You may already know the primary problems they may face with their flat roof system. It is your responsibility to impart that knowledge in a clear, concise, and understandable fashion to your current or potential customer. What is the best way to do that? You can share the information on your company social media (think Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.). You can share expertise via your website blog. You can have a flyer made to provide various details. There are many options. What is not an option is failing to support your commercial clients with the information they desperately need to make good financial decisions.

In case you are newer to flat roof systems or are looking for more information about their potential issues, we are sharing the top 5 reasons ponding water on a roof is a problem.

Why is Ponding Water a Concern?

The very nature of a flat or low-slope roof causes ponding water problems. Without a significant slope to remove it from the roof, the water will pond in low areas. Why is this a problem? There are several reasons to consider.

Gravity. If moisture has nowhere else to go, gravity will cause it to seek any tiny imperfection in the roofing system to move downward. This leads directly to leak development and resulting structural damage.

Vegetation. Stagnant water is a petrie dish for the development of mold, mildew and other forms of vegetation. Many of these use a root system, which can penetrate the roofing system and cause the very defects that lead to the development of leaks. Additionally, some of this vegetation is extremely unhealthy for the people the roofing system is designed to protect.

Pests. Standing water provides the opportunity for pests to gather. Not only is it a breeding ground for mosquitoes, it provides a gathering location for birds, rodents and other pests to find their necessary water.

Weight. Depending on the size of the ponding area, it could be adding unanticipated weight to the roofing structure. A single gallon of water weighs 8.34 pounds. You can quickly see how large areas of ponding can add substantial weight to specific structural locations. Those locations may not be sufficiently reinforced to support that weight.

Collapse. Over time, left unchecked that ponding water will lead to system failure and will eventually get into the structure. The structure will weaken and collapse. No roofing system or substructure can withstand the damage of unchecked water year after year.

How to Address Ponding Water Issues

There is no point in identifying a problem if you aren’t willing to offer some solutions. Here are a few ways to identify and address water ponding.

Inspections. Scheduled inspections help identify the existence of a ponding water issue. Simply put, you can’t fix what you don’t know is broken. The NRCA states water found standing on flat roofs for longer than 2 full days after a storm should be examined by a professional commercial roofing contractor.

Maintenance. Appropriate maintenance of the flat roof system is paramount. This is how those small defects that may exist are corrected, reducing the risk of system compromise from the accumulated water.

Repairs. Any repair should be made promptly and correctly. Though it doesn’t stop the water from ponding, it does reduce the likelihood of more extensive damage from occurring.

Restoration. The application of a coating, spray foam or single-ply membrane improves the waterproofing of the system and helps seal any existing defects. If the ponding is due to collapsed insulation or other “low spot” in the roofing structure, it can also help fill in the area for a more even roof.

Gutters. Gutters need to be cleaned and inspected at least twice a year. Debris build-up is another common reason water can begin to pond on a system. This is such an easy fix. There is no excuse for it ever occurring.

Drains. The installation of drains may become necessary. Experts recommend a drain every 80 feet to allow for proper and efficient water removal.

Replacement. If the problem is extensive or caused by issues like collapsing insulation, weakened structure or even a foundational issue, the only answer to the problem may be a full tear off and replacement to address the deficiencies.

Remember, more than just an eyesore, ponding water is truly a hazardous condition to any flat roof system. Left unchecked, it will ultimately lead to system failure and the risk of a catastrophic loss to your client. Do them a favor, and make sure they know the risks. They will appreciate it.

Your objective is to get a clear picture of the condition of the building and existing roof so that the bid you submit accurately reflects the costs involved. If extensive repair and construction work appears necessary, you will need to figure in the extra time, labor and materials. You may need to obtain estimates if subcontractors will be providing reconstruction or repair work.

Taking Photos or Video

During this physical inspection stage, using a camera or video camera is strongly recommended. Useful in putting together your bid, the photos or video you take during inspection also serve to document preexisting problems and conditions. In the event that a building owner later discovers damage to the building or property, your pre-inspection pictures are evidence that damage was in existence prior to the presence of you or your crew. Photographs or video protect you and your reputation.

