The extreme weather conditions that we experience in the Midwest can be taxing on buildings. For more than 4 months out of the year severe thunderstorms, heavy rains, and hot and humid temperatures are the norm. At the opposite end of the spectrum we experience high accumulations of snow and severely cold temperatures in the winter. This combination of extreme conditions can reveal a buildings true vulnerability to water intrusion and air leakage. Correcting these vulnerabilities
Winter if fast approaching those of us that live in the Midwest. With the changing weather comes new seasonal issues for the construction industry. Specifically, exterior components such as waterproofing of building walls and roofs. Colder weather changes how construction materials react, perform, and how they should be installed. These seasonal effects in addition to recent code changes, are resulting in a stronger focus for monitoring the installation of waterproofing components. As a result we are seeing an increase in firms performing quality assurance inspections during the installation
Rooftop solar installations and vegetative roofs are becoming popular with commercial and industrial building owners. These options have gained popularity because they can benefit the facility, tenant, or owner. A few of these benefits include minimizing energy costs, increasing marketability, and adding usable space. Developing a project with this many intricacies requires detailed review of the structure and all associated components. Often the design of one of these systems is the product of a
Cost is almost always a driving factor when replacing commercial/industrial roofs. One option to minimize cost in some instances is installing a new roof system over the existing roof. This option lowers cost by minimizing removal of the existing roof and eliminates purchasing and installing new substrate materials. International Building Code (IBC) and most major roof system manufacturer’s limit scenarios when this option may be utilized. This option is limited to systems where there is