What is the value of warranty coverage?

When all conditions are met, including the requirement to maintain the roofs regularly, the roofs are covered for catastrophic failure of the materials.

Here is a picture of a ten year foam insulation roof before a re-coat project to extend the warranty an additional ten years.

The roof will require repair before the re-coat process.  A de-laminated section is cut out in preparation for filling before the re-coating process.

The coating application is optimized by using an Energy Star type of coating, typically a white material with white colored granules.

To take advantage of this warranty extending process, contact us now!

Not every roof is ready to go to the dump, not just yet!

A first step, recommended annually for roofs with parapet walls, is the evaluation by an expert.  The roof and its surrounding components is checked for anomalies, failures, and most importantly – residual moisture content. Most flat roofing is a construct of layers of materials, like a sandwich. The number, type, and condition of the layers can be ascertained by invasive verification.

Here the top roof (a manufactured sheet membrane) is cut back to reveal an original roof beneath.

The base or original roof is a built-up roof over insulation over a cementitious deck. Many municipalities will allow a third system that acts as a reinforced recovery membrane system. They may also allow a fluid applied or spray applied polyurethane insulated system that are typically classified as coating systems.  This is an advantage if you are trying to save on removal and disposal of the old roof systems.  Visual clues as to a membrane systems’ performance may be noticeable to a trained professional.

In this photo standing water and membrane deformation highlights deflection at the roof deck to wall.

The discoloration and dimensional change directly against the wall suggest the water accumulation is attacking the base flashing and counter flashing. Note the patching material installed at the stucco outlet, which ironically re-directs draining water through the stucco into the wall cavity.  Roofs that have good records may not require invasive sampling and verification.  A non-destructive meter can accurately read residual moisture presence within the layers or insulation beneath.

The degree to which moisture is infiltrating the layers can be monitored and remediated. Water, particularly standing water, will find a way into a lap seam in a membrane roof. Here a ‘mud-cracked’ membrane has been patched and coated and patched again.

Notice that the protective material de-laminates after being wet. In fact the coating creates wicking by capillary suction. In this last photo the membrane patch fails and splits open.

You are “Forced” to trust

Still, there are many highly skilled installers that have entered the industry here in California.  When you request bids you are looking to compare ‘apples-to-apples’, but can you do it with confidence? You are forced to trust the one with the best presentation, or more often, the cheapest price.  This can be a problem. The low bidder, probably made mistakes calculating his costs.  Not always but far, far, too often.

What’s a ‘winning’ bidder to do?

Many simply task their installers to ‘get it done’. Many times this results in ‘field solutions’ of sometimes ‘value engineering’ by installers that run the gamut from general construction laborers with some roofing experience to tried and tested journeyman level workers. The higher level guys are typically foremen of ‘crews’ of less skilled workers.  It stands to reason most work is done by the less skilled.

This picture shows intersecting roof planes and improperly flashed metal edge terminations:

Unfastened metal flange will be peeled loose from wind and allow water to access the wall and ceiling cavities of this newly installed roof. Using a qualified roof consultant to ‘watch’ the installers can prevent all kinds of failure mechanisms being ‘built-in’ by unskilled workers.

This photo shows the use of an improper and insufficient fastener, hanging loose in the sheet metal flange:

In these two photos the transition from metal drip edge to apex metal flange is insufficient. The metal flange is loose and can be lifted during wind and precipitation allowing weather to access the wall and ceiling cavities:

When faced with difficult transitions, and no ability to custom fit welded miter joints, what does an unskilled laborer do? Here an asphalt based mastic is smeared into a miter joint closure, meant to exclude weather and bridge a open joint. It’s also interesting to note the use of a rust corroded nail face nailed into the metal flange. Where do you get rusty nails from? If you’re the owner, who doesn’t access the roof, how do you know what you received?

To prevent or detect mistakes like these, that could lead to greater damage in the future, contact us for your free inspection at the right of this page.

This is a view of an existing roof in Marina Del Rey, being scanned using non-destructive metering:

The roof technician also checks for ‘soft spots’ as he walks the roof deck, that could indicate unsupported or failed substrate. Areas registering positive for residual moisture presence can also react to sheet metal or high concentrations of asphalt mastic.

The areas are marked with paint for further verification of suspected conditions, by a roof contractor.

The contractor removes the membrane layers to expose conditions beneath.

The sampled area is examined, measured, and photo documented. The damage to the substrate is complete evidencing rotted plies, requiring removal and replacement of the damaged material.

A typical mounting solution by an installer of dish antennas, in Southern California, is seen in these photographs. Each mounting bracket plate has (4) holes, through which pass (4) fasteners (bolts).  These bolts penetrate through the roof material into a concealed wood nailer. The threads on the bolts allow precipitation to wick and funnel the shank causing leaks.

This view shows a solution that incorporates a new counter flashed plywood panel installed over the roofed-in vertical wall.  The panel provides the dish antenna installer a properly flashed location to mount the hardware:

This view shows a correctly mounted dish antenna on the provided platform.

This view shows preparations to install a spray-applied polyurethane foam (SPF) insulation and coating system:

This view shows SPF being applied to the complex equipment well details, angles, and transitions.

As a compliment to the SPF roof solution, the exposed duct work receives a coat of SPF and the first (intermediate)coat of the (2) coat protective coating system.

The next stage is crucial to success.  The diagnostic inspection using non destructive roof moisture scanners allows the consultant to rate the roofs’ ability to be retro-fitted versus being torn off. The unit pictured provides signal penetration from the surface up to 4” deep.

Here technician focuses at an area registering positive for residual moisture content.

Moisture in the membrane will accelerate failure in the new covering.  Areas of suspected residual moisture content are measured and marked with paint, by the technician.

The scanning is facilitated using a mobile unit that provides readings of relative moisture content.

In this picture an installer cuts into the existing asphalt to expose the plywood deck for verification of residual moisture content and substrate damage.

The finished product provides a sustainable roof assembly for this Los Angeles complex.

This picture shows the existing tread-to-riser with a sample of the welded metal step flashing that will be installed during repair:

In this photo the stucco and paper are removed to allow the installation of the missing metal flashing:

This picture shows the installation of replaced wood treads and risers, plywood sheet (backing), and the new metal step flashing:

This last photo shows the restored stucco integrated with the new flashing:

Too many buildings in existence with deficient or defective flashings are degrading from water leaks. Building envelope consultants can diagnose and specify the best solution for your buildings. Contact us using the form to the right of this page to schedule your consultation!

The Owners had bids from several Roofing Contractors to have the low spots built up with plywood, and more asphalt material, yet the cost for this correction after the fact was as much to install the entire roof membrane.  AW Consultants were hired to write a specification, receive bids, and manage a Weatherproofing project for the Roof and balcony Planters.  The Roof deflections were repaired using Spray Polyurethane Foam, and tested to achieve maximum drainage.  The Planters were leaking, and were waterproofed with an asphalt membrane and below grade drainage membrane.  No more leaks, and no more water ponds damaging the roof.

AW Consultants were pleased to serve on this project:

Frank Veltri, Property Manager

Molloy Realtors, Inc.
Santa Monica, CA