Interior Inspection

When inspecting the inside of a building, begin by looking at the ceiling. Is there evidence of leakage? Look for sagging suspended roofing, water stains, and wet tiles, and make a note of their location. Later, in the actual roof inspection stage, you will check to see if they corresponded to flaws visible from the exterior. With metal ceilings, rust stains from condensation can be your clue. Up-close investigation will determine if the deck is still sound enough to roof over, or will require complete tear-off.

Take note of the building’s ventilation provisions. While this is important in any case, it is of particular concern in buildings with metal roof decks. Voids or seams in the deck may currently be serving as building ventilation. Continuous roof membranes such as Conklin roofing systems tend to seal off these voids, preventing vapor and moisture escape. Serious condensation problems (which owners may interpret as a leaking roof) could result if new ventilation provisions are not made. This factor must be considered in your bid.

Exterior Inspection

Once you have assessed the building’s interior, an exterior investigation is in order. Follow the same procedure as before, taking pictures of the building grounds and exterior, noting any structural problems such as cracks in the walls or foundation, or evidence of settling or erosion. If such problems exist, bring them to the owner’s attention and request an engineer’s inspection to determine the building’s stability.

Grounds

You may want to go beyond the building itself and take a look at the parking facilities, sidewalks and landscaping surrounding the structure. It is an unfortunate fact that in the past, roofing contractors have been held liable for damaged sidewalks and shrubbery, which were, in fact, preexisting conditions. With documentation in the form of photographs, video and dated notes, you can help protect yourself against such claims.

Inspecting the Roof

In looking at the roof itself, there are several factors, which will affect your bid. First and foremost, consider the general condition of the actual roof. Evaluate its appearance both in the center and around the perimeter.

On a built-up roof, look for signs of:

• Checking, splitting, blistering, gravel turnover
• Ply separation, ridging, bare felts

In areas of the roof display severe blistering, splitting, or alligatoring, the substrate must be repaired or replaced before any coating can be applied. Failure to do so could result in later complications with the roof and coating, requiring you to make repairs at your own expense.

Be sure to check the exterior parapet walls for deterioration. This can be the result of either flashing problems or structural instability. Also, check all roof protrusions such as skylights, vents and air conditioning units for signs of leakage. If the flashing or seals around any of these are defective, they will need to be replaced.

On a roof of plain galvanized metal, look for evidence of rust and check out the method or attachment to the structure below. Examine the condition of the screws and nails holding the metal panels in place. Are they still secure, or have they worked loose? Any loose screws or nails will have to be retightened or replaced.

Drainage

Besides the general condition of the roof, one of the most important things to note is the drainage provided. Minimum industry standards call for slope of at least ¼” per foot. However, even with this degree of slope a roof can settle and weather into depressions, which collect water.

This commonly occurring problem, known as “ponding,” is a result of ineffective drainage. Ponding is defined as thirty-six or more square feet of water at least ¼” deep forty-eight hours after a rain. A ponding problem can threaten the life of the roof and the building underneath. This problem cannot account for more than 5% of the entire roof surface.

Any roof you work on should shed water completely. If it does not, you must remedy the problem. This means either the addition of a new drain wherever ponding occurs of the installation of crickets, tapered boardstock or polyurethane foam to build up the low areas and guide water toward existing drains.

Structural Load

Due to the weight of roofing felts and bitumen, the maximum allowable layering is two built-up roofs. Frequently, you may encounter situations where more than two complete built-up roofs have been layered in an effort to solve chronic leakage problems. This places a tremendous load on the supporting deck. Also, roofs exceeding the two-roof limit tend to be unstable and should be removed to two built-up roofs or less. Some local building codes may also prohibit more than two roof layers due to weight loads.

