North American Roofing has been a pioneer in the commercial single-ply roofing industry since 1979. Family-owned and operated for three generations, we've installed and serviced more than 950,000,000 square feet of roofing on more than 19,500 facilities in our 33 year history.
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a voluntary and internationally recognized green building program. The goal for participants is to achieve LEED certification, which is based on a point system. When you design your building in compliance with sustainable standards, or you undertake a major eco-conscious renovation, you earn points towards LEED accreditation.
Your building’s roof is just one place you can earn LEED points but when you’re trying to reach your environmental goals, it’s an important consideration. At North American Roofing, we offer a variety of eco-conscious roofing options that meet LEED standards.
The Heat Island Effect
Roofs and buildings, especially in urban areas, tend to magnify the intensity of the sun’s rays and increase the temperature of the immediate surroundings. This creates a detrimental microclimate for humans and wildlife in the vicinity. The LEED system awards points for roofs that actively work to reduce or eliminate this heat island effect.
Cool Roofs
If you ran around barefoot as a kid, you know that stepping on an asphalt street on a hot sunny day could be a painful experience. The same thing holds true for roofs. Buildings with white or highly reflective roofs absorb less heat than dark roofs. For a low-slope roof to qualify for LEED credits it should have a Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) of at least 78. The higher the SRI number – the better. Another roofing industry term used to signify solar reflectivity is “albedo.” Typically, a high-albedo roof is one that meets or exceeds LEED standards.
The LEED council does not certify roofing systems or products, but the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), serves as an independent third-party group that determines the radiant properties of roofing surface materials. North American Roofing installs all major brands of roofing systems so we can work within your budget and design to help you reach your LEED goals.
Vegetative Roofs
Choosing a vegetative or garden roof for your building reduces the heat island effect and earns LEED credits. Typically, 25% to 50% of the roof surface should be vegetative in order to quality for credit. Many facility owners opt for a combination garden/cool roof. Vegetative roofs are not only environmentally sound – they’re attractive and appreciated by the community.
What Can You Do Now?
Existing buildings might not fully qualify for LEED certification, but don’t let that stop you from taking a close look at the roof. Over time, and in combination with a lack of maintenance and repairs, roofs simply wear out. The application of a new roof coating on a salvageable roof, or a completely new system on a roof that’s reached the end of its useful life, can greatly reduce energy consumption. We offer individual energy audits that compare and analyze two or more different types of roof systems.
Whether you’re trying for LEED credits or you just want a more energy efficient roof, North American Roofing can help. Call us today at 888-517-3555 to find out how we can assist you in achieving your environmental goals for your building.
Liberty Property Trust is a leading developer of domestic and international business properties. In January 2012, North American Roofing installed a new roof on Liberty’s Richmond, Virginia facility, using RhinoBond, a state-of-the-art mechanical attachment system. The Liberty facility was North American Roofing’s largest RhinoBond project to-date, and it went without a major hitch.
ROOF HISTORY
Liberty Property’s existing 141,000 square foot Built-Up Roof (BUR) had outlived its usefulness. Over the years, it developed multiple leaks, which damaged parts of the roof’s structure. The roof was beyond the patching or re-coating stage, the insulation was compromised in spots, and long-term exposure to water resulted in some damage to the roof deck. Liberty wanted a new top-quality roof system with an affordable price tag.
PROJECT SCOPE
Because Liberty’s facility houses business tenants, the company wanted an energy efficient roof that would reduce the costs of heating and cooling the building while giving the tenants a comfortable work environment. During a detailed inspection, North American Roofing determined the need for partial deck replacement in areas where the metal roof deck had rusted through. Areas with only surface rust were singled out for rust remediation. The entire Built-Up Roof system was to be torn off and replaced with high R-value insulation, followed by the installation of a “cool roof.”
