THE ONLY SOURCE FOR PROFESSIONAL ICI ROOFING CONTRACTORS IN ONTARIO ORN 10  ONTARIO ROOFING NEWS – WINTER 2017 Roof Design Benefit and Necessity of Roof Design and Maintenance: Designing for No/Low Maintenance The following article appeared in the February 6, 2018 edition of JMRoofing.news, an official publication of Johns Manville, and is reprinted with their permission. Abstract Roofing systems are a significant investment not only due to their cost but because of the value of the contents they protect. Many manufactur- ers issue watertight guarantees for terms up to 30 years on select roofing systems; however, many items interact with these roofing systems that don’t last nearly that long. Products such as caulking/sealants and some coatings, when left exposed to the elements, have closer to a 2-5-year life span. When exposed to conditions such as ponding water or chemical output and con- tamination, these times can be shortened dramatically. Properly draining roofing systems, redundant flashing details, and mini- mizing penetrations are all design items that can eliminate dependency on products that aren’t designed to last for the long term. In addition to the design, maintenance should be conducted to prolong the life of your roof, similar to how changing the oil in your vehicle prolongs the life of the en- gine. As each building site is unique, there are environmental and geograph- ic conditions that deserve individual consideration. When designing for long-term performance, all of these items must be considered together to create an environment with straightforward details and systems that a building owner can manage with relative ease. Introduction Contrary to popular opinion, the maintenance-free roof system is a misnomer. All roofs require a certain level of attention. In fact, from the moment of installation, the roofing system undergoes continuous deterio- ration. Extreme temperature fluctuations – as well as snow, ice, hail and wind – prevail upon the roofing surface. In essence, the elements that we construct roofs to protect us from also contribute the most to the aging of the roof systems over their service life. Traffic on the roof and the installa- tion of mechanical and other types of equipment can also cause physical damage that contributes significantly to roofing deterioration. In addition to concern about the elements, several components and materials that serve as accessories to roof systems require continual main- tenance. These accessories are frequently overlooked in the design phase, where the emphasis is on the type of membrane system, which is often dictated by price and length of warranties. In the design of a new building, many designers view the roof as just another exterior component. This is not meant as criticism; it is sim- ply based on the common perception of roofs, which is “out of sight, out of mind.” This perception is heightened by the fact that initial roof construction costs are only a fraction of the total building costs, and be- cause low-slope roofs do not contribute to the aesthetics of the building. Consequently, this means roof design is an afterthought. What is often overlooked is that the roof is one of the largest exterior components (comprising up to 70 per cent* of the total exterior) and maintenance costs are typically 60+ per cent* of the building’s lifetime maintenance budget. These are costs that building owners are becoming well aware of and that is why there is now a more concentrated effort to encourage design for no/low maintenance systems. While the weathering process of roof systems cannot be prevented, cer- tain design elements, combined with technological advancements in roof maintenance materials, can amount to a major step in minimizing main- tenance requirements. Design of no/low-maintenance roof systems can minimize roof ownership costs, maintain good roof integrity, extend the service life and keep roof warran- ties intact. WhyRoofsNeedMaintenance Roofs are exposed to the ele- ments 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and the levels of ex- posure they’re subjected to are intense. In the summer, the roof surface temperature can exceed 180 °F. In the winter, the roof sur- face can be coated with snow and ice for continuous weeks. Problems are not always induced by the elements; they can also man- ifest from physical abuse. Dropped tools from tradesmen, particularly around mechanical equipment, can puncture the membrane, creating an opening for moisture intrusion into the system. Equipment dragged across the roof can also damage the membrane. Areas of distress can be detected at roof entry points where flashing may be damaged by foot traffic. If these conditions are not re- paired in a timely manner (or at all) they can manifest into serious and expensive problems for the building owner. None of these conditions are typically covered by the manufac- turer’s warranty. While some designers may select roof materials based on their war- ranty coverage, the designer should be conscious of building use and location as well as any warranty coverage. Warranties should not be viewed as “safety nets” that will pro- tect the owner from all roof-related issues. For instance, virtually all war- ranties provided by roof material manufacturers expressly state that the building owner is required to complete maintenance of the roof system throughout its service life. The absence of proper maintenance may be grounds to negate warranty coverage. Read the fine print of the warranty and clarify with the manu- facturer what they consider to be maintenance items. It should be noted that most warranties cover only the roof system components (underlayment, insulation, mem- brane, flashings) and end at the flashing material. Materials used for terminations (metal and sealant), intersections of different materials, and some of the accessories are not covered under the warranty. Periodic maintenance is a critical piece to achieving the ex- pected service life of the roofing sys- tem. The life span of these materials is also far shorter than the roof sys- tem components covered under the Canadian Aviation Museum, Ottawa; photo courtesy of Flynn Group of Companies