Yep. We said It. The roof over Colorado Mills Mall wouldn't have leaked with a spray foam roof. Let us explain why.....
Hail vs. Spray Foam Roofs
Hop in our DeLorean and call us Doc because we’re about to take you back to a little piece of Colorado history that most of you will remember.
In May 2017, a hail storm passed through Northeast Colorado and caused a lot of damage. Trees were knocked down, power was out and many vehicles were damaged in the greater Denver area. The hailstorm has been reported as the costliest on record for the state of Colorado. When that storm ripped through the Front Range, it showed no mercy on the roof of the Colorado Mills Mall, in Lakewood.
Hail blasted through the roof of Colorado Mills, forcing the mall to close its doors for months while they repaired damage inside and out. Not only did they have to repair the roof damage but the residual effects were astronomical: thousands of employees were out of work, individual store owners had to deal with their own losses and interior renovations were necessary. Furthermore, according to the Denver Business Journal, “its six-month closure hit the city’s coffers, with officials estimating Lakewood may have lost about $350,000 a month in sales tax collections.” Great Scott!
To the DeLorean and back to the future.
Prior to the hail storm, the roof on the Colorado Mills Mall was a single ply roof. Reports indicate that there were different ages of roof sections but the roof was mostly, if not all, a TPO roof. To be clear, we’re not knocking TPO roofs. No roofing material can withstand a hailstorm of that magnitude. We also understand that skylights were broken during this storm and allowed some rain water to come in. Nonetheless, research has indicated that damage caused by wind driven missiles (hail) do not cause Spray Polyurethane Foam roofs to leak AND this damage can usually be repaired economically, not requiring the roof to be replaced.
As long as building owners and property managers are diligently maintaining their roofs, as they should be with any roof type in Colorado, it is our opinion that spray foam roofs are the best long-term investment you can make.
Colorado Commercial Roof Professionals
Titan Applicators LLC delivers durable, long-lasting commercial roofing solutions to our Colorado commercial real estate clients. Our spray foam and coating systems offer fast, efficient and economical alternatives to building owners and facility managers facing costly roof replacements.
What is spray foam?
By definition, spray polyurethane foam (SPF) is a cellular plastic. It is a dispersion of a gas in a solid polymeric matrix and derives properties from both phases. The gas phase contributes mainly to the superior thermal insulation properties and the polymeric structure affects the mechanical and chemical properties.
SPF is the product of two basic chemical ingredients, Isocyanate and Resin, and is manufactured on the job site by a specialized process of heat and pressure. It is important that your spray foam roofing contractor understands the chemical process of her or his material as there are many factors that can negatively affect the final product.
- Isocyanate, typically assigned the letter "A", is a highly reactive organic chemical and is a basic component in spray foam chemical systems. Most SPF manufacturers use a similar isocyanate product.
- The difference in SPF roof systems primarily comes from the second component of the polyurethane blend, the Resin. Resins, or polyol, are typically assigned the letter "b" and consist of at least five components: polyols, surfactants, catalysts, blowing agents and fire retardants. It is this blend of ingredients which separates good manufacturers from great manufacturers.
The Titan Applicators team is obsessed with becoming the leader in spray polyurethane foam & specialty coatings by creating raving-fan-clients through superior customer service, quality installations, and continuous reliability. We have developed strategic partnerships with material manufacturers that use the purest raw materials available. Titan Applicators is a Tier 1 Approved Applicator for NCFI roofing products.
Spray Foam Roof Repair & Maintenance
Like any type of roofing system, a properly maintained spray polyurethane foam roof will provide many years of service. SPF roofing systems that have been applied and maintained correctly and according to industry standards can typically be repaired efficiently.
Small blisters, holes or punctures can usually be repaired with a compatible sealant. The sealant should be one that is recommended by the existing coating manufacturer and the area of repair should be clean, dry, and the edges beveled to assure good adhesion. [SPF core plugs may be used in some instances.]
Larger areas that require repair can still be repaired much cheaper than other roofing systems, in most instances. These portions of the SPF roof can be scarified or ground down, cleaned, primed, and applied with a new layer of SPF roofing foam & top coat.
Titan Applicators follows a comprehensive semi-annual roof maintenance checklist on all of its commercial roof inspections.
