News

Roofing Lifespans Unveiled
  • Jul 30, 2023
  • Mason Knowles, Mason Knowles Consulting & Will Lorenz, General Coatings Manufacturing Corp.

The last 30 years have brought amazing advances in commercial roof technology. New products, processes, maintenance schedules, protective coatings, and more should have roofs lasting longer than ever before. However, while warranties have indeed increased from 5 years to 10 years to 15 to 20 and even 30 years, commercial roofs are replaced, on average, every 10 to 15 years. This is the same lifespan as 20 to 30 years ago.

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Roof Detective

SPF roofing is a jobsite-manufactured product that requires expertise in installation. It will perform well over its service life if you, as the manufacturer of the product, follow all the necessary steps to ensure a quality installation. With that in mind, it is imperative that a pre-bid inspection is carried out before even entering a bid.

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Heaven Sent

There are moments in one’s life that really stand out as being special or out of the ordinary. One such event happened to Rusty Schrader, owner of Allstate Spray Foam Insulation, in Visalia, California. Rusty is a great believer in helping people where and when he can, and this opportunity came via a phone call.

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Fortified Foundations

Each year, from June 1st to November 30th, residents living along the east coast of the United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Islands closely monitor hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean. This six-month window, known officially as Hurricane Season, represents the annual period when conditions are most likely to form a potentially catastrophic storm event.

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Air Barriers, Vapor Retarders and the Roof In Between
  • Jul 30, 2023
  • Andrea Wagner Watts, Building Science Education Manager, GAF

Buildings are designed to keep the outside weather out and the inside space conditioned in a desired way. This is done with control layers designed to stop the uncontrolled movement of water, air, heat, and moisture vapor.

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A Little Primer

Might I opine a bit on one of my pet peeves related to the polyurea technology – Surface Preparation! Contrary to what some may think, the fast set, spray polyurea technology is NOT a surface tolerant coating system. While the old Texaco Chemical Company video from the late 1980s may have shown application over water and ice, this was done to demonstrate that water and cold temperature did not directly interfere with the reaction.

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SPFA Ramping Up Concrete Lifting Guidance and Resources

As the use of injected polyurethane foam (SPF) in concrete lifting applications continues to grow, the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) has committed to expanding its focus, resources, and offerings for this important SPF specialty application category.

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Weed Go Well Together

Cultivation and manufacturing facilities are increasing in numbers as many states allow licenses to companies wanting to specialize in cannabis crops.

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Proven Practices to Prevent Wind Damage

The first time witnessing the power of wind, is an eye-opening experience for most in the roofing world. I would estimate that 95 percent or more of all people in the roofing industry have never seen a roof system severely wind damaged, let alone one blown-off by a hurricane.

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Not Your Regular Joe

Joe Casas is dedicated, hardworking, patient, and loyal, and for the past 55 years he has dedicated himself to the trade, spending eight of these years at SWD Urethane.

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T-rex-tra Special Sculpture

Meet Rexy, a spray foam project of Jurassic proportions. Towering above the stacks in the children’s department at the Frisco Public Library in Frisco, Texas, she’s a free-standing sculpture of a Tyrannosaurus rex measuring in at over 20-ft tall and 40-ft wide.

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Got Milk?

With 21.5 fatalities per 100,000 workers each year, the farming and agricultural industry can be complex and even dangerous. An example of one of these tragic events actually occurred this year, when a fire and explosion at South Fork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt, Texas killed 18,000 cows. It has officially been labeled an “accident” by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s office.

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