PHP Roofing Blog

2015 has ended and you know what that means: lots of resolutions for how you’ll live a better, healthier, kinder, neater, and more punctual life in 2016. Many of those resolutions will be long forgotten by the time the first spring flowers make their presence known, but there are some you really should keep: like the ones about ramping up your roof maintenance and care. 

Everybody knows TED. Just like Facebook, Adele, and Star Wars, TED is everywhere. The challenge is finding the good stuff, the diamonds that are buried among thousands of uploaded videos. We’re going to help you out with that. If you’re an architect, you absolutely have to watch these three TED Talks. They’re guaranteed to inspire you to see your work – and possibly your whole career – in a different way.

Last winter delivered record-breaking snowfalls for much of the country, and many places have already seen the first snowfall of the 2015 fall/winter season. While meteorologists are still scratching their heads as the “Godzilla El Niño” and the “Siberian Snow Monster” battle for control of our weather, there’s one thing we do know: Any amount of snow or ice can take a toll on both your commercial rooftop (flat roofs are especially vulnerable) and your rooftop equipment supports.

We all know the importance of “preventive medicine” – those dreaded annual checkups and biannual dentist visits – but many of us don’t take any action until there’s a problem. It’s a gamble: Sometimes we win, saving time and money while escaping negative consequences. Other times, though, what would have been a small problem takes advantage of that time to develop into a big problem, costing much more in both time and money than if it had been nipped in the proverbial bud. 

It goes without saying that working in commercial roofing is a risky occupation, but do you really know how risky? The actual numbers may surprise you. Of the top 10 riskiest jobs, roofing comes in at number six. Workers in the roofing industry are three times more likely to have a fatal injury than workers in other industries, and about 50 roofers are killed on the job each year.

Rooftop pipe supports don’t get the respect they deserve. They might look like they don’t do much, but if the pipes or ductwork they support fall and land on your roof, the damage could be catastrophic. It could even shut down your business! So, when you buy rooftop supports, it’s important to know that the ones you choose can do the job. The safest way to do that is to go with pre-engineered supports.

In today’s complex business world, it’s impossible for anyone to know everything. Business owners are no exception. They’re experts on the products or services they offer, and how to keep their businesses running efficiently and profitably, but most aren’t experts in roof management. Unfortunately, there are a lot of unscrupulous companies that take advantage of that lack of expertise, especially when it comes to commercial roofs. 

Most professions involve some sort of lifelong learning, but for many fields, continued education can be mandatory. Architecture is one such profession. Architects have to periodically renew their licenses – typically every one to two years – and most states have established Continuing Education requirements as a condition of renewal. In addition, the AIA requires Continuing Education for its members regardless of state requirements.

The hospitality and entertainment industries are highly competitive. Everybody wants to have an edge by offering guests something their competitors don’t have – and to keep costs in check while doing it. That reality has led to businesses throughout the hospitality and entertainment industries enticing guests with creative uses for capital assets they already have while using the latest construction trends on the rooftop. Here are some of the best ideas we’ve seen in “roof-tainment:”

If you’re a business owner or in charge of your facility’s roof management, the last thing you want is a phone call delivering the news that your roof has collapsed. After all, a roof collapse is no small problem. First, there’s the risk of injury to employees and/or customers. And then there’s the likelihood of a total operational shutdown. Even if the building is still usable, OSHA authorities won’t let you reoccupy the building until they’re finished with their investigation, and there’s no telling how long that could take.