National Coatings Blog

4 Factors that make a Roof Coating System Environmentally Friendly

Posted by Nicole Gale on Thu, Apr 02, 2015 @ 11:00 AM
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  1. Energy Efficiency – Cool Roof coating systems high in reflectivity decrease the use of air-conditioning, lowering CO2 and other emissions from being released into the air. The reflective and emissive properties of a Cool Roof also reduce Urban Heat Island Effect, decreasing smog formation and respiratory illness. What constitutes an Urban Heat Island? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the difference in temperature when urban and suburban areas experience elevated temperatures compared to their outlying rural surroundings. This can be illustrated by comparing a cool roof, which can remain approximately 50 to 60˚F cooler than a traditional roof, which can reach temperatures of 150 to 185˚F. The hot temperatures of the traditional roof creates a hot surface area on the rooftop that then heats up the surrounding air temperatures, causing an Urban Heat Island. Visit the CRRC for a directory of highly reflective roofing products – Here are National Coatings listed products.
  1. Sustainable - Landfills are overly congested in the United States. As a Nation, we are striving to “recycle”, “reuse” and “go green”. Restoring your existing roof (opposed to tearing it off, disposing of it and starting new) is an excellent way to recycle and reuse your current building materials. Many of National Coatings’ roof coating systems are renewable every 10 to 15 years after the first roof coating system is installed. Allowing you to avoid a roof replacement/tear-off indefinitely! Download our FREE Product and Application Brochure for more information! 
  1. ZERO or Ultra Low VOC’s – Volatile Organic Content (VOC) contain strong and potentially harmful odors that are released into the atmosphere during application. After undergoing extensive research and laboratory testing, National Coatings has removed all or most of the VOC’s from our roof coatings. Click here for a list of these coatings with ultra low or even zero VOC’s. 
  1. LEED Compliant – The LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) established by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) focuses on building with construction materials that have a limited impact on the environment, as well as, the use of recycled materials.  National Coatings has several LEED Compliant Roofing Products that meet the standards set for Sustainable Sites, Energy & Atmosphere, and Materials & Resources. 

Our AcryShield roof coating systems meet the standards set by ASTM, AIA, FM, ICC-ES, ENERGY STAR, CRRC, Miami-Dade County, and LEED.  There is no better choice when looking to restore your roof than by choosing an environment friendly or green roof system. The benefits are incomparable. For more information on roof coating systems, download our FREE Considering Coatings – A Free Guide to Roof Coatings Brochure.

Commercial Roofing Contractors

Tags: Green Roof Systems, Green Roof, Environmentally Friendly Roofing System, Energy Efficient Roof

Green Construction and Roof Maintenance

Posted by Nicole Gale on Thu, Jul 03, 2014 @ 12:00 PM

Green Construction and Roofing

roof maintenanceThe concept of “Green Construction” has quickly taken center stage among commercial building design professionals.  The LEED program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) established by the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) has created a framework for the design and construction of buildings that are more “environmentally friendly” and have a lower impact on energy. 

Some Things Never Change
While the LEED program specifies a roof/roof covering that has high solar reflectance and emittance, many of the materials and designs that were used prior to LEED have not changed.  Moreover, building owners/facility managers are often lulled into a false sense of security when presented with a 10/15/20 year warranty by the installing roofing contractor.  The warranty document implies that any leaks will be repaired for the length of the period, so why worry? Even though a roof may contribute to the building’s gold or silver LEED rating, this does not change some of the basic and fundamental obligations of the building owner.  Nor does it change how the roof deteriorates or how it can be maintained.

A basic LEED premise is that the construction materials used will have a limited impact on the environment; this includes the use of recycled materials.   While this is an admirable goal, it is counter to the current status of roofing industry in the United States.  While roofing accounts for only 0.1% of the GDP (all the goods and services), it is estimated to account for over 6% of the landfill.  This disparity is still left unresolved by the good intentions of the LEED program.  Legislation and implementation of the LEED program alone cannot supplant the fundamental responsibility of the building owner/facility manager for prudent preventative maintenance.

Building Owner/Facility Manager Responsibility

All equipment requires maintenance.  HVAC, elevators, escalators are routinely serviced by trained maintenance personnel.  Their actions can be as simplistic as oiling motors, lubricating bearings, and vacuuming enclosed compartments.  However, these actions still qualify as PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.  The basic idea here is to conduct these maintenance activities as an alternative to the more costly repairs that may be required if the preventive maintenance is not performed.  It is well understood and generally accepted that these maintenance activities, if not performed, will contribute to unwanted and unneeded downtime, and costly and time consuming repairs. 

