admuret

Heavy Metal: to Foam or not to Foam?

June is here, and we are now experiencing triple digit days (i.e. over 100 degrees). We all know there’ll be plenty more of these over the next few months. It makes us sweat and drives up our air-conditioning bills.

In our busy industrial areas, metal buildings and roofs are all around. Metal is often the construction material of choice for the hundreds of workshops, sheds, field offices and even barns that dot our industrial landscape. Here you can see a prime example: our local equipment storage facility.

Metal buildings and roofs are easy to construct, relatively inexpensive and shelter our equipment from storms. However, they are far from watertight. In addition, they reach hellish temperatures as the mercury soars.

Our workshop was already cooking when we decided to look at its insulation. The fiberglass was suffering. Water that had seeped through gaps in the metal frame had rendered much of it next to useless.

Enter spray foam. Looking for better protection from both moisture and heat, we decided to eat our own dogfood. We sprayed the shed interior with one-inch closed-cell foam, professionally applied by our local team. Not only did it restore a layer of insulation covering all walls and roofs but sealed all the small openings in the metal, creating a perfectly dry interior.

The metal building now has a more solid structure, better weather protection and temperature management. Even as our summer gets into full swing, interior temperatures have become quite bearable.

Of course, depending on the pitch of any roof, we often create additional insulation and temperature control by covering metal roofs with closed cell polyurethane spray foam and rolling out a reflective elastomeric coating. You can see many examples of our work on this site.

If you are feeling in the heat inside your workshop, field office or barn, now is the time to upgrade insulation and make your metal building work for you.

Maintain your Roof to Make it Last

A polyurethane spray foam roofing system is one of the best investments you can make for your flat or low slope roof property. Temperature control, energy savings, structural solidity and a 10-15 year warranty are all great advantages. If applied properly, spray foam roofing systems can last as long as your property.

However, having a great spray foam roofing system, even when professionally applied, doesn’t mean you can spray and forget. Hail, tree debris, pollen build-up are all hazards that can create damage the surface and threaten ponding, cracking and leakage. Your roof is an essential part of your house. Proper maintenance saves you money, nips potential problems in the bud and ensures a long-lasting investment.

One of our customers has a beautiful Santa Fe style home.

She installed a spray foam roofing system way back in 1991. Recently she suspected some issues and had small leak in her garage. Knowing spray foam roofing is our expertise, she asked us for a free inspection. We appreciate how spray foam roofs wear over time and understand their properties. Our team looked at her roof carefully. Even though the roof was several years old, we knew that an expensive roof replacement was not needed. The foam was solid. What had worn over time was the coating. Here were some areas of concern.

Our recommendation for roofs like this is maintenance. Our team removed debris, scrubbed and pressure washed the entire surface. We then primed the roof and carefully applied multiple layers of elastomeric acrylic coating, paying particular attention to areas of concern.

Our customer’s roof now looks as good as new.

She can expect many more years of solid protection. If you suspect issues call us for your free inspection: it can save you time and money.