The Importance Of A Roof Management Program

42 UNITS J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0 w w w. n a a h q . o r g

The Importance Of A Roof ManagementProgramRoofs take severe punishment from nature’s elements. Regular maintenance can discover and correct weaknesses before it’s too late.

BY DON WESSINGER

Wessinger.qxd:NAA 2007 12/23/09 10:20 AM Page 2

w w w. n a a h q . o r g J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0 UNITS 43

T he roof is the most remote element of a building. This system, consisting of a membrane, protective surfacing, insulation and itsanchorage, skylights, HVAC and other rooftop equipment, penetrations,

drains, and their respective flashings, involves the use of different materialsinstalled at different times by different trades. These components come together to provide the building’s weather barrier. The completed roof systemremains unseen by most building occupants, including those responsible forits continued well-being.

Adhesives, sealants and coatings may not have the same useful life span asother key component materials. For example, a roof system with a membraneexpected to last more than 20 years will not function as intended when thefive-year sealant used to counter-flash the base flashing wears out.

Workmanship errors are not uncommon because all roofs are constructed inplace on the building. Pre-manufactured sheets and other flashing compo-nents may reduce some field fabrication, but labor is never eliminated. Work-manship is difficult to control because much of the work is covered during thelater stages of construction and is not visible during site visits during construc-tion or final inspection. With time, any latent workmanship defects maythreaten the roof’s waterproofing integrity. Full-time monitoring during theconstruction phase or re-roofing is a step toward minimizing constructionerrors, but the risk is never eliminated.

The roof takes the most severe punishment from nature’s elements. Normalseasonal changes induce cyclical thermal stresses and accelerate the normalaging and degradation of the component materials. Other unforeseen factorsthat can contribute to the wear and tear of the roof include:

• weather extremes, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, hail and heavy snow build-up

• rooftop service traffic by individuals unfamiliar with the roof• sparks and burning embers from a fire in a nearby building• vandalism


• birds, small animals, insects, bacteria and fungi• slow accumulation of dirt and other debris, providing an ideal medium for

plant growth and hindering prompt drainage (plant roots can penetrate mem-branes and seams, resulting in leaks)

• chemicals and oils (spills and slow accumulation of exhausted waste can slow-ly destroy the membrane)

• wind or rain damaging rooftop units or corroding thehousings (a loose door that blows off during a storm caninflict serious membrane damage)

• the protective coatings on some systems, which are designed to wear away andbe renewed periodically (erosion of these sacrificial coatings must be moni-tored for timely renewal to prevent premature aging of the exposed surfaces)

Typically, none of the preceding items fall within the manufacturer’s warrantycoverage. They cannot be monitored from inside the building, unless a leak occurs.Every owner should be made aware that the roof needs to be regularly inspectedand maintained so that wear can be anticipated and corrected before leakageoccurs. Often, warranty-related items can be discovered and corrected through themanufacturer before an actual leak occurs.

Why Manage the Roof SystemThe first and foremost reason for including the roof in overall building manage-

ment is to protect the capital investment and maximize its return. A leaking roofmay quickly render itself beyond repair because of water contamination of keycomponents. Premature failure will require a new roof as well as the costs ofremoving and disposing the failed system.

Imagine what the interior of a building would be like if there were no interiormanagement. In a managed interior environment, windows are washed, carpets arecleaned, HVAC equipment is periodically serviced and elevators and other operatingequipment are checked and maintained. The unmanaged roof typically deterioratesmore quickly than the unmanaged interior.

Additionally, damage from a roof leak is seldom confined to a roof system. Anowner rarely becomes aware that a roof problem exists until the water has leakedinto occupied areas and inflicted damage on the building’s interior and contents.The costs of repairing water damage can quickly surpass the value of the roofingsystem. Insurance may cover some of the costs involved, but often, more time andmoney are lost through interrupted operations than can never be recovered.

“Negligent abuse” is used to describe roof-system damage caused by a lack ofnormal maintenance. An example is leakage or membrane damage from failure tokeep the roof drains and gutters clear. If water is allowed to build up over flashingsor create an overload condition resulting in structural deflections that damage the

w w w. n a a h q . o r g44 UNITS J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

Spills and slow accumulation of exhausted wastecan slowly destroy the membrane.


J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0 UNITS 45

Walking the Roof

M ajor roof damage is easily recognized by mostanyone viewing from the ground. However,

subtle damage is discovered only through closeexamination—typically when a construction managerwalks the roof.

