PHP Roofing Blog

A new commercial rooftop is an investment, one that doesn’t always come at the most opportune time for business owners and facility managers. It’s understandable that you might want to put it off – the question is, can you? Waiting too long is a big risk, one that may end up costing you even more in repairs and you will still need a new roof. How do you know when you are at the point that a new roof is a necessity instead of a luxury? There are some clear indicators that say it’s time.

The leaves are turning, you’re still picking up stray candy wrappers from trick-or-treaters, and travel plans for Thanksgiving are underway. This can only mean one thing: Fall is in full swing, and winter is right around the corner. For facility managers and building owners in northern regions, this means it’s time to start prepping your buildings for the cold and snow. One of the most important aspects of this preparation is ensuring your rooftop is ready to handle the imminent winter weather. Without further ado, here are seven tips to keep in mind during preparation.

Many of us remember the big building boom that occurred in the 1990’s and early 2000’s. What this boom means to us now is that today these roofs are reaching the end of their useful life and need to be replaced. With every roof replaced, more and more waste winds up in the landfill—or does it? There has actually been a push in recent years to recycle roofing materials. This comes as part of a larger green strategy that many firms are embracing. Recycling any material possible is certainly a good thing; after all, anything that can be kept out of the landfills and turned into something usable will help our earth stay greener and may even save money. 

In May of this year, Roofing Magazine published, and hosted on their site, an “On My Mind” piece from our director of Sales, Marion McKnight. The article was intended to help bring to light potential risks associated with skylights so that building owners, asset management professionals, and anyone else involved in the purchasing decision for such a product could make a more informed decision. Unfortunately, there were some who did not appreciate our commentary and felt it was an attack on the use of skylights in general. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Besides my involvement with PHP Systems/Design, I am also the owner of a skylight manufacturing company, VTech Skylights, so, naturally, I would not encourage something to be written that would discourage the use of skylights.

Hurricane season on the Atlantic and Gulf coast runs from June 1^st through November 30^th each year. The peak of the season tends to be in August and September. What this means for building owners, operators, and maintenance professionals is that it's time to put in a bit of work with regards to building, roof, and equipment supports to make certain commercial buildings are prepared for the potential storms ahead. While every structure will have different steps that must be taken to protect it, we’ve put together a few points you may want to consider as you prepare for potential inclement weather.

When it comes to harsh weather, most people think of cold, snow, and ice. But, if you manage a building in a warmer climate, you probably define harsh weather a little differently: blistering sun and heat punctuated by occasional rain and wind. And, since a roof’s main job is to protect the building and everything inside it, choosing the right low-slope roofing system for your climate is a business imperative.

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.