| Roof Inspections Help Building Owners Avoid Costly Leaks |
 |
 |
 |
|
Whole roof replacement is not the only option for building owners when a roof leaks. New technology makes it possible to replace only what's damaged inside.
Roof leaks harass building owners. Compared to other building systems—curtain walls, structural framing, heating, cooling, lighting et cetera—roofs remain litigation king. After years of repairs followed by reoccurring leaks, the irritated building owner tired of economic loss eventually loses resistance to the high cost of re-roofing. If previous problems with the roof were properly addressed during re-roof, there’s a low probability that roof leaks reappear. Reality isn’t so kind. Compared to a new roof constructed with comparable skill and care, a recovered or replaced roof has less of a chance lasting 20 years than a new roof. Troublesome roofs often violate sound roof-design principles. If a roof designer recognizes and rectifies previous roof-design errors, the roof has a better-than-average chance of leak-free performance. However, geometric constrains of an existing building forces the building owner to accept high-maintenance, leaky roofs. Over the building’s lifespan, a poorly-designed roof system easily becomes the largest operation and maintenance expense. A roof leak brings the roof warranty and guarantee under scrutiny. A roof is normally covered by a 1-2 year roofer’s guarantee and a 10-15 year warranty. A warranty establishes a contractual relationship between building owner and manufacturer and defines parties’ rights and responsibilities. A warranty is not an insurance policy or maintenance contract. Scope of coverage, monetary limits, exclusions, nullifications, and determination of warranty applicability form the roof warranty’s sections. Nullifications are the hemlock of the warranty contract. For example, simply failing to maintain the roof nullifies the warranty. Many building owners learn too late that their roof warranty is worthless for managing risk or fixing roof leaks. The typical roofer’s guarantee requires the roofer to repair leaks resulting from poor workmanship. Like the manufacturer’s warranty, damage to building contents or building structure is excluded. Roof performance depends upon design, installation, materials, and maintenance. Poor fieldwork, followed by design, poor maintenance, and lastly materials contribute to roofing failures. Nonetheless, poor fieldwork accounts for most roof failures and voids a thoughtful roof design. Frequently overlooked, field inspections unite roof design and installation. Quality assurance, maintenance, and moisture surveys are three types of field inspections. Many building owners simply do not know that field inspections are a necessary part of roof construction. Over the service life of the roof, visual inspections and moisture surveys benefit roof performance. A building owner contemplating re-roofing would benefit from a moisture survey because the information from the survey is valuable for managing the roof asset. Eventually, roof leaks force the building owner into roof replacement; however, replacement may not be the best available choice. Non-destructive moisture surveys have made locating wet insulation economically feasible and costs between $0.05 and $0.10 per square foot. With data from non-destructive moisture surveys, informed decisions can be made. Data from moisture surveys are plotted on a grid and computer analyzed for moisture content. In proportion to total roof area, roof leaks and wet insulation make up a small portion of the roof. Spot repairs with removal and replacement of wet materials plus flashing enhancements prolong the roof’s life. In terms of energy savings and delayed replacement costs, data from moisture surveys convert into cost-benefit rations of 10 or more. |