Urban Heat Island and Trees

Last year we discussed Urban Heat Islands and the effect that they have on the environment and how building owners could help diminish it. One of the ways was to install a cool roof system on a building, like an elastomeric coating system. The other was to increase vegetation around the building.

Source: wikimedia.org

Many cities have put into place a Tree Protection ordinance, prohibiting removing or pruning of trees without a permit. San Antonio, Texas actually requires different levels of free protection based on tree class or location.

There are also Street Tree ordinances that govern how to plant and remove trees along public right-of-ways and land that is privately owned but accessible by the public. For example, Orlando, Florida specifies that trees must be planted along both sides of a street, with one tree every 50 to 100 feet.

Parking lot shade is another way to help reduce the heat island effect and increase vegetation. In Sacramento, California, for example, a code in their zoning code requires that enough trees be planted to shade 50 percent of new parking lots after 15 years of tree growth.

So if you are looking to build or renovate your building, keep environmental concerns in mind and contact your city and see what steps can be taken to minimize the Urban Heat Island.

Why Choose Spray Foam?

Our friends at the Spray Foam Coalition provided us with a 2-page document that lists the benefits of choosing spray polyurethane foam (SPF) for your insulation and air sealing barrier needs on walls, roofs and other surfaces. You can download the document from our website or keep reading for the summarized version.

Spray Foam is Energy Efficient
As much as 40% of a building's energy is lost due to air infiltration, gaps, holes and air leaks. Spray foam closes gaps that lets air escape and can reduce utility bills. It also helps your HVAC unit as it maintains an optimal climate in your building, keeping it from working as hard. In fact, a HVAC unit can be downsized by as much as 35% when a building is SPF insulated.

When SPF is applied to the roof of a building, it can provide cool roof performance when topped with a protective, reflective coating. "Cool roofs" are designed to maintain a lower temperature than traditional roofs.

Common air leaks found in most buildings.
Source: 2011 American Chemistry Council, Inc.

Buildings can be sealed with SPF.
Source: 2011 American Chemistry Council, Inc.

Closed-Cell Spray Foam Can Improve Building Strength and Durability
A SPF roofing system is known to have effective lifespans that can exceed 30 years. A professionally applied SPF can create a strong bond to protect the roof and eliminate water seepage through weak spots. It increases a building's resistance to wind uplift, "gluing" the overall building together.

SPF insulation is highly resistant to floodwater damage. It also prevents moisture and condensation throughout the building, helping prevent mold and mildew. When closed-cell is applied in the cavities of walls it increases durability of the wall system because of its ability to conform and adhere to the surface.

Source: Spray Foam Coalition

The Benefits of Cool Roofs

The term "cool roof" refers to how much it reflects and emits the sun's heat back to the sky instead of transferring it to the building. According to the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC), "Coolness" is measured by solar reflectance and thermal emittance. The higher the value, the "cooler" the roof.

A cool roof is either white or is another "cool" color which use darker-colored pigments that are highly reflective in the near infrared portion of the solar spectrum. It is like wearing a light shirt versus a dark shirt out in the sunshine: the light shirt keeps you cooler.

Benefits of a Cool Roof are numerous and include:

• Energy savings and global warming mitigation
• Reduction in urban heat island effect and smog
• Improved occupant comfort
• Comply with codes and green building programs

Washington Roofing & Insulation provides free on site consultation to help you determine which cool roof product is right for you.

Source: Cool Roof Rating Council

Insurance Fraud, Be an Educated Consumer

Be an educated consumer, please take a few minutes and read this article.

Paying for deductibles, even partially, is illegal in Texas.

Paying for placing a sign in an insured’s yard is in fact considered a rebate since the insured receive a betterment from their loss.  When you submit an invoice to the insurance company to recover the depreciation do you show that you paid the insured?  Do you show that you collected the FULL and required dollar figure?  If not, and you stated that you collected hundreds or even thousands less than the correct deductible, the insurance company would reduce the recoverable depreciation by the amount you discounted the deductible.

I’m seeing language on claim summaries now that address this issue informing insured’s that it’s illegal for them not to pay their fully required deductible.

Examples:

1. Insurance claim for a roof is estimated by insurance at $10,000.
2. Insured (homeowner) has a deductible for $1,500.
3. This means the insurance company’s portion of “buying the roof” is $8,500.
4. However, along comes Roofer X who only charges the home owner/insured $500 and not the full amount.
5. Roofer X is telling the insurance company they should send out the balance of the claim (the rest of the amount due) and the insurance company now things they have satisfied their part.
6. If, on the other hand, Roofer X were to send in an invoice with the dollar figure of $500 paid by homeowner/insured and NOT $1,500, then the insurance company would then back off their final check by the amount that Roofer X did NOT collect.
7. Homeowner/insured is happy, however, because they just paid less than they were supposed to (“hey, it’s OK; everyone does it, right”).

