The Walgreens distribution facility in Windsor, Wis., was originally built in 1980 with a standing seam steel roof offering an R-value of 9.5. Owners decided it was time to improve the energy efficiency of the distribution center and hired RRK Associates, Ltd., to carry out the project.
When Tremco Incorporated decided to renovate its Beachwood, Ohio, company headquarters from top to bottom, the construction materials and services company knew there was a wealth of internal expertise they could tap into.
Daylighting is the use of natural light as a main illumination source from a myriad of glazing devices in both vertical and horizontal positions within a building.
The undulating profile of the Marco Polo Condominiums has been a fixture on the skyline of Honolulu since 1971. But even though the building still looks striking after 40 years, there was trouble in paradise - in the form of a leaky roof.
Roof consultants typically work with both the building owner and the roofing contractor, giving them a unique perspective when it comes to examining roof maintenance. Roofing Contractor spoke with four consultants who work with building owners across the country and asked them to share their clients’ key concerns and their goals in setting up roof asset management programs.
Contractors and architects in search of sustainable and energy-efficient roofing products increasingly face a broad range of new choices. But a recent study suggests that a frontrunner in the race to be green may be one of the most tried and true products in the marketplace.
In February, President Obama announced the Better Buildings Initiative, a multi-pronged effort to make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade by encouraging private sector investment through incentives to upgrade schools, universities and municipal facilities, as well as offices, stores and other commercial buildings.
The initial cost of a roof system is typically 10 percent of the total building cost. However, over the life span the building the roof could account for nearly 60 percent of the building’s total maintenance costs.
As global interest has increased in passive, energy-saving technologies, cool roofs have received a significant boost in awareness and research over the past year. In both commercial and residential applications, people are discovering the comfort, energy efficiency and climate change mitigation benefits of cool roofs.