roofing system. The SRI value tells you how well your roof reflects light energy, and how well it releases absorbed heat. The SRI measurement is taken when the roof is new and again when it is 3 years old. The higher the number, the better the roof is at keeping your building cool.

A white PVC roof has an initial SRI value of 108, and it decreases to 90 after 3 years. A white TPO roof has an initial SRI value of 98 and decreases to 83 after three years. Although there is not a large difference in these values, PVC is the clear winner in terms of energy efficiency.

 

The Advantages of a Sustainable Roof

The biggest advantage of a sustainable roof is that it lasts a long time! PVC roofs have a long service life that cannot be matched by any other type of roof. It is common for PVC roofs to be in service for 30 years or more, which reduces the environmental impacts of manufacturing and shipping.  PVC roofing is the ONLY type that is recuperated in entirety at the end of decades of service life and then recycled into new roofs.

TPO roofs can last 15-20 years, however, in regions with extreme UV exposure it has been proven that their life cycle can be shortened by several years.  Once a TPO roof has reached the end of its life, it can be melted down, re-extruded, and used for the bottom ply of new membranes…however, most TPO manufacturers are not currently doing this. Between 5-15% of TPO is recycled into new roofs.

In 2009, NSF/ANSI 347 was created as a standard for measuring and evaluating the sustainability of single-ply roof systems over their entire life cycle. Each single-ply roofing system is assessed in each of the following 5 areas: product design, product manufacturing, membrane durability, corporate governance, and innovation.

Duro-Last, the leading manufacturer of PVC roofing materials, has been certified sustainable for 5 of their most popular membrane options for NSF/ANSI 347, including one gold and two silver certifications.  TPO membranes, on the other hand, have not earned the same certifications from NSF/ANSI 347.

 

Custom prefabrication means that the exact measurements for your roof are taken on-site, and then the entire roof is manufactured in a factory-controlled environment.  If you take the example of a Duro-Last custom prefabricated PVC roof, 80% of the seams are welded in the factory. For a 42,000 square foot roof, a typical roll goods TPO system will require 5,130 feet of seams to be made by hand, on-site. With a Duro-Last prefabricated system, only 1,278 feet of seams need to be completed in the field.

In terms of quality, durability, and cost, the factory-welded seams of a prefabricated PVC roof are superior to TPO seams that are prepared during roof installation. With TPO, time must be taken by installers while they are on the roof, to cut the membrane to size and to make the boots and stacks for the penetrations. Human error while cutting and heat-welding can create gaps and defective seams. These may not be apparent at the outset, but with time they are weak points in your roof that can result in future leaks and the costs associated with repairing them.

The custom prefabricated roof arrives ready to go, so the installation time is minimal, and you have less interruption for your business.  While the initial membrane costs of PVC are higher than that of TPO, the cost is in the membrane material, which stays with your roof. In terms of value engineering, it makes more sense as a building owner to prioritize spending on high-performance materials than spending on labor, which leaves at the end of the job.

Read your Warranty

Most commercial building owners are busy and would rather put off reading their roof warranty to a later date…usually when roof leaks occur, and they realize they need repairs. Don’t make this mistake! There are major differences in the warranties that different flat roofing system manufacturers are offering, and these could make or break your business if you have problems with your roof later on down the road. Carefully consider the warranty that is being offered with your roofing system, before deciding what type of flat roof is best for your business.

The best and most comprehensive roof warranty that we know of on the market is from Duro-Last for their custom-prefabricated PVC roof system. They offer a 15-year “No Dollar Limit” warranty with every commercial roof installation. It covers consequential damages, such as loss of business, that could occur if your roof were to leak due to faulty materials or workmanship. Duro-Last has taken extensive measures in-house to produce the very best roofing materials, then every single commercial roof is inspected by a Quality Assurance technician to ensure that the roof has been installed to Duro-Last’s high standards.  You can rest assured that for 15 years you will not have any out-of-pocket costs for roof leaks due to inferior materials or installation methods.

Call Tusing!

Choosing a roofing system and a roofing contractor are both very big decisions to make. Tusing Builders & Roofing Services has been working with commercial and industrial building owners for more than 20 years. Allow us to answer your questions and assist you throughout this process. Reach out to us today at (866) 584-2712.

When your commercial roof has reached the end of its life cycle or has been damaged beyond repair, it’s time to decide what type of new roofing system is best suited to your needs. In the past 20 years, with rising energy costs, roofing manufacturers, government agencies, and consumers have started to focus on keeping energy costs down. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to choose a “Cool Roof”, and the easiest way to ensure that you are choosing the highest-performance cool roof is to look at the Solar Reflective Index (SRI).

The SRI is a simple yet comprehensive way of qualifying a cool roof with a single, easy-to-read number value. The SRI is expressed in digits from 0 to 100, with a higher number meaning a cooler roof.  The SRI is measured twice – once when the roof is brand new, and again after 3 years.  It was developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and is the result of many measurements input into a rather complicated mathematical formula.  As a building owner on the market for a new commercial roof, all you need to do is look at the SRI value for the roofing system that you are considering, without having to decipher and interpret a lot of technical roofing and physics terminology.

