Maintenance is an essential part of preserving the integrity of your low slope roofing system. Generally, roofs should be inspected twice a year — once in the spring and then again in the fall. While an inspector will perform these formal inspections, it’s important that as the building owner you are aware of potential issues year-round. Keep your roof performing at its best with these five low slope roof maintenance tips:

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) approved by President Trump on Dec. 22, 2017, implemented major tax legislation affecting the way business taxpayers depreciate tangible property and improvements to commercial property.  

I was recently asked, “What will roofing membranes look like in the future?” It got me thinking about all the changes I’ve seen in the industry over the decades. Having worked with commercial roofing membranes to some degree since 1979, I’ve witnessed the astounding transformation of the commercial roofing industry. The most notable transformation has taken place in the products offered and their performance.

Since 1979, I’ve been witnessing the amazing evolution of the commercial roof warranty.  However, what once was a gesture of reliability between roofing contractor and building owner, has become a crutch that clouds what’s really important – the quality of your roofing system itself.

High wind events are inevitable occurrences. However, it is common for people to underestimate the true impact of these events unless they have experienced one first hand. The reality is wind events cause a significant amount of damage to both property and life every year. As a result, politicians on both sides of the aisle continue to push for improved and defined construction standards tailored specifically to protecting the lives of the public when a wind event occurs.

Both roofing systems and the structures they protect need to be resilient against numerous situations, including natural weather events like hurricanes. Hurricane Katrina brought disaster to the Gulf Coast, disaster that could have been minimized through the implementation of stronger building codes. Had stronger building codes been in place prior to the arrival of Hurricane Katrina, it is estimated that wind damage would have been reduced by 80%.

As a facility manager or building owner, you want to take care of your employees and ensure they are working in a safe and comfortable environment. As a result, HVAC units are purchased and most commonly placed on the roof of your commercial building. However, the HVAC units, while beneficial, can cause roof problems if facility managers and building owners are not aware of potential dangers. By paying attention to the following risks you’ll be able to protect both your roofing system and employees from any hazards that may result from a faulty HVAC.

Since the technology was reintroduced to the U.S. roofing market in the 2008 time frame, Induction Welded membrane attachment has continued to gain market share in the industry. Currently, the technology applies to an estimated 5% of the roofing market. Below, you will find an overview of the history of the technology, as well as some benefits of using an induction welded membrane attachment system.

Commercial roofing, as we know it today, was founded on Built-up Roofing (BUR). BUR is composed of layers of roofing felts adhered together, most commonly by asphalt. To achieve this, the asphalt is melted and spread / mopped onto the roofing felts, with additional felts laid into the melted asphalt. Asphalt was, and is, used as an adhesive.

Green roofs are great additions to your building in regards to improving stormwater management and creating unique aesthetics. However, they can also be viewed as a safe haven by a number of pests. Just like any other green space, animals and insects will inevitably flock to your new roof. Implementing a pest control system can help you avoid creating a space overrun with wildlife. The following tips should be considered prior to installing a green roofing system and implementing a pest management plan.