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Roof Penetrations & Mechanical Fit-Out Alterations
Click Here to see a sample story about how Cooper Roofing Corporation solved a leak in rooftop mechanical equipment.
It is no coincidence that as many as 80% of the roof leaks we encounter are related to rooftop “penetrations,” locations where rooftop equipment is installed over or attached through the roof into the roof structure. Whether residential, commercial, industrial or institutional, this is true of all roofing classes and categories.
“Open field” areas of the roof, (where there are no interruptions in the roof structure), usually perform without leak incidents. It is where equipment, feed lines, or support structures “penetrate” the roof, that leaks normally occur. These penetrations include, chimneys, curbs, skylights, vents, pipes, drains, power and control line connections, mechanical equipment, and other rooftop fixtures.
Penetrations are intended to be equipped with all the proper waterproofing measures required to keep them watertight. Good intentions, though, don’t always bear good results. Penetrations are a necessary evil. All roofs require them in some form of application.
Where commercial, industrial, and institutional roofing is concerned, installing rooftop penetrations is a science. Large HVAC (heating /venting/ air conditioning) units must be engineered to provide both comfortable air exchange and proper rooftop integration. Calculating equipment weight, how it is being supported by the roof’s substructure, where the ductwork penetrations will be located, and how it all ties into the roof system, is critical when marrying equipment to your roof.
How the unit fits onto the roof and how it carries it’s conditioned air over and through the roof directly involves the roofing system and the roofing contractor.
Exhaust fans, condensers, water towers, make-up air ducts, ductwork, kitchen grease fans, and other building ventilation systems must coexist with a roofing system designed to keep your building watertight. It is no small victory to keep several of these penetrations from causing harm to your roof and/or your building and it’s contents.
Cooper Roofing works with several mechanical contractors who keep their rooftop equipment modifications in harmony with the roof. Too many mechanical contractors who are not familiar with modern roofing techniques are causing more harm than good when they attempt to connect their equipment to a roof without the help of professionals.
Do-it-yourself installations almost always result in a wide array of problems for the building owner including hard to find leaks which damage the occupied space while introducing moisture to the roof substrate (roof deck). Do-it-yourself solutions also run the risk of voiding your roof warranty because of incorrectly used materials and/or poorly executed workmanship during securing the equipment to the roof.
As we mentioned earlier, it is no coincidence that perhaps 80% of reported roof leaks are related to rooftop penetrations in the form of equipment installations. Mechanical contractors simply aren’t familiar enough with roofing practices and the nuances of each and every roofing system on the market today. To save time and money they venture into the unknown and “seal” things up as best as they know.
Unfortunately, this approach often causes more harm than good.
Even professionally installed roof penetrations can result in leaks. We often find leaks originating from the sheet metal cowlings of the equipment itself (not having anything to do with the roof installation). In other words, the roof connection can be sound but if the equipment housing isn’t leaks will occur during wind driven rains or other harsh weather. When sheet metal panels on equipment leak during harsh weather conditions, water can easily find it’s way into a building.
As is typical when anyone sees water dripping from somewhere over their heads they automatically assume it is a roof related leak. In this case it’s not the roof; it is the rooftop equipment. This usually requires the services of a professional roofing contractor to investigate and discern what exactly is happening, where in the equipment housing the leak(s) originate, and then explaining it all to the building owner so he/she can understand exactly why the “roof” is not leaking, the equipment is.
Once the leak is identified, the battle is won. The effort involved in making repairs is usually less costly than the discovery process.
WORKING WITH MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS
Recently a mechanical contractor contacted us with an urgent request to provide waterproofing tie-ins at several rooftop equipment penetrations. Time was of the essence. As you can see on this building there is no shortage of rooftop equipment. We installed over 30 curbs and penetrations through this roof while working closely with several other trades.
This EPDM (rubber) roof required special solvents and glues to properly flash the curbs and openings according to the roof manufacturer’s strict specifications. Had we used the wrong materials to make these roof alterations we might have voided the customer’s warranty. This would have cost us our reputation as well as costing the customer thousands in their roof warranty value. Imagine the outcome had the mechanical contractor tried to just “seal” everything on his own with incompatible (with EPDM rubber) asphaltic mastics. Do you think that is hard to believe? We see it more often than you’d think when we’re called in to correct the mistakes of others.
Aside from the hybrid roofs there is just as much concern involving most generic (asphalt) roof fit-outs. For instance, equipment curbs carrying more than a certain size and/or weight must be secured to solid blocking which is then secured directly to the roof substrate. If the curb is instead simply fastened on top of the roof system, damage to the roof and the underlying composition will result as the weight of the curb collapses the roof system, which leads to leaking.
These are just a few examples of the pitfalls of poorly installed roof-based equipment. We hope you understand the need to inquire about rooftop equipment fit-outs before letting anyone install equipment on your roof. Please don’t hesitate to contact Cooper Roofing Corporation even if you just need some free advice. If you would like a bid for mechanical fit out roofing work we would love to provide you with one.
Either way, don't make the mistake of not involving a professional! With the odds against you as high as they are, you will want to have every advantage at your disposal before adding new equipment to any roof.
Cooper Roofing Corporation - 610.275.7663 (ROOF)
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