Your roof and building envelope are your first line of defense against the elements. The quality, material, and condition of your property affects your overhead, literally! The systems that make up the building envelope include: the roofing systems, exterior wall systems, air barriers, foundations, floors, windows and doors. An expert Roofing Consultant helps you assess, manage and conduct routine maintenance on these systems.
According to a recent article in Building Enclosure magazine, the damaging effects of building envelope failure can extend all the way through the building. Excess water and moisture intrusion leads to structural deterioration, leaks, and flooding. Excess moisture creates the perfect environment to breed mold and bacteria, and also affect indoor air quality (IAQ).
What Does a Roofing Consultant Do?
When the time comes to replace your roof and building exterior elements, an expert Roofing Consultant guides you through the process from start to finish. A Consultant helps you with the decision-making process, inspections, contractor selection, warranty and materials selection, and ensures you have the correct options based on your geographic area, weather elements, energy needs, and budget. Hiring an expert Roofing Consultant on large-scale commercial/ industrial projects is key to your success and can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars, and sometimes millions in savings through the duration of your roof life cycle.
An expert Roofing Consultant provides:
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Expert 3rd Party Inspections
Whether your property has suffered wear-and-tear, storm damage, structural deterioration, or you simply need an upgrade or routine maintenance, a Roofing Consultant conducts an independent 3rd party expert inspection of your roof and exterior building envelope to assess your property structure for damage. This in-depth inspection is the first step in assessing the condition of your property to determine the right strategy and solutions if damage is detected. One of the most important functions of the roof and exterior envelope is to prevent water and vapor from penetrating the structure. If leaks are present in either the roof or walls, water can slowly accumulate. Precipitation deposited in an exterior envelope or roof can drain further into the structure, wreaking major havoc.
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Custom Specifications
After your property inspection, Roofing Consultants create your unique project specifications of work is necessary, based on their unique findings. The Consultant determines what type of roofing system fits your needs, including design, proper installation methods, and material options for your building envelope. Having project specifications in place ensures quality workmanship and eliminates any guesswork. Without these specs, you can face extra financial burden and/or installation issues down the road.
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Custom Material Selection
Whether it’s selecting the right material and type for energy savings, aesthetic appeal, or protection from harsh weather elements such as sun, wind, and rain; selecting the right materials will affect your business for many years. Choose the wrong system, and you’re stuck with the headache and hassle of storm damage and business interruption in a couple years. Choose the wrong material for your geographic area, and you’re leaking hundreds or thousands of dollars in energy costs right out the door. This is a very important aspect of the process. We certainly get our share of high A/C bills in Florida, along with major weather events including excessive wind and water damage from hurricanes and tropical storms.
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Annual Maintenance Inspections
Every building maintenance program should include an annual Roof & Exterior Building Envelope Inspection by a licensed Roofing Consultant. Until a problem is detected, it can’t be fixed. We recommend getting an annual inspection in Florida before Hurricane Season starts on June 1. Your Roofing Consultant detects minor issues before they become major. A routine maintenance inspection pinpoints any structural, design, installation and/or material problems while they are still small. Routine maintenance inspections can save you hundreds of thousands of dollars down the road. Your custom annual Maintenance Report provides expert 3rd party documentation, photos, video, 3D imagery, reports and measurements that you can submit to your insurance company if a claim is involved.
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Warranty Selection & Education
A Roofing Consultant will ensure that you are informed on warranty types, options, and make unique recommendations based on your needs. Understanding your roofing warranties is a very important piece of the process. There are two types of warranties:
1. Manufacturer Warranty
The roofing material manufacturer provides the Manufacturer Warranty. This guarantees your roof against material defects. This warranty is non-negotiable. Your Roofing Consultant helps you select the right manufacturer and warranty based on your unique needs. And even more importantly, ensures that you understand it.
2. Contractor Warranty
The Roofing or General Contractor that completes your roof installation and envelope repairs provides the Contractor Warranty. This guarantees their workmanship. Contractor Warranties are usually negotiable, and a Roofing Consultant ensures all the correct verbiage is included to protect you from unforeseen situations. Examples: Something leaks or breaks or they didn’t perform installation methods per building codes which voids your manufacturer warranty or they leave town and you can’t get in touch with them when an issue arises. Unfortunately, this list can get long. There are plenty of reasons why you want to make sure this warranty is solid and protects you. A Roofing Consultant negotiates these warranty terms on your behalf, based on best practices in industry ethics and local laws.
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Building Code Adherence
A Roofing Consultant ensures that the Roofing or General Contractor you select for the job is local, licensed, certified, accredited, experienced and educated. Building codes and performance standards vary uniquely by region, and it’s important for your Contractor and their crews to know them and abide by them. This is paramount to the success of your building envelope and new roofing systems. If not installed correctly per local building codes, your Manufacturer’s Warranty can be voided. Not to mention, the issues of having to go through repairs on something you thought you already did are a nightmare.
Venture Construction Group of Florida: Expert 3rd Party Roofing & Building Envelope Consultants
Our expert Roofing Consultants at Venture Construction Group of Florida (VCGFL) have over 25 years of experience. We utilize state-of-the-art technology to provide 3rd party inspections, assessments, commercial/industrial property management and maintenance programs. Our advanced systems include virtual, 3D damage assessments and tours of your unique property that you can view from anywhere in the world. We provide 4K/HD/3D drone mapping services, thermal moisture scans, and custom 3D measurements. Specializing in large-scale industrial/ commercial projects, we assist businesses, commercial property owners, industrial boards, homeowner associations, property managers, condominium boards, multi-family structures, retail complexes, high rises, hotels, resorts, hospitals, schools, and nonprofits with 3rd party consulting, annual maintenance programs and full-scale general contractor services.
