You wouldn’t normally think of grease being an roof issue, but in some cases it might be. I found a site which provides useful information about the vent hood cleaning industry for restaurant owners and/or managers. The site educates restaurant owners and managers on the latest developments in the vent hood cleaning industry.

One post stood out on the site. It stated that getting the grease out of your hoods and ductwork is a great first step in preventing grease fires at your restaurant – but there’s another area where grease can collect. The Roof! This caught my eye.

If your vent hood cleaners are neglecting to properly clean your rooftop exhaust fan, grease can quickly overwhelm the fan bowl and spread to the roof. Grease on a roof seems unlikely, but it could be a potential problem.

http://hoodcleaninginfo.com/2011/03/14/roof-cleaninggrease-containment.aspx

“Having seen the devastation first hand, we want to assist the Red Cross in the important work they are doing across the region,” said TAMKO’s President and Chief Executive Officer David C. Humphreys. “The widespread devastation is truly heartbreaking and we have felt the impact with our own employees at our Tuscaloosa plant.”  “TAMKO has been and remains a valued partner of the American Red Cross,” said Oscar Barnes, Executive Director – West Alabama Chapter of the American Red Cross. “Because of TAMKO’s very generous donation, we will be able to help many individuals who have lost so much due to these devastating storms.”

TAMKO Building Products, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest independent manufacturers of commercial roofing products.
www.tamko.com

Building the Future: An Industry in Transition

Some of the Speakers:

Boyd E. Black
President
Construction Owners Association of America
Assistant Vice, Capital Project Delivery Facilities Services

Mark Cervenka
Facilities Manager
Texas A&M Health Science Center

Mike Conley
President
The Construction Users Roundtable
Engineering Manager
DuPont

Wayne A. Crew
Director
Construction Industry Institute

Derek Cunz, LEED AP
Vice President & General Manager
Mortenson Construction

Keith Fox
President
McGraw-Hill Construction

Daniel Groves
Director of Operations & Workforce Consultant
The Construction Users Roundtable

Robert A. Ivy, FAIA
Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer
The American Institute of Architects

Stephen E. Sandherr
Chief Executive Officer
Associated General Contractors of America

Tom Sawyer
Senior Editor, Information Technology
Engineering News-Record

And many more construction professionals!

Who Should Attend:

•Architects/Designers
•Contractors
•Engineers
•Equipment Manufacturers & Suppliers
•Government Officials
•Association Executives
•Executive Vice Presidents
•Managing Directors
•Building Product Manufacturers & Suppliers
•Facility Managers
•Owners
•Chief Executive Officers
•Construction Managers
•Finance & Insurance Professionals
•General Contractors
•Human Resource Professionals
•Presidents
•Specialty Contractors
•Vice Presidents

This is a great event for commercial roofing professional to attend.

Date:
June 14-15, 2011

Location:
Westin Peachtree Plaza
210 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Learn more and register at http://www.construction.com/events/2011/cbf/default.asp

However, throughout the years many health problems have been associated with asbestos. Asbestos is dangerous when breathed in, and can cause an inflammation in the lungs. Asbestos has also been associated with other forms of lung cancer.

Asbestos is no longer used due to these health concerns surrounding it. The only way to safely handle and detect asbestos is through a professional contractor trained to inspect asbestos. If you have an old commercial roof it would be a good idea to have a commercial roofing contractor inspect your roof for asbestos, and remove it if present.

News
Duro-Last Roofing on announced Thomas L. Saeli is taking over as the company’s chief executive officer. He has a Master’s of Business Administration in finance and accounting from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Hamilton College.

“Tom was the unanimous choice for our Board of Directors,” Duro-Last board chairman Jack Burt said in a release. “My father was a classic entrepreneur, and his vision, ambition, and business philosophy brought great success to our company.”

Read the entire story at Duro-last official blog

Slate Shingles - Slate shingles is a heavy shingle, which can be difficult to install. If properly installed slate shingles can last over 50 years. Slate shingles will add value to a commercial building, and is a popular choice in the industry, for it’s attractive apperance.

These cleaning solutions are good for cleaning oxidation, grime, oil, greese, adhesive residue, tar, and other residue on the surface of the material.

These spray cleaners work well on many commercial roofing membranes

• EPDM roofing membranes
  TPO roofing membranes
  Metal Roofing
• Steel Roofing



Weathered Membrane Cleaner - can be used for TPO and EPDM membranes. The cleaner is good for removing construction dirt, grime, and most other particles that lay on the surface of the roof membrane. This product can clean TPO, before or after the welding process.

-Easy product to use
-Cotton rag needed to apply
-Highly flameable

Exclusive Interview with Whitco Roofing Incorporated

Recently we had the privilege of interviewing a highly respected corporate member of Whitco Roofing Incorporated. Whitco Roofing, Inc. is a large scale commercial roofing company who works with respectable organizations such as Sysco Foods, YKK, Westin Hotels, and the City of Columbus.

Commercial Roofing Professionals (CRP) – Tell us about your company’s background?

Whitco Roofing - Well, our President and CEO has well over a decade of experience designing roofs for commercial projects. He spent several years as a consultant for the Garland Company, which is a well known leader in the commercial roofing industry. So, starting from the head of our company, our President knows the commercial roofing industry inside and out.

