When Trouble Starts
Many consumers don’t consider having their roof systems evaluated until damage occurs such as a leak or hail event. When one of these events occurs the first call is typically to their service contractor and their insurance company. If the event cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of the client then an engineering contractor is contacted to provide assessment of the roofing system, an opinion, and potential recommendations or specifications of needed repairs that can be used in resolving the issues created by the event.
Check the Ratings
To assist consumers and roofing professionals in selecting roofing materials at the time of installation the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is now providing ratings of the most popular roofing products. These ratings are based upon IBHS testing and can be used in selection considerations.
Always Hire an Engineer
As part of building maintenance and care National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers (NABIE) always recommends that when clients are considering repair or replacement of a roof system, that consultation be made with a NABIE engineer who can assist in the selection of materials and in development of specifications for installation or repair. In the case of hail damage, selection of materials is not always as straight forward as selecting the most hail resistant material as considerations of climate, building geometry, warranties, and compatibility with other materials that may come into play. A NABIE engineer can sort through these concerns and provide independent recommendations for products and procedures.
A Valuable Resource
The IBHS website is a good source of information. IBHS has some very interesting information on other aspects of construction related to full scale testing and have a channel on YouTube. More information on roofing performance ratings can be found on the IBHS web site. This includes informative videos and product information. For professionals there is also a membership section which contains additional information.
