Every commercial roof ages. Some age far faster than others, whether from location, poor maintenance, rough weather or some other cause. How can a St. Louis facilities manager or building owner know when the time is right to replace a commercial roof?

Commercial Roof Inspection

St. Louis businesses should plan on at least annual roof inspections by qualified, professional roofers. Regardless of the building?s age, your roof could have accelerated aging or show characteristics of a much younger roof despite being in service well past its warranty.

COMMERCIAL ROOF INSPECTIONS reveal little signs that are often warnings of conditions to come. Your own maintenance crew may interpret a problem ? like blisters ? as no problem, but a blister could be a symptom of a bigger issue. A blister in a modified bitumen roof may not be a major problem. A blister in a built-up roof (BUR) indicates the wrong temperature of the hot asphalt during installation, so the failing layers are not adhering.

Repair, Don?t Replace

Some problems look very big and scary, but do not indicate replacement. Problems can be repaired if:

• aThe roof?s chronological age is young for the material used
• aNo unusual weather exposure, chemicals or foot traffic has contributed to rapid aging
• aThe roof has not experienced ponding, substantial water infiltration or structural damage
• aThe existing surface is not a re-cover atop a previous roof

Crazing and crackling of the roof surface may be widespread, but again may not be a reason to replace your roof.

Replace, Don?t Repair

According to INDUSTRY EXPERTS AT FACILITIES NET, replacement, rather than repair, is warranted in a few situations:

• aWater infiltration has not been stopped by repeated repairs, so structural members, insulation and roof layers are water damaged. Do not continue to spend money on repairs; replace the roof and solve the water infiltration.
• aTear-off may be mandated by the building code, by a measurable lack of wind uplift resistance in the existing roof, or due to inadequate fire protection.
• aIf your building is old enough, the roof insulation could be phenolic foam, which may create sulfonic and formic acids when wet. These acids corrode steel in you roof deck.

Only the trained eyes and practiced hands of a commercial roofer can help you learn the truth about your roof.aCONTACT USaTODAYato schedule commercial roof inspection and to determine the best time for your commercial roof replacement.

The aesthetic appeal of a cedar shake roof is undeniable. Richly textured surfaces reflect light in various ways at different times of the day. And, there's pride in owning a home with a roof that is simultaneously beautiful and long-lasting. Prospective buyers like cedar shake roofs for a number of important reasons. Cedar is lightweight, durable, and rot-resistant. Cedar also insulates well, as it has a relatively high R-value. In an era in which many homeowners want to "go green," cedar's sustainability is an attractive feature.

Interesting Example of Cedar's Unique Attributes

Evidence of cedar's legendary qualities is found on the rooftops of many buildings in New York City. Cedar's rot-resistance and insulating capacity makes it the material of choice in many of the city's thousands of rooftop water tanks. These gravity-feed cedar tanks have been in use since the 19th century, and modern water tanks last for decades.

Cedar Roof Inspections

Every cedar shake roof in Montgomery County is unique. A host of variables impact the life expectancy of such a roof. For example, the crowns of maturing trees may subject parts of the roof to more and more shade as the years go on. Shade harbors moisture which may lead to growth of microorganisms that break down wood fibers. At the same time, Maryland's cedar shake roofs must endure wide temperature extremes. On a sultry summer day, the air temperature may be 95 degrees, but the surface of cedar shakes heats up to well beyond that.

Proactive Cedar Shake Solutions

A skilled roof inspector identifies emerging issues before they require more expensive cedar shake repairs. Here are just a few of the issues that an inspector might identify:

Splitting - If splitting shakes are observed, we'll determine whether this natural process will impact your roof's integrity. In many instances, minor splitting has no adverse impact. When splitting is cause for concern, we can insert a metal shimunder the split or replace the problem shake.

Accumulating debris - Cedar shakes need to breathe for the longest life span, so it is important that leaves and other debris be dealt with in an efficient manner. There are times when a professional cleaning is appropriate, such as when needles from fir trees accumulate in the gaps between cedar shakes.

Moss growth - Moss causes problems with water retention. It can also impede water flow enough to cause backups. The resulting standing water can lead to deterioration of the wood fibers in the cedar shakes. It is possible to prevent the buildup of moss by nailing copper or zinc strips at the ridge cap. A slight chemical reaction between the metal and rainwater yields a mild solution that inhibits the growth of moss for a yard or so beneath the strips.

