Home > Issue by Date > November 2007

The Roofing Crew

These tips can help facility managers recruit the right team to keep their buildings in ship shape condition.

By Kate Baumann

coatings must be properly applied by a well trained crew (Photo: Mule-Hide)

Today’s roof coatings offer a host of advantages, from improved energy efficiency to exceptional strength and the ability to extend a roof’s life cycle. To deliver these benefits fully, however, coatings must be properly applied by a well trained crew.

While shingles on a steep slope roof must simply shed water, a low slope roofing system must be watertight. The coating and the application technique must be carefully matched to the specific surface. Finally, before the coating is applied, the crew must assess the soundness of the roof, make any necessary repairs, and prepare the surface to accept the coating.

For all these reasons, it is essential to give the job to a crew—whether an in-house team or an outside vendor—that has roofing experience and has been fully trained by the coating manufacturer. What follows is an overview of the five most important things facility managers should discuss with prospective contractors or their in-house crew to ensure the proper training has been provided.

Ongoing training is essential to ensure application crews stay up to speed on the latest products and techniques (Photo: Mule-Hide)

1. Training. Ongoing training is essential to ensure application crews stay up to speed on the latest products and techniques. There is simply no substitute for hands-on experience. Reputable manufacturers offer applicators regular training, with the manufacturer’s representative working side by side with the crew on a job site or at a well constructed mock-up.

2. Repairs. Before the coating is applied, the roof must be inspected for damage and any necessary repairs must be made. The National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) has developed guidelines for evaluating roof soundness and selecting the appropriate materials and techniques to use in making repairs.

A properly trained crew will be well versed in these guidelines and will follow them. They will also adhere to the original roofing system manufacturer’s guidelines to ensure the warranty remains in force.

3. Preparation. When it comes to roof coatings, one size does not fit all. Roof coatings are designed to work with specific surfaces, and it is essential to match the coating carefully to the roof and to prepare the surface so it will adhere properly.

Knowledgeable applicators will begin by performing an adhesion test. This not only aids in selecting the appropriate coating for the job, but it also helps identify what must be done to prepare the surface for the coating.

This is especially vital in the case of metal roofs, since they may not accept certain coatings. Some have a factory applied Kynar® 500 finish, which is a Teflon®-based paint, and could require sanding to create a surface the coating will adhere to. Galvalume® and other galvanized finishes may have residual zinc, requiring the application of a mild acidic solution.

4. Tools and techniques. As with any project, getting a roof coating job done right requires having the proper tools and knowing how to use them correctly. Well trained crews will be experts in choosing the right tools and techniques for a particular job. They also will have received hands on training to ensure they are proficient in using the equipment.

One of the most critical factors is achieving proper coating thickness. An uneven application can become evident within weeks; spots on the roof that begin to bubble and peel are a sure sign of uneven application.

the right tools and techniques for a particular job (Photo: Genie Industries)

Contractors should use a wet film gauge to monitor the mil thickness of each coat. They also should be well versed in the coating manufacturer’s guidelines for coverage rates per gallon and the number of coats recommended to achieve the desired mil thickness.

Crews also must take steps to prevent overspray, or the facility manager will be fielding complaints from the owners of cars parked nearby. Reputable coatings manufacturers teach application crews the best spray techniques and show them how to monitor wind conditions to prevent overspray.

5. Vendor relationships. Facility managers hiring an outside crew can be assured that a good vendor will happily discuss the training its crews receive, how often its employees are able to attend training sessions provided by roof coating manufacturers, and whether teams have benefited from in the field training.

By taking the time to do their homework and asking a few simple questions, facility managers can save time, money, and hassle, and help ensure they receive high quality repairs that will maximize the performance and life of their roof.

Baumann (kate.baumann@mulehide.com) is marketing director for Mule-Hide Products Co. Inc. More information on the company can be found at www.mulehide.com.

Have you tried to handle roofing repairs on your own? Share your stories by sending an e-mail to schwartz@groupc.com.