If the owner wishes you to put down new material, it is important to know the present roof load. If it is already near the building’s structural limits, the old roof must be completely removed and a new one installed. Tear-off and reconstruction involve a tremendous amount of time and labor, so it is important to determine this before you submit our bid.

Taking Core Samples

Use core samples to determine the type of insulation in place and its thickness. This can help you decide whether additional insulation needs to be added, and at what rate. The sample will also reveal the moisture content of the roofing material. Even if the surface layers of the roof appear to be dry, moisture in the bottom layers can badly blister your new system. Knowing this moisture factor is essential. No Conklin Roofing System may be applied over a damp roof.

Pay special attention to gravel built-up roofs, which can appear on the surface to be dry and level, but may be masking severe ponding problems. Always dig down through gravel or other loose aggregate and make certain the roof is not wet underneath. Core samples provide the best security.

A core sample can also help you assess what the roof deck itself is comprised of. From the interior of a building, looking up, the deck may appear to be metal, but a roof sample may reveal it to be metal topped with wood or concrete.

If the deck is made of wood, you need to determine its moisture content and assess the possibility of rot, mold or insect infestation. With concrete, important clues to look for are cracking, mildew and decomposition. These conditions often call for a complete roof tear-off, so an early diagnosis is critical.

One final benefit of taking roof samples is the discovery of how the substrate was adhered to the roof deck. Since there are a handful of right ways and hundreds of wrong ways to fasten a roofing system to a deck, it is important to know how each substrate is adhered to the deck before you start. Was it mechanically fastened or simply “glued down” with a layer of hot asphalt? If an inadequate method of adhering was initially used, the whole substrate could eventually work itself loose, delaminating Conklin coating.

Assessing a roof’s condition and getting a handle on the costs and risks involved can be somewhat difficult. No two situations are ever exactly the same. If there is ever a question in your mind about the integrity of a roof deck or substrate, or how to go about testing them, do not hesitate to call Conklin’s Building Products Department. These specialists can answer your roofing questions and offer tried and true suggestions.

Nondestructive Moisture Detection

One of the most important reasons for obtaining core samples is the need to identify and replace any areas of trapped moisture. However, should the owner object to your cutting into the roof for core samples, there are alternative, nondestructive methods for locating roof moisture. As the name implies, nondestructive methods provide this information without damage to the roof membrane.

Nuclear Moisture Detection

Nuclear moisture detectors work by identifying the hydrogen atoms in water by means of a radioactive source. The source contains about one milligram of radioactive radium or americium and a small about of beryllium. Neutrons are generated in the detection unit and travel outward until they encounter atoms in the roof system. The neutrons then slow down, and some are bounced back toward the unit. A counter on the nuclear detector records the number of returning neutrons, which translates into the number of hydrogen atoms, i.e. water, in the roof.

These figures are plotted on a grid of approximately four square feet and take from one to five minutes per measurement. The hand-held detector itself is about the size of a lunch box and weighs approximately twenty pounds.

Capacitance Methods

Capacitance methods of moisture detection are based on the fact that most materials have dielectric constants. The capacitance unit has two metal pads, which sit on the roof while an electrical current is passed between them. The curve of the resulting electrical arc determines the dielectric constant present. While the dielectric constant reading of most dry, solid roofing materials is in the one to four range, a constant of nearly eighty is expected for water. Thus, elevated readings indicate both the presence and severity of the moisture problem.

The capacitance equipment can take these readings within two minutes, but the roof surface must be completely dry for accuracy. Measurements are made on a grid, just as in nuclear detection.

Infrared Imagery or “Thermography”

Infrared imagery, or thermography, detects the loss of heat through the roof. When a roof becomes wet, its insulation properties are reduced. The most areas of the roof conduct more heat through the roof than the dry areas. This is revealed through light and dark areas on the film or video.

This form of thermography is most often accomplished by flying over a roof at night while taking aerial infrared pictures. A lack of detail, however, often occurs when the images are recorded from such altitudes.