The Cool Roof Rating Council (CCRC), an independent organization that verifies and labels cool roofing products, has endorsed the Solar Reflective Index as the best method of certifying a cool roof. They do continue to use the older rating method as well, which involves taking two measurements — how well the roof surface can reflect light energy (solar reflectance) and how quickly the surface releases absorbed heat (thermal emissivity).  This 2-value measuring system was fairly effective and gives a general idea of how energy-efficient a “cool roof” will be, but it has several limitations. For example, a roofing system might have high solar reflectance and poorly release absorbed heat. Or it might not reflect the sun very well, but it is great at releasing absorbed heat.  Which is better? What about winds over the roof surface, or insulation in contact with the roofing materials? The old method leaves us scratching our heads.

If you are considering a new Cool Roof for your building and would like to know more about the Solar Reflective Index, including a rating of specific roofing systems by manufacturer, you can visit the Cool Roofs Directory at Coolroofs.org.

The table below gives a general overview of the SRI values of common types of commercial roofing systems.

Roofing System	SRI	3-yr SRI
Single Ply PVC, white	108	90
TPO, white	98	83
EPDM, standard black	-3	-3
Metal, white	77	77
Asphaltic Membrane, white	32	27

Reach out to Tusing Builders and Roofing Services today. We would be glad to do a deeper dive into this topic with you. Just call 866-584-2712.

Positive water flow is an important design element of any flat or low-slope commercial roof. If you own or manage a typical commercial facility, it was likely constructed with one or more means of getting water off the rooftop, because standing water that doesn’t dissipate or drain quickly can cause serious problems.

There are three primary methods for commercial roof drainage, and, depending on its construction – including any additions over the years – your building may use one or more of them:

• Interior drains. These are positioned in the interior of the roof surface. The design of the roof should include appropriate sloping so that water doesn’t accumulate but flows freely toward a drain. Rooftop drains are connected to a system of pipes that run through the interior of the building to ground level, where water is channeled away from the building. Alternatively, this roof drainage system can empty directly into the sewer system that the building connects to.
• These openings in a roof’s vertical parapet walls channel rooftop water that is directed to the perimeter, to the outside of the building. Water runs through the scupper and into a collector box that’s mounted on the exterior wall and connected to a downspout that directs the flow to the ground. Again, the roof design should have sufficient slope to enable water to flow freely toward the scuppers.
• Gutters on commercial facilities that don’t have parapets and scuppers are also common. Because of the roof surface area and volume of water that they must handle, commercial grade gutters tend to be wider than residential. Commercial gutter systems are also connected to downspouts that direct water away from the building and pedestrian areas.

If you and/or your maintenance crew are able to keep rooftop water flowing as necessary by keeping drainage systems clear, make that activity part of your normal building inspection routine. However, if your roof has sagged over time due to age or the weight of ponding water, additional professional help may be required. One fix may include enhancing the roof slope with crickets or tapered insulation to provide positive drainage. This is something an experienced commercial roof contractor should be able to do. More serious situations may require a solution from a structural engineer.

Regardless of your commercial roofing needs, Tusing Builders & Roofing Services stands ready to help. We would welcome the opportunity to serve you.

 

Obviously, saving money is important for any organization, but when you try to get too thrifty with respect to installing and caring for your commercial roof, it can backfire. Here are three areas where you shouldn’t cut corners when it comes to your roofing system.

Using the Wrong Contractor

Although the material you choose is important, the initial installation quality and long-term effectiveness of your commercial roof usually comes down to contractor workmanship. Residential roofers that occasionally install or repair flat roofing systems will probably not have the background, product experience, commercial roof knowledge, equipment, or manufacturers’ authorization to do a worry-free installation. Your commercial roof is a big investment. Make sure the contractor you’re paying is an experienced, professional commercial roofer.

Neglecting Inspections

It’s rare for homeowners to have their roofs inspected. But that’s not a wise approach for your commercial roof because its size and complexity along with the impact of weather, falling debris, and human traffic can be damaging. Without regularly looking, you’re opening the door for small problems to become big costly ones. Your commercial roof should be inspected twice a year at a minimum, and after any weather event that could impact the integrity of your roof. Even if you don’t hire a professional inspector, you should visit your commercial roof regularly to make sure everything is in order. At a minimum, make sure that your drainage system is flowing freely, and that roof seams and metal components are secure and watertight. Your own low-cost assessment could prevent high-cost repairs.

Not Managing Roof Traffic and its Aftermath

It’s not unusual for there to be occasional foot traffic on your rooftop to maintain your HVAC systems, run cables, clear debris, or do other “non-roofing” jobs. These activities can lead to roof damage because seemingly harmless events such as a technician dropping a tool or losing a metal fastener can cause damage that you may not discover until that worker is long gone. The easiest solution is to install low-cost, compatible walk pads on logical pathways across your rooftop and around penetrations. These will protect the roof surface from this necessary foot traffic. You might also consider having a roofing contractor present when work is being done to ensure no damage has been caused; if you miss something, it could lead to expensive repairs down the road. Of course, it goes without saying that your operational policy should include restricting rooftop access to necessary personnel only.

Tusing Builders & Roofing Services is your go-to commercial roofer that can help make sure your roofing investment is installed properly and that it will continue to retain its watertight integrity. We look forward to working with you on your next roofing project.