PHP Roofing Blog

We’ve written quite a bit about green roofs and how adding a layer of vegetation can impact both the urban environment and a building’s energy efficiency. The latest industry trend, however, is blue roofing. And it’s all about storm water management.

Roof coatings—you’ve probably heard that these can be beneficial to your roof and your building in general. We've put together a brief guide to help you understand the types of coatings available and the benefits of the product. This information can prepare you to make a smart decision regarding your roof's care.

No matter if your building is brand new, or 100 years old, the roof is one of the most important structural elements. After all, the roof will not only protect the building from rain, snow and hail; it can also either help keep your building hotter or cooler during extreme temperatures. However, if you want to keep this important structure doing its job, you need to consider roof inspection regularly. But how often is needed? Let us discuss.

Every facility manager has budget constraints, and that means you have to make some choices about priorities. Decisions often lean toward “tyranny of the urgent” – you need a new roof, you need to repave the parking lot, etc. Things like launching sustainability initiatives and becoming LEED certified can seem like a luxury…but they aren’t.

Your building’s low-slope roofing can’t be all that complicated. After all, just about everybody has one…right?

Not exactly. Even low-slope roofs come in an astounding array of options. And, if you weren’t directly involved in the design and planning process, you might not know much more about your roof than what’s visually obvious. But you really should get to know your roof better, so let’s make some introductions.

The days are getting longer, temperatures are creeping up, and you may have even swatted a few mosquitoes. Summer is definitely on the way, and facility managers know that means increased energy costs and a struggle to keep the building cool. Fortunately, you don’t have to cross your fingers and hope for cooler weather. With some proactive roof management, there are several things you can do to help keep your building cool.

It’s a moment every maintenance professional dreads – a building occupant calls to report a leak, and it’s up to you to investigate and to identify the source. You probably have your fingers crossed that it’s anything other than a torn roof membrane. But how do you find out? And, if it is, what do you do about it?

Maybe you’re a building manager who finally persuaded the owner to invest in a new roof. Or
maybe you’re the owner, and you just signed the check. Either way, you might be reluctant to spend even more money on “extras.” But things that extend the life of your roof and protect your workers aren’t extras; they’re the basics. Along with rooftop walkways, roof access stairs definitely fall into that category. Let’s take a look at why that’s true.

We tend to take the sun for granted. We don’t really think about how powerful it is until we feel the painful effects of a day at the lake. But the sun actually produces far more energy than we give it credit for—or take advantage of. It’s been said that enough energy pummels the earth every day to power the planet for an entire year.

Most of us who grew up in warmer climates can remember hearing shouts of, “Close the door! You’re letting all of the air conditioning out.” Our parents were all too aware of the effect those open doors had on their heating and cooling bills. Multiply that by about a hundred times, and it becomes clear why energy efficiency is so important for commercial buildings. But it’s not just open doors; it’s roof maintenance, too. The majority of energy loss by commercial buildings—both winter and summer—happens via the roof.