Greater accuracy is actually achieved when hand-held equipment is used while the roof is walked. The wet areas are documented on film or video, then marked off on the roof with spray paint. With this type of close-range thermography, the entire roof is scanned, generating data on every square foot. Best results are achieved at dawn or dusk, when the temperature differential is greatest.

To follow up any nondestructive test method, areas which indicate moisture should be core sampled as previously described to verify the degree of wetness. The results of the core sample will show if any material replacement is necessary.

Evaluating the Job: Some Cost Considerations

In addition to all typical major costs, such as the product and labor required, other factors will need to be considered before you submit our bid. One is “bucket loss,” the five to fifteen percent of the product, which remains on the sides of the product container. From a five-gallon container, therefore, you can expect to fully utilize only 4.25 to 4.75 gallons. Also, when using the spray application method, count on a wind loss of anywhere from 5-15%. The surface texture of the area to be coated also factors very strongly in the amount of product needed for adequate coverage.

Equipment costs vary from job to job, depending on the Conklin system used, the condition of the existing roof and the specific substrate preparation required.

Other costs, which are sometimes overlooked include:

• Transportation of crew and equipment to and from the job site, with allowance for fuel and vehicle wear.
• Wear and tear on rollers, brushes, ladders, and spray equipment. Also, figure in any fuel costs of operating your equipment.
• Special insurance costs, which may apply when working around or above expensive equipment.
• Costs to further inspections and repairs if a warranty agreement or maintenance contract is sold.

These are just some of the “hidden costs” of the roofing business. As you gain more and more experience in a greater variety of roofing jobs, you will no doubt develop lists of such expenses and develop a greater ability to accurately estimate each job. Accepting small jobs and working with your sponsor initially will help you gain this experience while minimizing your financial risk.

Many new construction and renovation projects run over-budget. Unfortunately, this roofing portion of the project is a common scapegoat for cost overrun. Because the roof is less noticeable, it is often the first area to suffer in a budget pinch. As you bid, bid specific work for a specific price. If either price or service change in the middle of a job, do not accept verbal changes. To protect yourself contractually and financially, keep every agreement exclusively in writing.

Whether your project involves reroofing, retrofit or new construction, insist on a pre-job conference with all interested parties. Get a clear picture of what you are expected to provide and at what price, which area of the project your proposal addresses, and what materials and labor are covered in the proposal. This coordination between parties will help ensure a high-quality, timely project with fewer disputes over costs and areas of responsibility.

Bidding on New Construction

In this case, the project architect is responsible for specifying the roofing portion of the project. If a job interests you, it is up to you to demonstrate to the general contractor or project architect that Conklin’s systems match or surpass the specified product. The long-range goal, of course, is for a Conklin coating to become the specified product.

The architect’s specifications will sometimes list one of more manufacturers, with a qualifier such as “Product X or approved equal.” “Approved equal” generally means that in order to bid a different product, you need approval from the architect. If the wording “or equal” is used without “approved,” you must simply show that the material submitted equals or exceeds the specified product. Even when Product X is specified without the qualifiers, “equal” or “approved equal,” it is still common to submit voluntary alternatives. Architects and owners will usually consider these alternates if they are presented in a professional manner and promise cost-savings for the project through less expensive materials and/or labor.

In the case of the General Contract award, as mentioned previously, subcontractors submit roofing proposals to the general contractors bidding on the job. The general contractors each evaluate their numerous subcontractor bids and submit a comprehensive bid to the owner. The winning contractor then awards the individual subcontracts for each different part of the job. Thus, a roofing subcontractor is contracted with, and employed by, the general contractor for the roofing portion of the project.

These contracts can involve much interaction with architects and owners, and legal language, which binds the subcontractor to certain regulations and conditions, including possible union labor stipulations.