Please Call or Contact Us Today!

When our inspector visits your property, you can count on a comprehensive and honest evaluation. Take a proactive approach to preserving your roof. Please call or contact us today to arrange for your complimentary evaluation.

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The roofing system of a home protects all of its inhabitants, as well as their possessions, from any harm that may be caused by outside weather conditions. The roof could be considered the most substantial component of the entire house. The roof should have an adequate maintenance program from a roof company Houston to prevent it from decomposition; which could result in decreased home value and possible financial loss to the homeowner.

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Consequently, it is important to have the roof inspected every year to ensure there has been no damage to it either from normal wear-and-tear or inclement weather conditions such as storms. A homeowner must be extremely cautious when choosing a person to inspect and repair or replace their roof as there are many roofing companies that not only have a bad reputation but are also opportunistic storm chasers.

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Knowledge is the key to drive away these fraudulent roofers and their scams. Just recently, it was reported that in Belfair, Washington, several people posing as roofing contractors were wandering from house to house in search of potential victims. These predators offered home improvements using their convincing techniques. It is the responsibility of the homeowner to protect their home and family from these ?tricky? predators by obtaining all of a contractor?s information.

Do Not be a Victim

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Roof repair or replacement is expensive. Thus, it is important to look for a roof company in Houston that is credible enough to do the job properly. Do not fall victim to people acting as contractors whose purpose is to scam people out of their hard-earned savings.

Prior to signing any type of contract and saying ?yes? to an ?OMG? offer by a roofing contractor, consider the following tips:

Avoiding scams is not difficult if a homeowner has the proper knowledge and skills to be able to detect fraudulent contractors as well as using the services of a roof company Houston. Consider all the tips listed above to remain protected from these perpetrators and avoid any scams. Do not take the word of any contractor; instead, ask for proof. If all of the above guidelines are followed, a homeowner should be able to avoid most of the roofing scams that prey on non-educated residents!

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Environmental experts say 2017 will be a year of exciting change and development in the sustainable roofing industry. More than ever, roofing manufacturers and building owners are looking to decrease their carbon footprint, reduce waste and harmful emissions and ultimately, save money in the long-run. In the roofing industry, these cost-saving, energy-efficient roofing systems are referred to as ?cool? or ?warm.? Traditional sustainable roofs market themselves based on pigmentation: ?white? to reflect the sun, ?black? to absorb heat and ?blue? to capture and store water. Today, much of this has changed as manufacturers are altering coating formulas and the chemical makeup of the membranes to be more eco-friendly. Other than the membrane itself, sustainability processes can originate in the manufacturing and fabrication stages and trickle down all the way to final product installation. This is, however, independent of a manufacturer?s business model and operational processes.

Sustainable roofing can have many beneficial long-term effects for aa facility and its surrounding community. Recent studies conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency show that ?cool? and ?green? roofs will be the highest standard of energy efficiency in 2017: ?cool? are coated in a reflective material to eliminate heat buildup and ?green? are vegetated. Hybrid roofs, which are a new concept and not yet available, are both reflective and vegetated. They?re constructed using light-colored plants that have higher reflectivity similar to cool roofs, but they also provide the advantages of green roofs, such as water retention.

Roofing material waste accounts for 5 percent of all solid waste generated annually in the United States. It?s important that manufacturers are aware of their domestic contribution to waste and are encouraged to establish waste management processes. Investing in a quality, high-performing roofing system with a longer lifespan can keep roofing materials out of landfills and reduce environmental impact in the long run.

Eco Building Pulse, a publication of the American Institute of Architects, states there are many ways roofing manufacturers and contractors can make a roofing system sustainable, including:

• Roof-mounted solar tubes that supply over half of a building's lighting requirements
• Roof-mounted solar panels for supplemental building power
• A comprehensive storm-water retention system to provide irrigation for a building site
• High-efficiency roof insulation to minimize building heating and cooling requirements
• A high-performance roofing system designed to extend a building?s service life
• Rooftop classroom and meeting facilities to expand the usefulness of roof space

Sustainability goes beyond the color of a roof, but it?s a promise to reduce facility energy consumption, redefine manufacturing processes and ensure operational excellence. The future is bright for the roofing industry; learn more about choosing the Rite roofing system for your facility.

What is your experience with sustainable roofing? Tell us about it in the comments!a

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