April 27, 2007

ZINCO CANADA INC.

Green roofs are becoming popular with the lean to LEED but they also present unique challenges for contractors.

Roofers, roofing designers not always the same

DAN O’REILLY

correspondent

Looking in the yellow pages for a roofer could be the worst business decision that a designer or contractor ever made, a roofing consultant told members of the building envelope profession recently.

“The phone book is a marketing tool, not a reference to quality and ability,” said Graydon Hexham of Richmond Hill-based Pinnacle Roofing Consultants Inc.

A guest speaker at the Building Envelope Solutions Conference in Toronto, Hexham used the yellow pages allegory to drive home the point that all aspects of roof design and construction requires considerable research.

“You just can’t ask someone to give you a roof. You must get as much detail as you can,” said Hexham, pointing out that a lot of myths are perpetuated in the roofing business, including the idea that a roofing contractor should actually design the roof.

“A good roofer could design your roof. But does the roofer have Errors and Omissions insurance? Is he current on all products, systems and code requirements?”

Some roofers will recommend a design that will help them get the job rather than what may be best for the project, he pointed out.

While promoting the need for roofing consultants, Hexham said there are misconceptions in the design and construction industries about their role, purpose and what they charge for their services.

“When choosing a consultant, owners and project managers have to consider the cost of the entire project and not just the consultant’s fees.”

Another myth in the business is that a roof that doesn’t leak is a good roof. Even if a leak is stopped, the cause may be linked to more damage that, if not discovered and repaired or repaired incorrectly, will substantially increase cost of the roof, he said.

Focusing on roofing styles and materials, Hexham said that not all roofs are created equal and there are many different types, plus insulations, flashings and surfacings to consider.

Some design criteria include an analysis of capital costs versus life cycle costs, service life, maintenance, accessibility, R-value and especially warranty.

If disputes over a roofing project accelerate to legal action and go to court, one of the first things a judge will want to examine is the warranty, the audience was told.

“You need a good manufacturer and you need a good contractor,” said Hexham, recommending that both should be based in Canada and have Canadian assets.

Otherwise owners and developers may have to launch lawsuits in the United States if legal disputes do arise.

Other topics covered by Hexham included a comparison of the advantages of green roofs versus white roofs, the benefits of the LEED green building system, and a warning about increased costs and possible future restrictions on waste disposal and diversion.

Roof removal and dumping fees have “gone through the roof” and at some point the disposal of roofing systems may become more difficult as landfill site operators become more particular about certain materials such as EPDM and coal tar pitch, he said.

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