PHP Roofing Blog

Commercial roof surfaces can often be an intense complex of pipe networks, platforms, HVAC equipment, and increasingly, smart technology, that needs to be organized and strongly secured to the building rooftop as a vital part of proper building safety and function.  Both in the past and even in the present, it is easy for building owners to feel either real or perceived financial pressures to cut corners or improvise some of this securing and organization by using relatively cheap and temporary means of supports to include impromptu wood blocks and scaffolding, concrete block and rope, and other loose materials.  But all buildings are serious investments.  The problem is that while temporarily effective, such measures often lead to greater costs and consequences rather quickly down the road.   

There is a new technology on the scene in the roofing industry that has only started to scratch the surface in terms of the ways it can transform how roofing and construction work is performed, measured, and maintained.  Spurred largely by the inception of Part 107 in August of 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration's Small UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) Rule (14 CFR part 107), commercial drone operators can now own and fly a drone without the complexity of obtaining a pilot’s license.  And that has made all the difference. 

There are many ways to inspect your roof after a major storm, hurricane, or hail event. You could inspect it yourself or have your roof inspected professionally.  Some important factors to consider are the overall size, the height, and the material of your roof.  Especially for homeowners or building owners with much larger and higher roofs, always put safety first and know when it might be a good time to bring in a professional to help.  Regardless, experts agree, it’s critical to have the inspection done directly after the storm event, so as to locate and repair damage in a timely manner.

People often tend to look at buildings, their house, and other structures as purely static objects – that is as if they are not moving.  Yet when taking a closer look, at the molecular level, we know that they actually are moving.  Not a lot, but still a little.  Architectural materials are like living things in that they are made of molecules that are constantly bending, shifting, and flexing in response to seasonal temperature and loading changes.  Though they are only shifting small distances of often ¼” or less, these minute movements are enough to cause roofing materials to separate, delaminate, deform, and create weaknesses in surfaces.  As we know, certain materials have known lifespans, so these changes are typically inevitable and often unavoidable results of the inherent mechanical properties of materials.  But still there are small steps we can take to best care for our roofs and increase longevity through responsible caretaking.

OSHA, or Occupational Safety and Health Standards, cites section 1926.501 as its most frequently cited violation of 2015.  In fact the essence of the standard requires a personal fall arrest system that has both adequate “strength and structural integrity” for construction workers who are exposed to vertical drops of 6 feet or more, to four feet in general industry, and to five feet in maritime scenarios and applies to all states in the USA, all US territories, and the District of Columbia.  (https://www.osha.gov/dte/outreach/construction/focus_four/falls/falls_ig.pdf) 

It is understood by many in the know in the building industry that roofing cover boards can often be the unsung hero of a given roof assembly.  Though seemingly mundane and inexpensive, they are also highly effective and promote the durability and longevity of a roof.  In short, they are worth the investment.  Their added durability protects against damage from hail, fire, wind uplift, and other kinds of unfavorable weather, all at a very reasonable upfront cost.

Construction is a broad industry which encompasses many different types of building processes. Today, one of the growing construction categories is modular construction. Discover what modular development is, and some of the pros and cons, so you can determine if modularly constructed components may become part of your future growth.

As climate change and the rapid evolution of the caliber and quantity of earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes continues to develop, governments around the world are quickly making plans to face the future environmental challenges ahead.  Many have all seen recent proof of what is to come.  In the US, according to such respected organizations as National Geographic, World Bank, the National Hurricane Center, and indeed including the recent groundbreaking research conducted at MIT, the increased warmer conditions of the ocean almost certainly elevated wind speeds of the recent Hurricane Harvey in Texas by 45 miles per hour in its last 24 hours before landfall, causing what has now been deemed “catastrophic” flooding.

There are many different reasons to participate in continuing education activities if you are an Architect or Engineer. Of course the primary reason that most of us do it is that our licensure requires it. Being professionally licensed as an Architect or Engineer means you must obtain a certain number of hours of continuing education annually, from as little as 8 to as many as 30, depending on your state. Individuals must keep their own records of these efforts as they are done on good faith but open to the occasional audit.

Silicon is the second most abundant element in our Earth’s crust, making it a frequent component of many construction materials including soils, clays, sands, cements, mortars, stuccos, and stone. It is not inherently dangerous as pure silicon, however a particular molecule of silicon can be lethal when inhaled: silicon dioxide. Silicon dioxide, also called silica, or known as quartz, is the major constituent of sand and is highly toxic in dust form. Freely breathing in finely divided crystalline silica can in fact cause such fatal diseases as silicosis, lung cancer, and some autoimmune diseases in high enough concentrations. Three types of common construction practices, for example, including sandblasting, cementing, jackhammering and/or rock drilling all expose a construction worker to this unique breathable threat.