Consider the simple analogy of the crankcase oil in the family car:  Periodically the oil level is checked to insure there is sufficient oil in the crankcase.  If it is low, additional oil is added, and if the color or odor looks improper, further immediate repairs are warranted.  Then, at regularly scheduled intervals, the oil and filter are changed.  All these actions are designed to insure the longest service life and least operational interruption for the car’s engine.  If these activities are not performed, more serious and much more costly consequences await the building owner.  It is much easier, more convenient and less costly to change the crankcase oil than to replace the entire engine, when the engine begins to smoke and seize up.  The overarching general premise here is that maintenance costs are inversely related to and much lower than repair costs. 

Using this analogy, consider a roof.  While it has no moving parts, it still qualifies as an asset or piece of equipment.  Its service life (not to be confused with the length of the warranty) will be dramatically improved by the amount of preventive maintenance that is conducted on it.  Warranties do not cover blocked drains, plant life growing on the roof, damage caused by foot traffic, or actions of other construction and maintenance trades, or natural causes, such as tree limbs or hail.  Thus, at the very least, the roof should be inspected at least twice each year, preferably in the spring and fall.  Drains, flashings, curbs, downspouts, can be inspected to insure they are free flowing and not clogged.  The field of the roof can be “walked” and checked for splits, fish mouths, holidays, and punctures. The general condition of the field of the roof can be noted to see if it is exhibiting signs of premature wear or deterioration.  If the roof has smooth stone ballast, the stone should not accumulate in large piles, leaving other sections uncovered and exposed. These piles can be easily respread over the roof in order to protect the membrane.  If the roof has gravel surfacing, the degree of erosion from the membrane should be noted.  It is these granules that protect the underlying roof membrane.  This may be an appropriate time to apply a protective roof coating to the roof to extend its life.   If the roof is already coated, the coating should be inspected to determine if the roof may need recoating.  The coating and the stone/granules described above protect the roof from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultra violet light.  Providing this “sunscreen” will greatly prolong the roof life.  The roof/wall transitions can be inspected for loose base flashings, detached counter flashings, and other “suspect” areas that appear to be potential sources for water intrusion.  While some of these descriptions border on the more technical aspects of roofing, the fundamental concept here is that if the roof doesn’t look like it did when it was installed; something adverse is happening to the roof.

Professional Help is Available

These activities do not require the expertise of a trained roofing professional.  However, periodic inspections every few years by a qualified roofing professional such as a Registered Roof Consultant, RRC, are recommended to insure nothing has been missed by the cursory semi annual overview field inspection.  At that time, the consultant may recommend a maintenance coating or some modest repairs to areas of the roof that are weathering excessively.  In spite of the cost to have the roof professionally inspected, this expense can be easily offset by the savings of not having to effect major repairs or suffer the consequences of interior damage to the building equipment or employee downtime and lost productivity.      

Conclusion
Building owners and facility managers who embrace the concepts of LEED and “green” building should also feel responsible to insure their roofs are adequately maintained.  This begins with routine inspections and preventive maintenance. All this will assure the longest possible service life and reduce the need for premature roof replacement. Download our FREE Guide to Roof Coatings for more information or check out our Full Line Brochure to find the right roofing system for your building.

Click here to view our LEED Compliant Roofing Products!

 

Tags: Coating Systems, Coating System, Roof Restoration, Roof Maintenance, Commercial Roofing, Green Roof Systems, Green Roof, Environmentally Friendly Roofing System, Roof credentials, LEED Compliant Roofing Products

What is "Critical Peak Pricing?" How does it Relate to Roofing?

Posted by Nicole Gale on Thu, May 08, 2014 @ 11:00 AM
More specifically: How can electrical utility initiatives help me save money when I coat my roof white?

Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) is a pricing model used by electrical utilities where the cost per kilowatt-hour varies, depending on time of day.  Electricity peak demand times, usually in the afternoon in the summer, will be charged at a premium or higher rate than other times during a 24 hour period.  The term "net metering" is sometimes used to determine and record peak demand.   Electrical utility companies have begun installing "net meters" that calculate kilowatt usage during "peak demand" and "normal or low demand" periods.  This information is used to determine costs based on this two-tier pricing model. 

"So how does this relate to roofing?" If the user can reduce electrical usage, they will save money.  This can easily be accomplished by reducing air conditioning electricity usage.  A very easy and cost-efficient way to achieve this is to coat the building's roof with a white reflective roof coating

The roof life extension benefits of white reflective roof coatings have been well documented.  Now, the initiative described above offers even more of an incentive to coat your roofs white with National Coatings AcryShield roof coatings. Download our Roof Coating Systems brochure to find out more.
Cool Roof

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