Bidding on Retrofit

While the bidding documents for new construction may sometimes be intimidating to a new roofer, in retrofit they usually take the form of a more straightforward proposal, submitted by the roofer directly to the owner of a commercial building. While your responsibility in retrofit is certainly no less than in new construction, the contracts and legal language are likely to be less complex. And, you will probably be dealing with the building owner unless your roofing project is part of a large-scale, overall building renovation. In this case, the job may more closely resemble a typical new construction project with more complex legal documents and regulations.

Importance of Accuracy

While consulting a lawyer to interpret contracts is not usually necessary, it is imperative that you fully understand all the requirements in the documents, and feel confident you can meet them. Carelessness in reviewing specs and contracts can lead to your liability for failing to follow stipulations. Your reputation and future job prospects depend greatly on this professional attitude toward your work.

Since a majority of Conklin roofing projects involve retrofit treatment, the remainder of this blog post focuses on the steps and procedures in inspecting and bidding retrofit work.

Consulting with the Building Owner

When you have learned of a retrofit roofing job that interests you, the next step is to meet with the owner to discuss his or her needs and gain a more complete understanding of the job.

To this initial consultation, you should bring a notebook or clipboard for jotting down information, as well as brochures and spec sheets on Conklin’s products. Also helpful are any professional references earned from past jobs. These factors will help maintain our image as a professional contractor network.

Building a Roof History

The building owner should have blueprints and specifications describing the roof’s structure and composition. However, be aware that these plans may have been created before such additions as new wings, penthouse suites, air conditioning, solar units, and other alterations. The city may also have building plans on file.

Check to see if the ownership has been constant. If the building has changed hands, ask if the blueprints and documents are up to date. Do not proceed until you are satisfied that the information given to you is accurate and current. Once your bid is accepted and the actual work has begun, you may have little recourse if “surprises” occur concerning the roof’s structure.

The owner or manager should be able to tell you what, if any, repair work has been done and when it was completed. Knowing how the building was constructed, where supports are located, and what roof deck materials were used can be invaluable, if, for instance, it becomes necessary to install a new drain of lay down boardstock prior to roofing treatment. Different materials, time and labor are required for different roof decks. Knowing all the facts ahead of time can help you make a quick and accurate assessment of the situation.

Intended Use of Building

Another important fact to establish with the owner is the actual and intended usage of the building. For instance, is it used for manufacturing, storage or shipping? Are high levels of humidity present? Are hazardous fumes generated that require special ventilation? Is the interior of the building subject to sudden or extreme temperature changes? All these factors are valuable background information, which can make accurate evaluations during the subsequent on-site inspection.

Crucial Details to Record

Information about each completed roofing job should include batch numbers of all products used, quantity of materials and work hours required, any subcontractor fees paid, equipment rental, weather conditions during application and any special conditions that require monitoring. It is essential that all contractual agreements also be kept in the job file. This would include copies of your initial bid, contractor’s agreement, documentation of any verbal agreements concerning the job, maintenance provisions or warranties.

Update the job file regularly with notes from annual or biannual follow-up inspections. This gives you a history of the roof, including its longevity and performance, along with a record of any repairs or maintenance, and their cost, etc.

Why Keeping Records is Important

The reason for keeping such extensive records is their potential future value. If at some later point a roof problem develops, information collected in this file can offer valuable clues. Also, keeping records on the time and product used to complete a project helps form a job history, useful in preparing for future bids.

This information can be valuable in demonstrating your products’ performance to customers as well as serving as a reference for bidding new jobs. You may even want to use one of your job files as a portfolio to show potential customers. Your careful record keeping and attention to detail will demonstrate your ability to organize your people and equipment and perform the job in a professional matter.

Software for Data Management and Invoicing

Choice Roof Contractor Group has partnered with Accu-Rix Software to provide our nationwide alliance of commercial roof contractors with a powerful tool to manage their bids, contracts, job cost accounting, P&L statements, reminders, and more. Accu-Rix provides the only customer management software specifically tailored for contractors who use Conklin roofing systems, which we use exclusively. To learn more, visit A.R.S. Contractor Promo Video.

Contact us to receive member discount pricing!