On a summer afternoon, a brown ring on a classroom ceiling tile is easy to overlook. But once the desks are pulled into rows, the computers plugged in, and the teachers hanging their class schedules on the wall next to the dry-erase board, that same water spot starts to seem like an emergency. You have six weeks until students come back, and you want to allow some buffer time for diagnosis, testing, and cleanup, and maybe even that one nail that keeps sticking out.
Six weeks to go to find the source of the water intrusion
Start with the location of the leak itself, but don’t automatically assume the hole is directly above the stained tile. Water can run along the flute of a steel deck, drip off a roof beam, and fall next to a fluorescent fixture a few feet away.
If you can, take a trip up on the roof when it has been raining recently. Look over seams, drains, penetrations, and rooftop equipment while the interior crew looks for water stains on the ceiling grid, peeled paint, and other telltale signs. Hose testing is another option, but remember that the test needs to be left running for a period of time before the results become apparent. Water that is dripping into a bucket next to a stack of chairs could start several minutes after the actual leak.
Roof inspection near drains and rooftop equipment
Five weeks to go to check for wet insulation
The insulation above your classrooms may be wet beyond what you see on the ceiling. Moisture mapping and a few test cuts will let you get a handle on the size of the job before you start ordering materials. When you make a hole, you might find wet cover board, damp insulation, or rust forming on a deck fastener.
Look for telltale signs of moisture, including:
- Soft spots around drains where people’s shoes will sink slightly into the insulation
- Damp insulation that weighs more than the dry version
- Blisters in the membrane next to a patched seam
- Rust on the underside of the deck above a ceiling tile
Mark the location of these conditions directly on a roof plan. A grease pencil circle around an HVAC curb is much easier to connect with an interior observation than a note that says “the unit by the gym.”
Four weeks to go to set the scope of the repair
Failed flashing next to the gym probably needs more than just a bead of sealant. Check for loose termination bars, exposed laps, corner splits, and deflection at the wall interface. Foot traffic around the rooftop HVAC equipment may have abraded the membrane or driven sharp objects into the roof surface next to the service panels.
At this point, the commercial roof repair plan needs to indicate where insulation, cover board, flashing, and membranes will need to be removed. The size of the materials will matter if you need to install replacement boards (browse around this web-site) between a curb and a drain that is only a few feet away.
Three weeks to go to plan the loud stuff first
Start your loud demolition work while teachers are still getting the classrooms ready. It takes a lot of scrapers, drills, and carts to get through the roof deck above the library, the administration offices, and the rooms that don’t have acoustic ceilings. Make sure you have the crane scheduled and coordinate the delivery times so that the rolls of membrane don’t collide with the janitors who are waxing the hallway floor.
Restrict roof access. Leaving the stairwell open is not necessarily the best idea, even if there’s a squeaky hinge and a hand-lettered sign taped to the frame. It can lead to issues with safety (there is a helpful breakdown at www.unesco.org/en) and dust.
Two weeks to go to build time for inspections
Rather than trying to squeeze the inspection in on the last day, include it in the timeline. There may need to be an inspection of the deck after all the wet materials are taken out. The flashing may need to be checked before the counter flashing and details are installed.
Take pictures of each phase of the work, label the area on the roof, and document where the new materials went. Be sure to include photos of the corners, the seams, the fasteners, and the HVAC curbs. A wide shot that includes a vent pipe or a yellow safety pad will help everyone know which area you’re referring to later.
Documenting completed roof seams, fasteners, and HVAC curbs
The last few days to test, clean up, and get ready
Make sure there is time for a final water test to find any leaks that have yet to show up. Once the ceiling cavity is completely dry, replace the ceiling tiles, remove the buckets, the plastic sheeting, and the signs warning of wet floors. Pick up any loose screws and membrane scraps from the drains before you put the ladders away.
Start the year dry
Leave the facilities crew with documentation, photos, and updated roof maps. Walk through the gym, the classrooms, and the mechanical spaces one more time. It’s the best opportunity to spot a misaligned tile or an abandoned drop cloth while the hallways are empty and the new floor finish is undisturbed.