RHINOBOND MECHANICAL ATTACHMENT SYSTEM
For the Liberty facility, North American Roofing recommended the RhinoBond mechanical attachment system. RhinoBond, developed by Olympic Manufacturing Group (OMG) of Agawam, Massachusetts, uses up to 50-percent fewer attachments than comparable roofing systems. RhinoBond features induction-welding technology. After attaching the roof’s insulation layer with specially coated plates, the membrane is installed, and a special RhinoBond induction-welding tool is positioned on top of the membrane where it electromagnetically seals the underside of the membrane to the coated plates. The RhinoBond fastening system features a grid pattern, which eliminates mechanical fastening in the seams, and distributes wind uplift resistance load over a larger area of the roof. The denser the grid pattern, the greater the wind resistance factor.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Tear off commenced January 23, 2012, and North American Roofing made provisions for Liberty’s business tenants to continue their day-to-day operations during the project. The entire Built-Up Roof was removed and disposed of. All metal copings, roof edges and guttering were removed. The damaged parts of the metal decking were replaced with new decking. On other areas, superficial rust was removed and the metal was treated with rust inhibitor.
After securing the deck, North American Roofing installed 3.2-inch isocyanurate (ISO) foam board insulation with RhinoBond plates to meet FM 1-90 wind uplift specifications. 60-mil PVC membrane, manufactured by Sika Sarnafil, was installed over the ISO, using the RhinoBond heat-welding tool to seal the membrane. New metal copings, roof edges and new gutters were installed.
During the entire project, which was completed under schedule in less than 60 days, tenant and worker safety was ensured through strict adherence to OSHA regulations.
PROJECT ANALYSIS
Liberty received a new “cool roof” with white reflectivity, beefed-up insulation for optimal energy efficiency and a 20-year warranty. Roofing specialist, Mary Leiter, reinforced North American Roofing’s commitment to the use of cutting-edge technology to offer its customers the best roofing system for their investment dollar. “We’re extremely confident in the RhinoBond system.” Leiter said, “It offers a superior mechanical attachment system at an affordable cost. A true win-win for all parties involved in the project.“
RockTenn Roof Replacement
Marion, NC
222,216 sq. ft. GAF TOPCOAT
54,480 sq. ft. GAF 60-mil EverGuard TPO
RockTenn, a national packaging and corrugated products manufacturer was looking for an energy-efficient, long-term roofing solution for their 276,696 sq. ft., newly purchased facility in Marion, North Carolina. Preliminary inspections revealed numerous issues with a 54,480 sq. ft. section of the old roof, including abundant leaks, soaked insulation and the presence of a large amount of non-friable asbestos-containing material (ACM). The remaining 222,216 sq. ft. was salvageable but needed additional protection from the elements.
The multi-faceted project included the tear off and disposal of the asbestos insulation on the badly damaged 54, 480 sq. ft. section in accordance with OSHA and EPA regulations. Because the renovated facility will be climate controlled, North American Roofing then mounted a 3-inch layer of polyisocyanurate (ISO) insulation before installing reflective, energy-efficient, GAF 60-mil EverGuard® thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) roofing, complete with a 20-year, no dollar limit (NDL) warranty.
We fitted 24-gauge metal roof edge around the roof perimeter and installed single-cleated coping around the parapet walls. To ensure proper drainage, we ran 22-gauge metal guttering, fitted with 24-gauge, heavy-duty downspouts.
On the remaining roof sections, we applied GAF’s TOPCOAT® elastomeric roofing membrane to seal and waterproof the standing seam metal. With high tensile strength and solar reflectivity, TOPCOAT® was the best solution for seamless protection over the existing metal roof.
Since RockTenn decided to install a new HVAC system at the same time, North American Roofing filled in existing voids from previous tenants and flashed in the new HVAC components and penetrations.
RockTenn wanted to replace the damaged roof section and protect the rest of the viable roofing. With a focus on energy efficiency, North America Roofing was able to offer a cost-effective dual solution that solved both problems.
