Can My Roof Be Restored Instead of Replaced?

WHAT IS ROOF RESTORATION? 

When a roof begins to leak or show signs of deterioration, you might think it’s time to replace the roof. What you may not know is that, often times, a roof coating or resaturant system can restore the current roof to a like-new condition.

Roof restoration is a cost-effective, proactive maintenance approach designed to prolong the life of the existing roof system by ten to fifteen or more years. Roof restoration is done by repairing defects and providing a new coating or resaturant which restores the weatherproofing integrity of the roof.

There are a number of cost-effective, tried and proven solutions for restoring older, but still sound, roofs. The average cost for these solutions is a quarter of the cost of roof replacement, but this figure can increase significantly if continued neglect results in damage to the underlying deck.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ROOF RESTORATION?

When compared to roof replacement, roof restoration offers a number of benefits that can help you save, including:

• Cut Costs: Roof restoration typically costs 25% - 30% of the cost of roof replacement. 
• Deferred Capital Expenditures: Restoration gives you the ability to deffer significant investments for another ten to fifteen or more years.
• Sustainability: Roof Restoration can extend the life of your roof by upwards of ten to fifteen years or more. Restoration sustains the life of your existing assets.
• Address Other Priorities: Roof restoration allows the facilities manager to address other critical priorities for budgeting. This is an integral part of the Long Range Asset Management Program.

WHO SHOULD CONSIDER ROOF RESTORATION?

The only way to know if your roof is an ideal candidate for roof restoration is to consult a roofing professional. A thorough evaluation of the roof will need to be performed. Performing proactive maintenance throughout the life cycle of the roof is highly recommended and will increase the likelihood of your roof being a candidate for restoration.

WHO SHOULD NOT CONSIDER ROOF RESTORATION?

If any of the following conditions are present, your roof is NOT a candidate for roof restoration:

• Excessive blisters, delamination
• Wet insulation, substrate conditions
• Lack of tensile strength
• Embrittlement (plasticizer migration)
• Seams – lack of adhesion
• Fastener back out
• Retrofitted system
• Cost prohibitive – law of diminishing returns 

Unless you have significant roofing experience, you probably won’t know if roof restoration is right for your commercial building. The experts at StructureTec can determine whether roof restoration is a viable solution for your roof. 

If you are interested in learning more about roof restoration projects, join us today, March 9th, at 1:30 PM EST for a live webinar, "Doing Roof-Restoration Projects the Right Way," brought to you by StructureTec's Building Construction Technology Education Center.

Click here to register. **Please register by 12:30 PM EST.**

Chicago, IL National Building Envelope Forum Recap

On February 10, StructureTec's Building Construction Technology Educational Center (BCTEC) hosted a National Building Envelope Forum in Naperville, IL. 

During the forum, three in-house experts shared some exceptional insight into paving, non-destructive testing, and roof restoration. Hanan Javetz, Retired Director of Facilities Management at School District U-46 in Elgin, Illinois also led an intriguing discussion regarding his personal experiences with facilities management over his 30+ year career.

The Pavement Management presentation focused on:

• How to develop a pavement management program for multiple sites
• Different pavement technology
• Pavement maintenance
• Pavement project management processes
• Pavement survey considerations

The Non-Destructive Testing presentation discussed:

• Non-Destructive Testing Applications for roof, building envelope, pavement, and structural concrete systems
• Methods of Non-Destructive Testing
• The use of Non-Destructive Testing for problem identification
• Quality assurance through construction

The Roof Restoration presentation highlighted:

• The benefits of roof restoration
• Identifying problems and solutions related to roof restoration projects
• Identifying roofs that are candidates for roof restoration
• The proper means, methods, and procedures for restoration

Our special guest speaker, Hanan Javetz, gave valuable insight on:

• Managing a public sector bid event
• Making a case for investing more upfront to achieve lower life cycle cost
• The criticality of attention to detail for successful project outcomes

Throughout the day, there was a lively exchange and collaboration. Attendees walked away with additional technical knowledge and project-specific answers. Here's what they had to say:

"This program was very helpful"

              "Learned some new opportunity"

"The technical content was excellent"

BCTEC will be hosting another Building Envelope Forum in Columbus, OH on May 11th, 2016 covering a wide variety of topics pertaining to facility management. Please click here for more information on the topics.

7 Steps to a Risk Free Project

Last month, StructureTec's Building Construction Technology Educational Center (BCTEC) hosted a webinar entitled “7 Steps to a Risk Free Project”. During the webinar, three in-house experts shared some great case studies and explained the steps necessary to ensure the successful completion of your construction projects.

