To Create Low Maintenance Roofs, the Process must Begin Right from the Time of Roof System Design

Hello World!  Welcome Friends!  Most people would be happy to construct a roof with no maintenance, but unfortunately, roofs do require maintenance. The degree of maintenance depends on the type of construction and design and is often determined at the time of its construction. This is the observation of the roofing experts at Patriot Roofing Salt Lake City. It happens that the elements of maintenance remain embedded within the design of the roofing system with some chances of correcting a few of these during re-roofing or repair while the others stay in place.  It is possible to create low maintenance roofs by understanding the effect of the maintenance requirements of the roofing system when creating new roofs but for existing roofing systems, the scope is limited.

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The Components of the Roofing System

Typically a roof system comprises of underlayment, insulation system, membrane, surfacing, flashings and metal terminations as well as accessories. The underlayment laid over the roof deck is usually some waterproofing material like asphalt saturated felt or non-bitumen synthetic underlayment or rubberized asphalt. Then there is a roof insulation system that builds energy efficiency of roofs, and the membrane helps efficient water removal from roofs. The surfacing system also helps to improve insulation and the flashings along with metal terminations, and other accessories comprise the drainage system to ensure efficient water removal from the roof surface.

 Insulation

Insulation provides a media for the roofing system besides building thermal resistance by controlling heat exchange to and from the roof surface. Insulation also helps to maintain the proper slope for smooth drainage of water. All these functions contribute to the success of the roofing system. Insulation plays a role in the economics of building maintenance by performing the most important function of providing thermal resistance. Insulation prevents heat loss and reduces the dependence on heating and cooling equipment that saves energy and reduces energy bills. R-value of insulation denotes its thermal resistance, and the thicker the insulation, the higher the R-value. Insulation also helps to keep the temperature of deck component materials low, thereby reducing expansion and contraction that can prevent premature roof failures due to membrane split.

By acting as a substrate, insulation adds strength to the roofing system and for metal decks create the ideal surface for the membrane to adhere to. High compressive strength of insulation prevents the breakdown of both the membrane and insulation. The experts working at South Shore Roofing can explain how important insulation is to the roof system. The R-value of insulation varies depending on its type, and it can be polystyrene or polyisocyanurate-based.

Membrane

The roof membrane provides the waterproofing system of the roof, and it impacts the choice of roof style. It is during the design phase that the decision about the manufacturer, application methods, and warranty, everything is finalized.  The selection of membrane by considering site-specific requirements plays a part in the future maintenance requirement of the roof. For example, if the owners want to stay in the house for 15-20 years the selection of membrane must be in accordance to the needs, but it would be different if the owner plans to sell it off after a few years.

 The building use and the durability of the membrane that one requires to determine the selection of membrane. The expected traffic level is also a factor to consider. Roofs that might experience heavy foot traffic would need durable membranes. The type, size, and amount of rooftop equipment used also influences membrane selection.

Installing walkway pads over the constructed membrane surface can take care of the traffic concerns. Using concrete pavers at the entry points ensures membrane protection.

Surfacing

Surfacing acts as a protective layer on the roofing system as it used to happen in built-up roofing systems for protecting the bitumen from ultraviolet exposure that could damage the bitumen surface. However, the role of surfacing materials has expanded much more and nowadays, besides protecting the surface, it also enhances insulation and energy efficiency of buildings. The most popular surfacing material is a light colored coating that reflects sunlight and prevents the heat from entering the building interior.  In some areas, it is necessary to apply a coating to the membrane systems in accordance with the standards of emissivity and reflectivity regulations. Coating materials, when applied properly, can extend the life of membranes.

Coatings degrade over time and require repair and or replacement. The exposure to heavy pollutants in the air, debris, chemicals, and forming of water ponds on the roof all cause damage to coatings. Telling the coating manufacturer about the specific conditions of the site should help to use the right type of coating material that can withstand the conditions well and reduce maintenance. Two to ten years is the range of warranty that coating manufacturers offer.

Drainage

Roof drainage design is extremely important to ensure its long life, and it must facilitate rapid run-off of water to avoid the formation of water ponds that can damage the coating and or membrane in areas where water accumulates for a long time. If the continual presence of water ponds for 48 to 72 hours becomes something normal after a shower, it could also affect the roof warranty coverage. The design of the drainage system must comply with the building codes and rules of the place as well as the design requirements.

Whether there should be interior and exterior drains are what the designer must consider. In addition, the drain points, proper deck slope of ¼” per foot, drains at mid-span, number of drains in each area, need for extra drains in areas of higher penetration, and taper of the roof system to drain to ensure that all water goes off the roof within 48-72 hours are all things that the designer must consider.

 Flashings

Flashing is the junction of the horizontal roof deck and the vertical surface that is highly vulnerable more so because of the intersections of two different materials like parapet walls.   The presence of flashing around all roof penetrations like skylights, exhaust vents, mechanical equipment, expansion joints, etc. enhance the vulnerability. The sealing membrane at all edges is the primary function of flashing which must have a life at least the same as or more than the membrane. Since flashings are most prone to leakages, following the best practices of the industry can eliminate most of the problems.

Knowledge about the design aspects of the roofing system should give designers ample scope to manipulate the maintenance needs.

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