A picture is worth a thousand words. Avoid unnecessary roof replacements

Roofs are replaced for the following reasons: (1) Need; (2) Failed attempts to resolve chronic leaking; or (3) Vested Interests.

Regardless of the reason, premature roof replacements waste time and money needed elsewhere. Only after the internal condition of the roof is seen can an accurate condition assessment be made.

Reduce the Scope of Planned Roof Replacements

If a site has 1 million square feet of roofing, this equals a $20,000,000 to $30,000,000 asset. Many roofs are regularly replaced every 15-18 years (often much sooner).  The best way to extend life is to keep roofs dry.

Per the U.S. Department of Energy on a national basis, roofs are replaced every 12-15 years. Based on a 15 year roof life, 33 percent of roof inventories should be replaced every 5 years (or in the case of 1 million square feet, 333,333 sq ft.)

If budget constraints have not accommodated this roof replacement schedule, it is likely that a bubble of roof replacements or millions in deferred maintenance can be expected. There is documentation of roofs that have been properly maintained and have exceed 40 years. Bottom-line, the actuarial approach to roof management and assuming a roof is dead due to age and physical inspection is an old fashioned idea and one that our economy can no longer afford.

If a 100,000 square foot roof was scheduled for replacement, would you spend $5,000 to determine the practicality of repair versus the replacement cost of $ 2—3 Million? This would require an investment in Castor’s X-Vison Thermal Mapping and Surveying reports based on volume purchase pricing.

Risk Management, Punitive Damages & insurance Recovery

Ensure your organization takes due care with a documented leak management strategy such as that offered by Castro Roofing’s X-Vision.  By documenting pre-existing conditions prior to storm damage you can maximize settlements for content damage, minimize claim denial due to pre-existing damage assertions, speed FEMA awards, avoid closed buildings, minimize lost productivity and mitigate punitive awards for slips and falls.

Link to University of Houston Case Study

Surgical/Sectional Repairs vs. Total Roof Replacement

The U.S. Dept. of Energy asserts that 95% of roof insulation removed is dry and the replacement of dry insulation is not necessary. Most roofs degrade by section due to moisture infiltration that degrades materials prematurely or design or construction defects. Budgets can be allocated to most urgent needs by identifying what sections can be preserved and replacing only those that are at the end of useful life.

If a client has 10 million square feet of flat roofing, the mission is to protect and extend the life of this $200,000,000 to $300,000,000 asset.

Reduce Energy

U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Labs (ORNL), studies reveal that wet insulation reduces thermal efficiency of heating and cooling by approximately 50 percent or is equal to having an open door on the  roof.  R-19 is effectively reduced to only R-11.

ORNL recommends identifying areas of dry insulation and only removing those sections which are wet and beyond useful life.

According to Insulation.org the heat loss from wet insulation may be as high as 10 times that of dry insulation.

By avoiding insulation removal, landfill waste from roofing could be reduced nationwide by 25 percent; Roofing landfill currently represents 4 percent of the total solid waste in the US.

 “Evaluating a single-metered building, we determined an energy savings of almost $10,000 on only one 25,000 square foot building by removing wet insulation.”

Avoid Indoor Air Quality Problems

Building envelopes that allow moisture infiltration are a cause for mold and mildew. Mitigate this major cause of closed buildings and litigation surrounding the issues of poor IAQ. Issues of IAQ are becoming the asbestos of the decade. Knowing where to look is the all important ingredient in resolving IAQ abatement issues.

“Pinpointed water intrusion in a single wall that could have escalated into an indoor air quality problem. We tried and could not find the source of the problem until we got the report.”

Hold Contractors Accountable

Hold contractors, roof consultants, etc. accountable for the work done and advice given. Use X-Vision to commission new roofs or for inspecting roofs planned for replacement. Many new roofs are delivered wet; many roofs recommended for roof replacement are eligible for surgical or sectional repair with many years of useful life remaining.

X-Vision Thermal Mapping and Surveying is the best bang for the buck!

Benefits included:

• Re-Ordered roof replacement plan. Dollars reallocated to wet instead of dry roofs.
• Restoration plan to spend on repairs vs. replacements.
• Extend life of roof

Quite simply, X-Vision intelligence helps clients avoid premature roof replacements, targets repair strategies for roofs/walls and increases staff efficiency by pinpointing problems. Identifying “energy hog” buildings can target efforts to reduce energy consumption.

The result of utilizing X-Vison technology means extending roof life, saving energy dollars and avoiding indoor air quality issues.

Disaster Recovery Best Practice

• Annual Thermal Mapping Baseline of all your Campuses & Buildings
• Post Event Mapping
• Independent ASTM Guideline Coring & Gravimetric Core Testing at an ASTM Certified Lab which ICC will Assist in Managing