WALTHAM, Mass. — The Single Ply Roofing Industry (SPRI) Rooftop Attachment Task Force has prepared a white paper to provide resources and guidance for protecting the rooftop during severe weather events.

An oftentimes forgotten component of hurricane preparation is the rooftop, where improperly attached equipment is highly susceptible to becoming displaced. Displaced equipment can cause tearing in membranes, allowing water to penetrate underlying components or even worse, can become wind-borne debris.

The SPRI Rooftop Attachment Task Force is led by Daniel Blasini of Anchor Products®, Stephen Childs of OMG Roofing Products, and Jodi Thomas of TRUFAST, and working with Curt L. Liscum RRC, RRO and SPRI Technical Director Mike Ennis. The group's white paper outlines the hazards of poor attachment of rooftop equipment and utilities, FEMA advisory resources, current code requirements for proper attachment, and the advantages of proper mechanical attachment methods. 

“As weather events become more extreme, it is vitally important that the building owner is thinking about what can happen to the rooftop equipment when a storm hits,” said Brad Van Dam, president of SPRI. “The potential for damage to the roof, the building interior and surrounding buildings and people in the area should not be minimized.”

SPRI is the leading authority on single-ply roofing, dealing exclusively with thermoset, thermoplastic, and modified bitumen roofing systems and materials. Through an open forum for discussion, education and innovation, our dedicated commercial roofing industry experts provide ongoing resources and expertise to contractors, architects, and building owners. 

For additional information, please visit SPRI.org, send email to info@spri.org, or call 781-647-7026.