WRONG.

Fact: The very moment Roofer X sends off a false invoice showing a higher dollar amount collected from homeowner/insured, then Roofer X has committed fraud.

Fact: If Roofer X provided an invoice to the homeowner/insured and they (not the roofer) then forward this off to insurance, both parties have now committed insurance fraud, however the homeowner has also committed wire fraud and they are also committing collusion (conspiring to perform an illegal act)…. How nice; Roofer X has just dragged the homeowner down right along with them.

It’s really quite simple:

Find a roofing contractor (DK Haney Roofing) that has good references and one that you think will provide you with the highest level of service and do the best quality job.  Pay your full and legally required deductible.

If you have a problem with your deductible, then maybe you need to rethink your premiums.  A higher premium will mean a lower deductible, but you, the consumer, are the one who makes that choice.

Now, one scam (“on the behalf of the homeowner/insured”) is that Roofer X could pay to place a sign in someone’s yard that they are not re-roofing, that’s legal but it’s also not very likely.

Since roofing is by its very nature dangerous and potentially deadly these kickbacks can be considered a first degree felony offence.  At the minimum it’s a state jail felony.  If you get caught doing it multiple times they will aggregate the charges.

All it takes is an insurance company’s SIU Department to audit an insured.  Or the Texas Department of Insurance to investigate.  See Chapter 35 Insurance Fraud Section 35.02(7)(B).

*Information provided by the North Texas Roofing Contractors Associate.

With DK Haney Roofing…

You don’t have to worry about insurance fraud.  We will never ask our customers to do anything illegal.  Our job is to provide you with quality service at an affordable rate. 

If you feel like you are being pressured by Roofer X, call DK Haney Roofing and we’ll help solve your roofing problem today!

How to Extend the Life of Your Shingle Roof

Regular roof maintenance might not be something on your weekend to-do list but as you will soon learn it is an important task that should be added on a bi-annually basis.  By checking off these simple tasks you can extend the life of your shingle roof.

✔ Gutters:  Your gutters can collect leaves and other debris over time.  When wet the added weight can cause your gutters to pull away from the roof.  Blocked gutters can cause water to over flow and run down the side of your home causing discoloration as well as erosion to your foundation.

✔ Attic:  Check your attic for mold or wet spots.  A wet roof can cause the wood and shingles to rot at an accelerated rate, leaving you with a hazardous mess.  If you spot mold contact a mold removal service.

✔ Skylights:  Keep skylights clean and free of leaves and debris.  Dirty skylights can deteriorate faster and cause them to lose color.  Check chocking around skylight to insure it stays strong and can weather future storms.

✔ Roof:  Remove any foreign objects from the roof such as branches, leaves, trash, and toys.  Check shingles for cracks, penetrations, and hail damage.  While you’re on the roof check the flashing on the chimney and any vents to make sure they are secure and free of any debris.

If you don’t feel comfortable walking around on your roof or climbing a ladder to inspect your roof, call DK Haney Roofing and we can provide you with a full inspection that will help to extend the life of your shingle roof. 

If you’d like more information or you’re ready to schedule an appointment, call 866-DRY IT IN (866-379-4246).  Or visit us on the web at www.dkhaneyroofing.com.

No Energy Savings From My Cool Roof – What Gives?

Okay, so you installed a cool roofing system, but since the building already had so much insulation you haven’t noticed any energy savings. What’s the point?

True. High reflectivity is a key characteristic that helps keep buildings cooler and can reduce energy usage. As much as 40% less cooling energy may be needed for buildings that have highly-reflective roofs. But even if a building is very well insulated, here are some other valuable benefits from cool roofing:

Insulation can be 25%-50% more effective

Studies have shown that extremely high temperatures reduce the effective R-value of the most widely used types of insulation (Leonard & Leonard, 2005). Cooler surfaces help preserve and keep rooftop insulation materials cooler.

HVAC equipment can operate more efficiently

Inlet air temperatures can be 5-15 degrees cooler 30 inches above a cool roofing surface compared to a black surface. Most rooftop HVAC units are designed with efficiency ratings evaluated at 95ºF (York International, 2005); rooftop temperatures on a black surface can reach 160ºF or higher, meaning that HVAC units will not operate at peak efficiency.

Substrate deterioration may be slowed by as much as 75%

Ultraviolet and infrared radiation and moisture penetration accelerate substrate deterioration. A cool roofing system will reflect this radiation and help protect the substrate (Kirn et. Al., 1994).

Ambient interior temperatures can be up to 20ºF cooler than outside

Studies of worker performance with machine operation and high physical activity reveal that productivity drops 10% at 84ºF and 38% at 95ºF (Schweisheimer, W., 1962). So even if a building is not air conditioned occupants will still notice improved comfort on hot days.

Originally posted by Duro-Last Roofing and re-posted by DK Haney Roofing.