Tearing Off the Foam Plastic Insulation May Be Unnecessary. The History of SPRI’s Re-cover Subcommittee Activities May 15, 2004 Throughout the 1980s, as the use of single-ply membranes grew, the practice of recovering existing roof systems also grew, primarily because single-ply systems were considered less vulnerable to moisture under the new membrane than was traditional BUR. Re-cover roof projects grew from approximately 11 percent of all low-slope roofing activity in 1983 to 22 percent […] Read More
Elastomeric Acrylic Roof Coatings for EPDM Roofing May 15, 2004 Introduction EPDM presently holds about 30 to 35% of the 3.6 billion-ft2 lowslope roofing market and is growing rapidly at the expense of other conventional roofing systems. Black EPDM membranes are the predominant choice for new low-slope roof construction today. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has become a major influence in the roofing market. The […] Read More
Contractions’ Instructions: A Forensic Engineering and Legal Perspective March 15, 2004 March 2004 Interface • 23 Based on recent experience in construction litigation, it appears that much confusion exists regarding written instructions used by contractors during the course of a project. A variety of written instructions are typically available, including: the applicable building code, industry standards, and manufacturers’ instructions. On larger projects, plans and specifications may […] Read More
Cant Strips November 12, 2003 November 2003 Interface • 25 The CRCA Roofing Specification Manual defines a cant strip as “…a strip of material of triangular section placed at the intersection of a roof deck with a higher wall or other vertical surface.” Cant strips have been and continue to be widely used as a component of built-up roofing. However, […] Read More
My Scariest Roof Job November 12, 2003 Iam a roof and waterproofing consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area now, but back in April 1984, I had been working in the roof construction trade for almost ten years. I had worked in and out of the Bay Area and a year in Seattle on everything from shake-shingle, metal, and tile, to single […] Read More
Aged Membrane Fire Testing; The Single-Ply Roofing Industry View November 12, 2003 November 2003 Interface • 37 Introduction The Midwest Roofing Contractors Association (MRCA) has been conducting fire testing, following its interpretation of the ASTM E 108 Standard, on new and aged (field-obtained) single-ply roofing material samples over the last couple of years. The MRCA, in conjunction with the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), has made presentations […] Read More
Designing for Future Reroofing: Recommendations for Enhanced Sustainability November 12, 2003 November 2003 Interface • 17 Introduction Most professionals designing a new roof or reroofing project give very little thought to what happens at the end of its service life. Because of this lack of forward thinking, it is typically difficult to reuse or recycle various components of the roof at the end of its life. […] Read More
EVT – Equiviscous Temperature in Built-Up Roofing October 12, 2003 October 2003 Interface • 27 Built-up roofing (BUR) has been a highly successful roofing system for building owners for over a century. In recent years, there has been discussion in the industry regarding the Equiviscous Temperature (EVT) of roofing asphalts and the accuracy in product labeling for built-up roofing applications. The EVT is the suggested […] Read More
Thermoplastic Single Ply Roofing – Will U.S. History Repeat Itself September 12, 2003 September 2003 Interface • 15 Thermoplastic roof membranes were first introduced and installed in Europe in the early 1960s. Almost a decade later, these membranes surfaced in the United States. At that time, most of the original membranes were based on vinyl (polyvinyl chloride – PVC) and were produced and supplied to the U.S. market […] Read More
Reroofing Fire Rated Construction July 12, 2003 6 • Interface July 2003 To avoid compromising a building’s original fire rated construction when reroofing or recovering an existing assembly, it is important to understand the positions of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and Factory Mutual (FM) and their relationship to the prevailing building code on fire rated constructions for roof assemblies. Navigating one’s way through […] Read More
