Roof consultants typically work with both the building owner and the roofing contractor, giving them a unique perspective when it comes to examining roof maintenance. Roofing Contractor spoke with four consultants who work with building owners across the country and asked them to share their clients’ key concerns and their goals in setting up roof asset management programs.

There are three prominent membrane attachment methods used in the U.S. low-slope commercial roofing market. They are fully adhered, mechanically attached and self-adhered. There are advantages and disadvantages to each of these attachment methods which should be considered prior to selection for a specific project.

Standing seam metal roof systems have been on the U.S. market in some form for centuries. Early colonists installed copper roofs and these materials still adorn many government buildings - particularly state capitol buildings. Today standing seam metal roofs are installed on a variety of structures in both residential and commercial construction.

Cold process systems consist of multiple plies of reinforcement sheets that are set in a cold adhesive (solvent based or water based). These systems are often referred to as cold process BUR systems because the application procedures are similar to hot applied BUR systems. 

Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) has been on the worldwide commercial roofing market for 40 years. In this time span, over 1 billion square feet of the material have been installed. The material has established a proven track record of performance in all climatic conditions, particularly in field membrane areas.

Thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) are a blend of thermoplastics and elastomers. The chemical formulation consists of a thermoplastic base - polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) - and an elastomeric base - the ethylene-propylene rubber polymer of ethylene propylene diene terpolymer rubber (EPDM).

The most critical point of the roof assembly is the roof edge. This juncture is the most susceptible to wind uplift failures and moisture infiltration. The majority of roof damage created by high-velocity winds is initiated at the perimeter or corners of the building and infiltrates throughout the field of the system.

Section 1507.2 of the International Building Code (IBC) covers the requirements for the application of asphalt shingle roof coverings. The section states that asphalt roof coverings shall be applied in accordance with the standards set in this section and the manufacturer’s installation requirements. The following text provides a brief interpretation of these codes.

Rooftop garden construction consists of two equally important phased applications: the waterproofing application and the garden assembly. The ultimate success of a rooftop garden depends largely on the proper design and installation of both of these applications.

Recently, building owners and insurance companies have begun heightening regulations to ensure that roof systems remain in place in severe weather events. Lately, the focus has been on the number of fasteners necessary to meet geographical wind uplift requirements. The focus should also be on the type of fastener applied, as this is as critical to the success of the roof system attachment as the number of fasteners applied.