Here are some of our favorite insights and key takeaways from this webinar:

1. Defining the Problem / Objective. Performing pre-construction due diligence is critical to assess potential risks and protect your interest in any construction project. Testing and surveys must be done to ensure that you have all vital information before continuing on.

2. Alignment (The Best Solution). Define the project goals and outline your organization’s objectives. Be sure the priority between cost, schedule and required project objectives are clear.

3. Develop the Project Manual. An accurate project manual is a key component of a successful project. The scope, including the materials and workmanship of the project needs to be clearly and accurately defined in the project manual. Project policies, procedures, guidelines, drawings, bidding requirements, contract forms, and conditions of the contract are all necessary information to include.

4. Selecting the Right Project Team. Whether its roofs, walls, parking lots or parking structures, when you are look at the remedial aspect of maintaining sites, you must have the right team in place. When pre-screening your approved contractors, look at their experience, specialties, financial history, current workload, insurance requirements, and safety protocol. As you pick your team, make sure your contractors have a clear understanding of the specifications and details of the project.

5. Construction Review and Administration (Quality Assurance). Once you have established your qualified project team, it is critical to have an expert representing your companies best interests monitoring the progress of the contractors work. Make sure your rep knows the scope of the project to ensure that no corners are being cut.

6. Maintenance Program.  We highly recommend that you put in place a Warranty Audit Program for after the completion of the project. Perform a 12 month and 24 month post-construction inspection on all projects. No matter how smooth your project went, the weather will be the ultimate commissioning agent.

7. Long-term Risk Mitigation. Maximize your warranties. You want to make sure that all documents are properly filed and accessible downstream as things come up. Incorporate continuous improvement practices, keep good records, and log any maintenance you are doing.

By using the seven steps listed above, you can significantly mitigate risks and ensure your projects go as smooth as possible."It's all about the process".

StructureTec Turns 25!

2016 marks another milestone in StructureTec history. This year, we celebrate our 25th year in business.

We have maintained 20% growth every year for the last 25 years and will continue to do so moving forward. Our capabilities and service offerings are unmatched in the industry. Our ability to perform for our clients in multiple project delivery methods, including: Design/Bid/Build, Design/Build, and Construction management, position us for significant growth in the years to come.

This company was founded on quality. Our reputation for quality is something we must maintain with growth. Our commitment to quality is what enables us to service such amazing clients, including those that have been with us since inception:

Our success is, and always will be, tied to the success of our employees and clients. Thank you for your trust and support over the last 25 years and we look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead!

StructureTec Executive Roundtable Dinner Recap

2015 Cincinnati Executive Roundtable
 

 

StructureTec recently hosted an executive roundtable dinner in Cincinnati, Ohio. The event brought in facilities management leaders for lively exchange and roundtable discussion. Below are the highlights and key takeaways:

Industry Leaders Collaborate …

Biggest Challenges

• “Conflicting Priorities” - Investment in product line vs. facilities management
• Investing back into the business
• Age vs. condition and educating management
• Capital vs. operating costs
• Succession planning
• Maintaining CMMS systems
• Securing skilled specialty contractors, i.e. masons
• Completing all priorities
• Budget

Strategic Facilities Capital Planning

• Improve assets and slow down deterioration
• Calculate cost to maintain vs. cost to replace
• First cost vs. life cycle cost of ownership
• Consequences of neglect
• Safety—Number 1 priority
• Proof for verification—pictures
• Checks and balances
• “Cradle to grave management”
• “Carbon footprint” reduction as a tool to obtain funding
• Zero-based budgeting

Closing

• Best practices
• Run to expire vs. long term investments
• Need to review engineering economics
• Facility Decisions can:
• Add value
• Mitigate risk
• Cause damage control
  

Throwback Thursday: "We've Got You Covered"

For this Throwback Thursday update, we've uncovered another great vintage StructureTec Group ad.

Although our StructureTec cowboys have long since retired, we still protect our clients investments through our best-in-class project management and delivery. Contact us today to find out how "We've Got You Covered!"

Lawrence Tech named one of the most environmentally responsible colleges in the U.S.

 

Recently Lawrence Technological University was added to the list of 'Green' Colleges. It now is among one of the 353 most environmentally friendly universities in the U.S.

 

One of the reasons it was selected was a result of their recently added green roof system (pictured below). Their green roof system was designed with oversight from StructureTec Group. Our expertise in green roof technology has allowed the university to stand out from the crowd as an environmentally responsible campus.

 

 

 

Check out our project profile below to learn how StructureTec Group played a vital role in the development of Lawrence Tech's green roof system.