www.rcabc.org  l  21 FEATURE design, construction and performance of the building envelope. What does this mean for roofing? For one thing, transitions in planes must be properly flashed and sealed. Furthermore, continuity of the air control layer is critical around penetrations, including roof drains, and extra care must be taken when screwing materials to the deck to avoid misses and the inevitable holes in the air control membrane that can compromise the entire system. Finally, the air control layer for the roof must properly tie into, and seal with, the same layers used in the walls. Good details from the Design Authority will provide guidance for this important tran- sition, but in the absence of well-executed drawings, the roofer must coordinate this work with those trades working on the walls or intersecting glazing. All of this is important to the roofing contractor for one reason. While trades concerned with walls, windows and doors often will be able to go back and fix what didn’t work the first time the building was air-pressure tested (often, wall assemblies are left unfinished for the test), the roofer doesn’t have that luxury. The reason? In many cases, the roof must be completely installed before the building can be tested (this is particularly true for Part 3 and 9 structures with low-sloped roofs). And who wants to take apart a finished roof to fix an air barrier that failed the test because it wasn’t installed properly the first time? It takes a village The Step Code is transforming the work of roofing from what it was to what it is already becoming – a specialist trade in the construction of the building envelope. Nearly gone are the days when a roof was just a roof, distinct in scope and function from other parts of the building. The “enve- lope first” approach of the Step Code has changed all that. Today it takes a team of people, each coordinating their work with other specialists, to successfully build a Step Code-compliant building. Complex buildings only emphasize the importance of expertise, cooperation and coordination among trades. To be a recognized roofing specialist, roofing contractors will have to train their workers to install every layer of the roof system successfully, the first time. But requi- site skill sets go well beyond handling mate- rials or sealing around details. Coordinating work among trades will also take patience, good people skills, and the capacity to negotiate win-win outcomes. The roofing contractor who invests in staff to develop these skills will do well in a future that demands excellence every step of the way. We’ve authored the book on great roofing design and construction stan- dards. Learn more about our RoofStar Guarantee Program at www.rcabc.org, or visit our Roofing Practices Manual at rpm.rcabc.org/. James Klassen is a RoofStar Technical Advisor and staff writer with the Roofing Contractors Association of British Columbia. He is an experienced roofing estimator, Occupational Health and Safety professional, independent Insurance Claims Adjuster, and Facilities Manager for a large private school in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley, overseeing facilities maintenance, grounds management, custodial services, school transportation and driver education, and capital projects. www.roofmart.ca