Use roof budget for keeping roofs healthy, NOT for already dead roofs

A picture is worth a thousand words. Avoid unnecessary roof replacement using thermal scanns

Roofs are replaced for many reasons. Here are our top 3 reasons:

(1) Need.
(2) Failed attempts to permanently stop chronic roof leaking.
(3) Personal or private reasons.

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

Replacing damaged roofs can cost as much as $7 to $21 per square foot, and billions of dollars are lost every year because of premature roof failure.  The main causes of premature roof failure and high maintenance costs are moisture intrusion and undetected wet insulation inside the roofing system.

Infrared imaging can help locate wet insulation in most flat roofs as well as helping to narrow the search for a possible leak source. Infrared scanning finds problem wet areas in roofing systems. This allows for substantial cost savings for roof replacement projects since tear-off may be minimized to select areas rather than the entire roof system. Both of which can save you money.

Because thermal imaging makes apparent temperature differences viewable, it is excellent at finding moisture and then documenting problem areas during roof inspections.  The roof absorbs heat during the day and releases it when the temperature falls later.  Wet areas release heat slower than dry areas.  Because of this, the wet and dry areas are readily viewable in a thermal image, which displays apparent temperature differences as gradient colors.

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Building X-Vision
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Getting Started with Your Infrared Surveying Strategy

Thermal scans of your roof system can quickly and accurately evaluate the health of your roof without the need for destructive testing. Save money on your next roof replacement project or save big on energy costs:

  • Reduce Energy
  • Reduce scope of planned roof replacement
  • Surgical/Sectional Repairs vs. Total Roof Replacement
  • Improved Budget Planning
  • “Curtin Damage” (hidden damage)
Reduced Energy

Reduce energy cost by reducing the roof temperature by 20%-40%

Moisture trapped in your roofing system significantly reduces your insulation’s R-value which leads to increased cooling and heating costs.

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.”

Reduced Scope

Reduce the scope of planned roof replacements

Repair vs Replacement

The X-Vision infrared scanning services and the reports we provide will help you better plan for long-term repairs and maintenance on your buildings roof system.

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.

Repair vs Replace

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.

Improved Budget

Improved Budget Planning

The X-Vision infrared scanning services and the reports we provide will help you better plan for long-term repairs and maintenance to avoid wasting money replacing major parts of the roof system unnecessarily. It will also help spot trouble areas before major leak repairs or re-roofs are needed. In addition, many roofing manufacturers are now require regular infrared scans to keep your warranty in effect.

Curtain Damage

Curtin Damage

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.

“We were ready to accept $4 Million… X-Vision service resulted in our getting $26.3 Million for 30 problem roofs following Hurricane Ike. Today we have a campus of water tight buildings and a 98% reduction in leak reports to show for it!”

Use roof budget for keeping roofs healthy.
Use roof budget for keeping roofs healthy.
Benefits of a Roof Infrared Moisture Scan
Benefits of a Roof Infrared Moisture Scan
What do you think of when you hear the word “infrared”?
What do you think of when you hear the word “infrared”?
X-Vision Thermal Mapping & Surveying is the best bang for the buck!
X-Vision Thermal Mapping & Surveying is the best bang for the buck!
How does infrared thermography work?
How does infrared thermography work?
Perform a roof scan before replacing your roof
Perform a roof scan before replacing your roof
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