Nature reserves her most interesting displays for the edges, such as the edge of the ocean, where it meets gentle sands or steep mountains. Edges on commercial roofs are a different issue altogether. Roof repairs that seem simple can sometimes be problems, like work at roof edges.
Edges Make Us Edgy
PSI Roofing has safety equipment and trained crews ready to work on low-slope commercial roofing edges. We understand the risks and proper methods to keep workers safely away from the edge, but we also understand that parapets need tending, mechanical fasteners at edges need replacing, and scuppers need clearing.
Work at the edge may seem easy; one wrong step, though, and your maintenance staff member could head right off your building’s roof. Please accept our advice and keep off the edges!
HVAC Curbs
Your building’s rooftop HVAC systems sit on custom-cut curbs that allow the cooling towers to be level, compensating for the slope.
Asking your maintenance staff — or worse, trying to do it yourself — to repair or make changes in the HVAC curbs is a simple idea that is actually very bad. Remember, the HVAC system created an actual hole in your property’s roof. Work done on or inside the curb can create water infiltration, tear up commercial roofing membrane, or damage insulation under that membrane. The low-slope curb is meant to be hydrostatic (watertight), and your work could unintentionally ruin that watertight seal.
You are better off spending a little money getting your commercial roofing contractor and HVAC contractor to work in coordination to solve any HVAC curb problem.
A Little Roof Cement
Just about the worst thing an unknowing facilities manager could do for commercial roofing is send a crew up with some product picked up at the local hardware store. Applying a little roof cement to stop a water leak or re-seal flashing is a bad idea. The cement may only cost $30 or $40 a gallon, but voiding the warranty on an entire roof by using the wrong chemical is an expensive mistake.
Protect your roof’s warranty. Skip the do-it-yourself repairs and enlist a local contractor experienced in commercial roofing.
For help with all your commercial roofing needs, repairs large or small, and roof asset management, turn to PSI Roofing today!
