Changing codes and regulations have converged to make commercial roofing projects more complicated than ever. I recently spoke with several roofing industry professionals who cited new codes and regulations — and a focus on the entire building envelope — as key areas to watch in 2014. John Geary, director of education and industry relations for Firestone Building Products, summed it up in one word: Complexity. “It’s not enough for roofing systems to just keep the water out of buildings, but increasingly they must perform as part of an assembly that addresses energy efficiency needs as well as provide air and vapor barriers,” he said. “Codes are being updated, and more sophisticated building owners are viewing the roof as part of a building envelope system.”
Tom Gernetzke, RRC, RBEC, project manager for Facility Engineering Inc. and the president of RCI Inc., concurred. “In addition to ongoing technical issues, such as low-VOC adhesives, lightweight concrete substrates and increased reliance on low-rise foam adhesives, the integration of roofing and roofing air barriers with other vertical air/vapor barrier building envelope components will become more of a challenge as code requirements become more stringent,” he noted.