He originally started Whitco Roofing to better serve his clients, and to vastly improve the flaws he experienced throughout his many years in the industry. His goal was to provide clients with “quality” products and services, which would not only meet their needs, but their budget as well. His personal touch and passion for perfection, has lead Whitco Roofing to become one of the best service providers in the industry. Many business owners, facility manager, property managers, investors, and others have benefited from Whitco Roofing unique building envelope concept, professionalism, and expertise in the industry.

Commercial Roofing Professionals (CRP) - What Exactly Does Whitco Roofing Do?

Whitco Roofing - Well, we are a full-service commercial roofing contractor which means we work with our clients to develop long-term roof asset management programs. We can help out with any phase of a project, including preventive maintenance, restoration, repair, and replacement. We recently adapted to the green movement, and have an energy management team that works closely with clients to provide long term energy savings. Our services are endless; we have the right roof solution for any scenario. We are not simply selling roofs, we are selling roof solutions.

Commercial Roofing Professionals (CRP) - What Kind of Roofing Does Whitco Do? What Types of Roofs Do You Work With?

Whitco Roofing - We work with all types of institutional, industrial, and commercial roofs. From metal to built-up, modified bitumen, single-ply (TPO, PVC, and EPDM), shingles, slate, Spanish time etc.. We install roof gardens, solar roof systems, skylights, coatings, fleeceback, insulation and much more. Our abilities and product line is endless, we provide answers to any commercial roof problem.

Commercial Roofing Professionals (CRP) - What Area Does Whitco Roofing Service?

Whitco Roofing - We provide quality services to the entire Southeastern United States. Our corporate office is located in Atlanta, GA.

Commercial . Institutional . Industrial

T: 1.888.399.2221

P: 770.644.0521

www.whitcoroofing.com

Green Solutions . Energy Upgrades . Energy Management

www.whitcoroofing.com/green.html

Loose laid EPDM

This method is widely used in the commercial roofing industry, because it can be done so quickly. It involves using large sheets of EPDM.

EPDM Mechanically Attached

There are several types of mechanically attached EPDM systems available on the market. These EPDM sheets are usually small, and can be attached to decks with fasteners. These fastners are used to penetrate though the membrane.

Fully Adhered

Fully adhered systems means placing adhesive bonding on the back of the EPDM sheet and on the roof substratw before laying it down.

Commercial Cool Roofs Rebates

When it comes to justifying cool roofs in a tough economy, rebates from gas and electric utilities are among the surest bets. Generally speaking, the utilities pay back a certain percentage — usually about $0.20 on the dollar — after installation and documentation. “Utilities are looking for ways that they can reduce capacity,” says William Kirn, chairman of the technical committee of the Cool Roof Rating Council. “It’s a form of demand-side management, since cool roofing has been shown to push back peak-demand energy use.” Kirn says that facility executives need to be fleet-footed if and when they hear about utility incentives, particularly in light of today’s business climate. “A couple of years back, one of the utilities in southern California was administering rebates for cool roofing and it didn’t take long for them to run out of money,” he says. Organizations can also leverage their installation of cool roofing through tax rebates. In October of last year, President George W. Bush authorized the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Among the other legislation it contains, this law extends tax credits for use of ENERGY STAR-rated products — much like its predecessor — the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT). Although the bill is largely focused on residential property, deductions are available for commercial buildings as well, according to ENERGY STAR’s Web site. A tax deduction of up to $1.80 per square foot is available to owners or designers of new or existing commercial buildings that save at least 50 percent of the heating and cooling energy of a building that meets ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2001.

Partial deductions of up to $.60 per square foot can be taken for
measures that meet the criteria for any one of three building systems: the building envelope, lighting, or heating and cooling systems. These tax deductions are available for systems “placed in service” from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2013. Simply stated, a cool roof by itself will not likely reduce energy use by the 17 percent needed to take the tax deduction. Therefore, to qualify for the tax rebates, facility executives would have to make other improvements in addition to a cool roof. The ENERGY STAR site also contains links to Internal Revenue Service documents that can give facility executives guidance on allowable deductions. Another way facility executives may find some cash is some cities and states also award incentives to facilities that are voluntarily built to the rating systems for green or sustainable building systems — such as Green Globes or the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Finally, there’s what Greg Crawford, secretary for the Cool Roof Rating Council, calls “the stick.” “Incentives are the carrot, and standards are the stick,” says Crawford, who is referring to the mandatory cool roofing standards for low-slope commercial facilities. Many cities, Chicago among them, mandate minimum values. In Chicago’s case, however, the city government also provided grants to further spur cool-roof use. About a year and a half ago, the city announced $185,000 in grant money — equivalent to approximately 55 grants of $6,000. In addition to a cool roof’s energy-reducing potential, some cities, including Chicago, also cite cool roofing’s ability to reduce the effects of urban heat islands, improving overall livability. The leader of the Urban Heat Island Group at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Hashem Akbari, says more urban centers should follow Chicago’s example. “Over 50 percent of the world population now lives in urban areas, and by 2040 that amount is expected to reach 70 percent,” Akbari says. Roofs comprise about 25 percent of the urban landscape, according to Akbari. Permanently retrofitting roofs with solar-reflective materials would offset 11 billion tons of emitted carbon dioxide, he says. But benefits extend beyond mitigating heat islands or carbon dioxide emissions: Cool roofing materials reflect solar energy, rather than storing it in the roofing materials and transmitting it into the structure below the roof. This pays summertime dividends to facility executives who don’t have to cool the extra heat transmitted to their facilities. In the South, this can lead to a reduction of heating and cooling plants by up to 20 percent — saving both initial costs and operating expenses.

By Loren Snyder