Within the past few weeks, we have seen temperatures dip to the 30s. On one of those cold mornings, I went through my usual routine of making coffee and letting the dog outside. Grabbed a cup of brewed bean water, went to check on the dog from the back patio, took a sip, and proceeded to spray coffee all over the patio door. Ever seen a St. Bernard willingly slide down a hill covered in frost? It’s hilarious, and unfortunately, I had a mouthful of coffee at the time. That situation reminded me that frost or recent rain could create a comical scenario at ground level but make a very hazardous environment when on a roof and gravity is against you.

Single-ply roofing membranes are slippery when wet and even worse when frost and ice are present. Textured walkways, consisting of walkway pads made from the membrane material, liquid membranes with embedded granules, or simple concrete pavers, can assist roof traffic with getting a grip. As an added bonus, the walkways offer an additional layer of protection to your roof! Cole Roofing can assist you with designing and installing a walkway layout to suit your needs!

It’s still winter, and some foul weather is surely ahead of u. Please be careful on those roofs, and if going on a roof is absolutely necessary, the best safety practices are limiting roof traffic, OSHA-compliant fall protection, being aware of perimeters and hazards, and walking slowly and diligently.

P.S. No St. Bernards were injured in the making of this post 🙂

Indoor waterfalls and water features in your building can be relaxing. Maybe those places are your go-to area to decompress after a stressful day. But one thing is for sure. If the waterfall is unintended and coming from the skylights, it’s probably time to replace them!

If your skylights and daylighting devices let in more than just light, it’s time to determine the cause. Many popular plastic and acrylic skylights have useful service lives of 20 years. That is due to plasticizers and polymers leaching out of the “dome” or, simply put, the part that lets the light in. The leaching makes the dome brittle which eventually causes cracking and crazing. Many times, that cracking and crazing is so fine that it is unnoticeable without a thorough inspection. A quick fix is a glob of caulk at a major crack and around the frame (which is rarely the cause), but that will only last so long. Unless the intention is to create a waterfall inside of the building, the better and longer-lasting alternative is the replacement of the dome itself!

Call Cole Roofing today to assist you with options for the inspection, repair, or replacement of those skylights!

We are well into the hurricane season, and Hurricane Ian reminded us how much rain could come with a hurricane. Let us not forget…with rain comes water weight.

Hurricane Ian is a strong example of a 100-year storm, and commercial building codes consider those storms. However, the building may be structurally stressed without your knowledge if the roof system doesn’t allow proper drainage. Specifically, when was the last time someone was on your roof to remove debris? This time of year, leaves are falling and will quickly accumulate and easily block your roof drains and gutters. Without those drain components working properly, you may quickly have a pool on your roof, and most commercial buildings aren’t built to accommodate tat pool. Time to think about some simple maintenance that may prevent a future headache!