A whole new roof or a roof repair? A roof repair method designed by R/J Group Inc. saves a condo building from a costly roof replacement and gives the roof years of additional coverage.

The Challenge

Many practices within the roofing industry have come under fire, as costly roof replacements are recommended over repairs that could last years. Case in point – in 2019, the Windward South Condo Association in Daytona Beach Shores, Fla., needed roofing help after finding humps in the roof where water had gotten under the roofing material and saturated and warped the insulation. The Condo Association called two roofing companies, one of which was the original installer of the roof. Both recommended a complete replacement at a cost of between $55,000 to $75,000.

That’s when Windward South Condominium President Robert Ullberg began his research. Ullberg’s research showed that the damaged TPO roof could be repaired easily at only the damaged areas rather than requiring a total replacement and still maintain 100% integrity.

Ullberg contacted Kyle Johnson, sales director and service manager at R/J Group, to ask if this was a feasible approach to the Windward South repairs.

“Of course, that material can be repaired … that is the nature of the TPO system,” said Johnson.

Recommendation

R/J Group Inc., a Coastal Central Florida roofing and construction services company, sent a team to Windward South to assess its roofing issues and damage.

The R/J team found several issues with the main roofing area, including:

• Areas of delaminated TPO
• Damaged insulation
• Insulation and TPO not fully adhered down
• Areas where TPO was not welded together
• More than 20 Pipe Boots were needed
• Edge metal to existing TPO needed replacing

The team also determined while there was clear water damage to the insulation and areas in need of repair, overall, the roof was in pretty good shape and did not need to be fully replaced. In fact, with proper repairs and maintenance, the roof system likely had five-to-eight years left before needing to be replaced.

R/J Group was able to design a repair method that would only cost Windward South around $20,000 and would include a one-year labor or workmanship warranty on the repairs rendered that are determined to be installation defects from the repairs. The team also recommended a quarterly inspection/repair program to Windward South for around $3,000 per year. The Windward South Condo Association made the decision to go with R/J Group Inc.’s recommendation and the team got to work on the repairs and quarterly audits.

“There is nothing worse than finding a problem as a result of negligence. The quarterly audits give the owners additional peace of mind and provide a paper trail of inspections and repairs,” said Ullberg.

The Solution

In September 2021, during a recent audit, the R/J Group Inc. team determined the main roof system at the Windward South is holding up very well and is currently in no need of additional repairs. The Windward South Condo Association was so pleased with the work R/J Group Inc. did to the main roof system, and for saving the association thousands of dollars, that it requested the company to assess the condo’s lower garage roof system.

During this assessment, the team discovered:

• Multiple voids along the original laps in TPO roof system
• Cleaning and prepping needed with each lap
• New membrane needed overtop existing laps for seal
• Approximately 700-square-feet of new membrane need for other areas of roof

R/J Group Inc. was quickly approved to do the work and again able to do the repairs without replacing the roof, this time for under $2,000.

“I couldn’t be happier with the recommendations made and work done by the team at R/J Group,” said Ullberg. “It’s truly comforting to find a roofing company that delivers quality workmanship at a fair price. Their integrity and professionalism make them my ‘go-to’ for any roofing issues at Windward South Condominium.”

Johnson said R/J Group wants people to get as much life out of their roof as possible without compromising on the integrity of the roof. 

"Sometimes that will mean we have to recommend an entirely new roof, but we will assess all options for repair before making that recommendation," Johnson said. "We know how important it is to have a roof over your head and we’ll do our best to make sure people always have a well-maintained one with no issues."