Designing roof restorations for success

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Proper planning, documentation and evaluation can help contractors reduce uncertainty before a roof restoration begins. 

Successful roof restoration starts long before materials arrive on the jobsite. On this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, host Karen Edwards spoke with Andrew Fickinger of Sherwin-Williams and roofing industry veteran Joe Sorrentino about why a thorough design process is essential to successful restoration work. 

For Joe, the first priority is understanding the existing building and how it has changed over time. Roof conditions, rooftop equipment, crew access, work schedules and even the building’s current use can influence the restoration strategy and project budget. Emphasizing the importance of evaluating what is already in place, Joe said, “You're only as strong as your foundation. When we're talking about restoration, we're talking about an existing structure.” 

That investigation should also include the roof’s history. Warranties, as-built documents, original specifications, maintenance invoices, moisture surveys and previous insurance or engineering reports can all help contractors understand what has happened throughout the life of the roof. A current inspection cannot provide the complete picture. Andrew explained, “The roof walk, performed by the contractor, is a single frame in the whole movie of that roof history.” 

Technology can help fill in additional details. Andrew explained that Sherwin-Williams offers its Uniflex RoofView drone evaluation program, which allows trained pilots to capture thermal information that contractors and consultants can then verify through core samples, moisture probing or other testing methods. 

That information ultimately supports better planning, clearer scopes of work and stronger alignment between manufacturers, contractors, crews and building owners. Andrew also noted that rushing the design phase can contribute to unexpected change orders, increased costs, scheduling delays and potential performance issues. 

For contractors looking to improve their approach, both guests stressed the importance of building strong partnerships, understanding available technologies and making sure crews are prepared to execute the proposed system. Andrew said, “Some of the best contractors that I've worked with in this space aren't just selling restorations. They are solving problems and developing solutions.” 

Listen to the podcast or Watch the conversation to learn more about how detailed roof evaluations and strong project alignment can help set roof restoration projects up for success!