John Shaw is a Construction Manager with MilestoneManagement in Houston. He is responsible forapproximately 40 communities in Texas and recom-mends that communities perform a walking inspectionof their roofs at least once a year.

“The first sign of trouble is spotting gravel comingoff of a shingle,” Shaw says. “The shingle might haveindents, too. That means it was hit by something suchas hail. You can’t always see that from the ground.”

He says inspectors also must look to see if there’sany fracturing of shingle membrane and uplift in theshingle—a sign of wind damage. Damaged shinglescan lead to leaks, which produce even costlier repairbills.

There are many roof types and Shaw says eachhas its unique way of showing wear.

In the case of flat roofs—a common style for apart-ment buildings—Shaw says finding standing water orsoft spots indicates trouble. “And when you spotcolor inconsistencies among shingles it’s a clue thatthere was damage there before,” Shaw says. Addi-tionally, maintenance technicians should make aneffort to view the roof’s conditions from the ground.Another good time to check is whenever they aremaking routine repairs or patching leaks, providedthat the management company allows its maintenancetechnicians to go on the roof.

—NAA’s Paul R. Bergeron III

Best Practices


46 UNITS J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0

roof membrane, required repairs wouldnot be covered by the warranty. In addi-tion, once this condition occurs, negli-gence voids the warranty. Insuranceclaims are often denied due to deficientroof systems.

Design and construction professionalscan influence the long-term performanceof a roof, or any other building compo-nent, by encouraging the owner to imple-ment a maintenance program. Theprogram can be in-house, under contractto a professional or in the form of a ser-vice contract with a roofing contractor.

When to Start A Maintenance Program

It is never too early to implement plansto monitor the condition of the roof andperform maintenance as needed. Devotingfinancial and personnel resources to a roofthat does not pose an immediate problemis a difficult yet necessary decision.

However, it is never too late to start amaintenance program. A roof that hasnever had any maintenance may stillhave many years of life left if weaknessesare discovered and corrected.

When to InspectScheduled inspection should be

performed at least twice annually. In tem-perate climates, the first inspection shouldoccur during the spring, closely followingwinter. This will allow the evaluation ofwinter damage and provide for the plan-ning and scheduling of any necessaryrepairs during warm weather. The secondscheduled inspection should be conductedduring the fall, early enough to provide forany required repairs. This will prepare theroof for winter.

w w w. n a a h q . o r g

A roof that has never had any maintenancemay still have many years of life left if theweaknesses are discovered and corrected.


w w w. n a a h q . o r g

In addition to the two scheduledinspections, investigate rooftop conditionsfollowing severe or unusual storms orleakage. Inspections following stormsshould concentrate on damage that mayhave been inflicted on the roof or equip-ment. Other interim inspections willdepend on the severity of exposure toother adverse conditions.

Schedule an inspection before anyscheduled construction, on the roof orelsewhere on the property. Existing roofconditions should be documented beforeany work begins to provide valuableinformation for establishing responsibilityshould any damage be discovered follow-ing the work.

Who Should InspectResponsibility for implementing the

roof management program should beplaced with experienced facilities man-agement personnel, preferably with some-one who has knowledge of roofingtechnology. Actual inspections should beperformed by someone who has experi-ence with roofing and with the building’sparticular system.

In-house inspections require a com-mitted, persistent individual who willconduct surveys a few days a year, updaterecords, and perform or arrange for need-ed repairs. This typically involves pullingthe designated person from his or herday-to-day activities. The problem within-house programs is that they losemomentum and are forgotten. The sadreminder usually appears as a roofingproblem.

Professional service organizations canbe contracted to provide reliable roofmanagement services on a regular basis.

The inspections are programmed andconducted based on seasonal and region-al expectations. The professional is alsoprepared to perform unscheduled inspec-tions if an emergency or other event,such as a severe storm or new equipmentinstallation, occurs.

Keep RecordsA historical file of the roof should be

established and kept current. Buildingmanagement should maintain data bykeeping a list of all parties and activities

pertaining to contractors and roof main-tenance. These records should includeoriginal construction documents, as-builtspecifications, a copy of the contract, themanufacturer’s name, a copy of the war-ranty and a roof plan with all featureslocated.

This data can assist management indeveloping annual maintenance budgetsand scheduled re-roofing requirements.

Don Wessinger is Principal Consultant,Childress Engineering Services.

J a n u a r y 2 0 1 0 UNITS 47


Documents

The Importance Of A Roof Management Program