1. Is hiring a roof consultant cost effective?
Yes, using a competent and experienced consultant is cost-effective in several ways. You save your valuable time and energy by permitting us to allocate the significant amount of time required to inspect, evaluate, and handle contract documents as well as secure the appropriate contractors for the job, and spend the necessary time with them in review of each job.
We save you money by developing proper designs and specifications from the start, thereby dramatically reducing the potential for long-term problems. In general, we are able to substantially reduce the life cycle cost of your asset.
2. Why not just hire a roofer?
When you call in contractors to get bids their primary goal is to get the job. This often results in a less than optimum solution to your roofing problem with the contractors trying to find shortcuts that will win them the project.
Your Roof 1 consultant will work closely with you to design and specify a cost effective high quality solution.
3. When should I re-roof?
The decision as to when to install a new roof should be dependent upon a number of factors. In general, a new roof is required as soon as the amount of money spent on maintenance is no longer cost-effective OR, when the interior of the building is so sensitive that one could not afford to experience even one serious leak. There are other considerations such as time of year due to weather, building use such as schools and colleges as well as building occupancy constraints.
4. If I need to replace a roof but budgetary restraints don’t allow this now, what can be done?
As consultants, we remain flexible and realistic about your long term goals and financial capabilities. If a new roof is needed, we will tell you so. If your goal is to simply extend the life of the roof system, we will work with you keeping that in mind. Facilities often have several distinct roof sections that can be evaluated separately, and prioritized in the order of replacement needs, allowing for a phased replacement while maintaining the other sections until they can be scheduled for replacement.
5. Is it better to tear off the roof, or can I just install a retro-fit roof right over the existing roof?
The decision to tear off or recover is dependent on a number of complex factors. Some of the factors to be considered are the degree of moisture contamination in the existing roof, type of roof deck, type of insulation, number of existing roof layers, structural capacity to carry the additional load, required insulation value and the effect the additional thickness will have on existing curb, roof edge and penetration flashings.
6. What type of systems do you specify to solve roofing and waterproofing problems?
We take into consideration many variables that determine what system will be recommended for your building. We evaluate things such as building use, energy requirements, existing deck type, attachment to deck options, building height, anticipated roof traffic, budget parameters, need for tear-off, local weather conditions and other factors which may be unique to your situation.
7. Where do you do projects?
We are capable of undertaking projects anywhere but our primary market is the USA and Canada.
8. How do you bring the best contractors to the projects?
We have developed an arms length professional relationship with many contractors and roofing system manufacturers. We can usually invite a minimum of three to five contractors to most projects based on their past performance, their ability to provide the manpower for a particular type and size of project, and being pre-approved by the manufacturer(s) whose system was selected for the project. In areas where we do not have a strong history with the contractors we rely on the roofing system manufacturer to provide us with names of their best contractors in that area.
9. Do I need to have a large project to justify hiring a roof consultant?
Not at all! Many small projects have several details that require attention. Many small projects also tend to be over critical areas of the building such as electrical rooms, communications and data processing. A small roof has to be as well detailed, specified and constructed as a large one.
10. What is the best way to select a roof consultant?
In selecting a roof consultant you should create a checklist of items that are important for you and your organization and then prepare a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Quotation (RFQ) based on these requirements.
The RFP or RFQ may ask the consultant to provide information such as professional qualifications and practical experience, specific experience with the roof types on your facilities, professional liability (errors and omissions), general liability and worker’s compensation insurance coverage and client references.