Roof failure is a problem that occurs for many reasons, but in an ideal scenario, your commercial roof will last at least as long as its intended lifespan. You can help your commercial rooftop last as long as it was intended to last by taking good care of it. Measures such as regular inspections or adding a rooftop support system can add years of life to your roof. Knowing the potential causes of roof failure and what you can do to prolong its lifespan can help ensure that your roof will endure for the longest length of time possible.
Topics: Roof Safety
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. LEED certification is one of the most respected and frequently used building rating systems in the world. To become LEED certified, a building must meet standards for efficiency and healthy construction.
Topics: Roof Architecture
Roof damage is not always immediately obvious, but when it goes unnoticed, it can create structural problems and can even devalue your commercial property. Taking care of these problems early can prevent more costly fixes down the road. Identifying commercial roof issues is the first step to getting them repaired.
Topics: Roofing Management
Beyond Leaks: Why Ponding Water Is Bad for Your Commercial Roof
Ponding water is the enemy of a flat roof. Water that collects in puddles very occasionally is unlikely to create a problem, but water that collects regularly can create a variety of issues, including leaks, rodents and insect infestation, birds, vegetation, and discoloration. Ultimately, ponding water can do damage to your building and reduce your property's value.
Topics: Roofing Maintenance
An article from the Yale School of the Environment published in 2020 revealed that just 3.5 percent of commercial buildings in the United States have solar panels installed, while an additional one percent of commercial buildings have solar panels off-site. Some buildings are not suitable for solar power, either because they are too small or just don't need enough electricity to make solar panel investment financially efficient. However, the report revealed that about 70 percent of commercial buildings in the United States would be eligible for solar panels.
Topics: Installation Tips, Roof Architecture
Commercial roofs often look flat, but no commercial roof - or any roof, for that matter - is completely flat. Even on a roof that looks completely flat, there is a subtle slope (also called a pitch) that is important for the functionality and performance of that commercial roof.
Topics: Roofing Management
With the changing season, it’s time to think about fall readiness and eventual winter prep through commercial roof maintenance. Your commercial rooftop went through a lot this year! High heat in summer and cold nights in spring and winter could have caused damage to your commercial roof.
Topics: Roofing Management, Roofing Maintenance
Good indoor air quality (IAQ) contributes to the safety and health of everyone who works in your commercial building, from the maintenance crew to the managers. Healthy IAQ can even improve quality of work life for the people who rely on your business for their incomes and livelihood. As a business manager or a building manager, you'll find that people who get sick from the air they breathe at work have more absences from the office, more paid time off, poor productivity and lower morale. It's bad for your employees and for business!
Topics: How to
The summer season is here, ushering in months of sunshine, vacationing…and hurricanes forming in the ocean. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, and this year, it’s especially important to make sure your buildings are ready. According to the Atlantic Defense Fund, hurricanes in recent years have been accompanied by higher storm surges, stronger winds, and more destruction. These storms are becoming stronger and intensifying faster, which is causing hurricanes to become more costly for property-owning businesses and homeowners.
Topics: Roofing Management, Roof Safety
Beyond Falls: Preventing Injuries With Rooftop Support Equipment
Working on rooftops can be dangerous. According to BLS.gov, roofing workers had one of the highest rates of nonfatal falls, with 86.9 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in 2016. In 2020, the number of fatal accidents for roofers was 50 per 100,000 full-time workers. It’s not surprising that working on rooftops incurs risk, with heavy lifting, frequent climbing, and working in the scorching heat. OSHA considers roof safety to be paramount, and it’s something that commercial/industrial building managers must consider.
Topics: Roof Safety