The Impact of Winter on Your Facility
With the cold temperatures the United States (US) and Canada are experiencing it is important to know the effects temperature and winter weather can have on your facility. Understanding the potential impact all this can have on your roof and floors will help you make maintenance and safety decisions that will help prolong your investment and keep your employees and customers safe. Here are some areas to keep a close eye on:
• Expansion and contraction of your building
• Rooftop maintenance and safety
• Floor protection and safety
• Parking lot and sidewalk maintenance and safety
Expansion and Contraction of your Building
The temperatures swings will cause expansion and contraction of your entire building envelope to include your roof. Your roof will expand and contract with the temperature swings potentially causing cracking and splitting. This can allow moisture infiltration, potentially causing damage to the insulation, deck and even leak into the facility. It is always good to inspect all roof penetrations making sure the flashings did not sustain any damage. Keeping a close eye on all this can help increase the life of your roof.
Rooftop Maintenance and Safety
In addition to the risk of a leak from moisture infiltration mentioned above, it is important to conduct regular maintenance prior to extreme weather. During this regular maintenance inspect drain lines, gutters and downspouts to make sure they are in proper working condition. This allows moisture to flow from the rooftop. If freezing conditions exist, a steaming process can be done to eliminate the ice blockage at gutters and downspouts.
Safety is also a top priority especially in the winter. It is important to make sure the roof perimeter and any rooftop hatches are properly marked with permanent safety rails and safety flags identify any skylights, drains and roof penetrations. In the event rooftop snow removal needs to take place, these safety practices will help reduce the change of any damage or risk of injury.
Floor Protection and Safety
The salt used to eliminate ice outside your facility is very hard on your floors. To help protect your floors, a SaltGuard can be added to your concrete or hard surface floors. In addition to tracking in the salt, snow and ice can also be tracked which causes a safety concern. Walk-off mats help reduce the tracking of salt, snow and ice while helping keep employee’s and visitor’s feet dry reducing the risk of slips and falls. There are also coating products available to help increase traction on your floors during the winter months.
Parking Lot and Sidewalk Maintenance and Safety
Finally, the same expansion and contraction of your facility can take place in your parking lot and sidewalk due to the temperature swings. This can cause cracks, potholes and heaving of your surfaces making them unsafe for pedestrians and potentially damaging for vehicles. The cracking of your surfaces allows moisture in and further deterioration. It is important to get these surfaces resealed prior to any additional damage.
Overall, the damage that can occur from the winter weather can all be minimized with routine inspections and maintenance of your building envelope, roof and floors. Staying ahead of any potential repairs that may be needed will keep your assets in their best possible condition and help extend their useful life.
To learn more, request an inspection by completing the form on the right.
Denver's Green Initiative for Commercial Roofing
After a city and county ballot initiative passed in Denver, CO, a Denver Green Roof Initiative went into effect January 1, 2018. This affects commercial roofs with a gross floor area greater than 25,000 square feet. The Initiative requires that building owners have a percentage of the roof covered with vegetation (green roof) and/or solar power.
While the Initiative is interesting and environmentally friendly, the cost of roofing is going to increase two to three times. Roof pricing is estimated to increase to $25-$40 per square foot. In Denver, there are no utility or tax incentives at this time to offset the increased cost of the roofing,
Property owners need to be aware of similar referendums on ballots in cities and counties across the country and become informed voters. These initiatives are structured to help the environment and may also increase the costs of roofing. Ultimately, these initiatives will impact the way that property owners make roofing decisions.
Make sure you are aware of how this new code will impact your roofing decisions. To read more about the initiative, visit www.denvergreenroof.org.
Drone Technology Enhances Roofing Services
Technology is being used in CentiMark roofing services to benefit customers in a number of ways. From infrared thermal imaging used to detect moisture captured within a roof to unmanned aircraft (drones) used to enhance inspections. This technology provides building owners and managers with a better understanding of their roof conditions and provides the information necessary to make informed roofing decisions. It is important for CentiMark to stay on the forefront of technology in order to bring customers the best services possible.
How drones are being used:
- Drones provide unique aerial photos or videos showing a clear overview of the roof. This allows CentiMark to work with building owners and managers to review any areas of concern, discuss project scope and review any logistical issues associated with construction. This also allows the building owners and managers to share this information without anyone having to get up on the roof.
- Thermal scan cameras attached to the drone provide a thorough assessment of where moisture exists on the roof and where insulation may have been compromised. This allows customers to view the video or photography showing them the condition of their roof and where core samples are needed.
- The use of drones also allows customers to get status updates of their roofing project without the need to get up on the roof. They can stay better informed of the progress of their project in a much easier way and share the information as needed.
Note: Changes in regulations require the user to gain a UAS Pilot Certificate to fly drones for commercial use. Detailed information can be found at https://www.faa.gov/uas/. CentiMark is in compliance with this regulation and CentiMark Drone pilots are UAS Pilot Certified.
Request an overview of your roof by completing the form on the right.
Three Ideas to get the Most out of Your 2018 Roofing Budget
2018 is upon us. Many of us now need to operate our business within the budgets that were set at the end of 2017. The real question is how can we get the most out of our roofing budget? What obstacles or unforeseen costs can potentially gobble up your contingency funds?
Listed below are three ideas that can help you get the most out of your capital budget in 2018:
- Do not delay going to contract! Yes there may be snow on the roof and work might not be able to start right now but waiting until spring or summer to go to contract can result in your roof condition worsening to include either additional tear off or roof deck replacement. Work with your contractor to arrange an agreement. Have your contractor agree to do winter repairs at no cost to reduce additional damage in exchange for executing the roof contract now. Your contractor will benefit by having a planned back-log and you will benefit by reducing future added costs.
- Be sure that your roof is up to code from a safety perspective. Do roof hatches, ladders and HVAC units at the roof perimeter edges all have the appropriate safety rails in place? If you are not sure, have this checked before work begins. Having this equipment installed at the time of roof installation will be less expensive than doing it after the fact.
- Have other sections of the building which are not scheduled for replacement examined. Determine if any repair work might be needed. Also consider putting a preventative maintenance plan in place and have this work completed in concert with your re-roofing project. This can lower your cost as your contractor can complete the scope of work while he is on site.
QuestMark’s Premium Epoxy Garage Floor Kit is 15% Off
Winters can be harsh. As difficult as they may be on us, have you ever considered what it does to your garage floor? Over the course of a given winter, how many times do you pull your car into your garage covered with extra moisture, road salt, or other debris that will ultimately end up on the garage floor and shorten the life of the concrete?
QuestMark has a solution that will not only extend the life of your floors, but will also improve the look of your entire garage. Our Premium Epoxy Garage Floor Kit is an all in one, do-it-yourself kit that contains everything you need to complete your project.
Each kit contains:
- Basecoat
- Topcoat
- Anti-skid aggregate
- Decorative Paint Chips
- Mixing and Application Tools
- Easy to Follow Instructions
These kits also come in 16 color combinations, allowing you to get the exact look you want. Finally, we are offering 15% savings on our normal pricing through the month of February, so now is a perfect time to pick one up for yourself, or your favorite DIY project enthusiast. Visit www.questmarkflooring.com/shop for more information.
Purchase your Premium Epoxy Garage Floor Kit now.