Liquid Assets

By Skip Roach

SOPREMA This roof used SOPREMA’s ALSAN RS because of its flexibility in application and fast cure time (in just 45 minutes). (Photo: SOPREMA)

For many years, roofing maintenance has consisted of various approaches that incorporated recoating surfaces with reflective materials. Acrylics, aluminum coatings, modified asphalt, and some recycled products were traditionally popular approaches that are still on the market today. While these products were inexpensive and reflected the sun when clean, they often lacked one of the most fundamental elements of roofing products—waterproofing.

Today, newer liquid coatings are changing that scenario. Many of these products are significantly more reflective, waterproof, and durable. For the same amount of labor invested in a maintenance effort, these techniques can deliver a greater life expectancy for the facility’s roof.

So what exactly is liquid? Liquid or fluid applied products are usually pre-mixed materials that can be applied to almost any surface (even tough surfaces like parking decks) for waterproofing purposes. Fluid products are also excellent for roofs that have many penetrations (such as HVAC equipment, flashings, and beams).

Torches or heat sources are not necessary for application, thus decreasing risk and possibly cutting insurance costs for contractors. In addition, some liquid systems are virtually odorless. This is important, as it allows for roofing and waterproofing work to be applied to occupied structures without disrupting business occurring inside the facility.

SOPREMA’s ALSAN liquid product Shown here is SOPREMA’s ALSAN liquid product being applied in order to waterproof an entire roof.

Some products may even be applied when temperatures dip as low as 23°F. This can be especially helpful, since leaks and snow or ice damage obviously occur only in colder weather; for this reason, these situations demand immediate repair.

Today’s highly engineered liquids can be broken into some newer categories: urethane technology, unsaturated polyester resin, methyl methacrylate (MMA) or polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), SBS resins, and SEBS resins. In fact, many of the newer systems are comprised of plural components, made from a mixture of A and B ingredients to form an entirely new substance.

However, some products are still composed of only one component. Even so, these are highly engineered products that only require low tech brushes and rollers for installation.

In another interesting twist, these new liquids can be applied as a permanent roof directly over the existing structure. Once the system is phased in and the roof’s flashing areas have been attended to, the roof merely has to be recoated. So instead of an installation exercise, the application by roofing crews is considered a maintenance expense that can be extended for a building’s lifetime.

An interesting byproduct of this revolution is the favorable way that these products and their installation can benefit the bottom line. Regardless of the type of roof installed, a tear off and full roof replacement is expensive; the additional cost of labor for removal and disposal is significant.

With today’s liquid products, repairs to the roof can be made as part of an ongoing maintenance program. These repairs are normally part of the operating budget and are therefore expensed immediately.

Since these products are considered long-term repairs, they can be incorporated into plans for the installation of an entirely new roof. By executing a carefully scheduled maintenance program, facility managers can phase in the roof over a specific number of years, depending on cash flow and budget restrictions.

There are many products in the marketplace; some are geared to specific applications. For example, products that work on conventional modified bitumen or BUR roofs may not work on EPDM roofs. In order to select the right product, facility managers should ask the following questions before making a purchasing decision:

• What is the substrate that needs repair? Is it just a repair? Or is it a long-term maintenance project? Is it really a complete roof refurbishment?

• How long have the products been in the marketplace?

• What specific roofing experience does the manufacturer have? Will the manufacturer be around to help if there are warranty issues?

• How easy are the products to install? Can the in-house facilities staff do it?

• Are there cash flow or tax benefits that can be realized?

• Can one manufacturer’s products address all roofing issues throughout the facility or campus?

In the end, facility managers should not only consider the tax benefits of maintenance repairs but also the short- and long-term benefits of liquid roofing and its return on investment. Once just a niche group of products, liquid coatings are now used extensively for maintenance and repair on the world’s costliest structures.

Roach (sroach@soprema.us) is the product manager for SOPREMA’s Liquid Division. The company is located in Wadsworth, OH.

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