In commercial facility management, recognizing when a roof has reached the end of its service life is essential for protecting your building and its assets. Ignoring the signs can lead to costly damage and even safety risks; however, making the decision can be highly complicated.
The first hurdle to overcome is determining what you hope to accomplish with your existing roof and answering some of these questions:
- What are your Owner Project Requirements?
- Do you have a Pre-Project Checklist?
- Does your firm have sustainability objectives?
- Reflectivity, Insulation (R-value), “Solar Ready”, etc.
Begin by taking samples of the existing roof, known as taking core cuts (a small sample of all of the layers of the roof to assess the condition and potential issues) in various locations. These samples should be extracted and documented by a qualified roofing contractor. Similar to layers of a cake, the core cuts will show the makeup of the existing roofing system, including the insulation, coverboard, attachment method, and the membrane itself.
When your roofer is able to determine the life stage of your roof, then you have options.
- Restoration: Commonly defined as “liquid applied”, this system is applied and cures to the existing membrane. While any necessary repairs to the existing system (such as removing and replacing wet or damaged insulation) will need to be completed beforehand, Restoration can extend the life of your system that is still in good condition, especially in tandem with bi-annual inspections and planned maintenance. 🌿🌿🌿
- Re-Skin: Includes the removal and replacement of only the roof membrane and its flashings; the existing insulation, coverboard, fasteners, and plates remain. Similar to a restoration, this is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly, but is only available if the existing roof is mechanically attached (membrane is secured using screws). 🌿🌿
- Re-Cover: Very similar to a re-skin, but all existing roofing components are left in place, and a new separation layer and exterior membrane are on top. Depending on the results of the infrared scan, select areas of insulation that have been damaged from water intrusion will need to be removed and replaced. However, a structure can have a maximum of “two roofing systems”, meaning only one re-roof can be installed on an existing roof. 🌿
- Re-Roof: The full removal and replacement of all of the existing roofing system, down to the structural deck of the building. The roof then needs to be rebuilt with the entire system to match the current insulation code. This process is required when the existing roof has either two existing roofing systems or over 25% of wet and damaged insulation. This is the most financially and environmentally costly, but very often required when the full roof system is at the end of its life.
Whether you decide on restoration, re-skin, re-cover, or re-roof, the best way to extend the life of your roof is to invest in regular inspections. Bi-annual inspections allow for a professional roofer to clean debris, check for damage, and fix any potential issues before water intrusion becomes costly and difficult to fix.
🌿 Indicates how environmentally and financially friendly the roof service is