System attachment is the most critical element of roof design and application. Improper attachment results in the increased probability of wind blow-offs and contributes to membrane strain created by differential movement of the system components.

The initial cost of a roof system is typically 10 percent of the total building cost. However, over the life span the building the roof could account for nearly 60 percent of the building’s total maintenance costs.

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.

As we enter the second decade of the 21st century the low-slope roofing market is still undergoing changes. The recent changes are minor modifications compared to the vast changes that occurred near the end of the last decade.

The downturn in the economy has created opportunities for roofing contractors with building owners that are intent on saving costs by maintaining - rather than replacing - their roof systems. 

As is the case with other roof systems, flashings and penetrations are the most common points of moisture intrusion on standing seam metal roof systems.

Sprayed-in-place polyurethane foam (SPF) systems have been on the United States commercial low-slope roofing market since the late 1960s. 

Rooftop gardens or living roofs offer several environmental advantages. Their increased use in urban areas has been due their ability to decrease water runoff from the roof area. The primary intent of the living roof application is to filter the stormwater and minimize the stormwater runoff from reaching the underground infrastructure.

In 2004, Ford Motor Company integrated cutting-edge environmental design into its manufacturing facility with the construction of the Ford Dearborn Truck Assembly Building. The 1.15 million-square-foot facility was constructed at the Ford Motor Company Rouge River Industrial Complex in Dearborn, Mich. An environmentally friendly design was an integral part of the project from the outset.

Ben Franklin conducted the first reflectivity test in the 1760s. He took different colored swatches of fabric - from dark colored to light colored - and placed them in the Philadelphia snow. As the sun beat down, Franklin noted that the snow melted around the dark colored fabric prior to the snow melting around lighter colors.