Property Condition Assessment And Building Envelope Upgrades at a Rehabilitation Centre
SITUATION
The client had a previously conducted building inspection, which required updating to form their annual budget for building improvements. The previous inspection had been conducted by the Government of Canada approximately three years prior.
OBJECTIVE
Haag Canada was requested to perform a Property Condition Assessment and determine the areas of improvement, timelines for completion, and costing budgets.
APPROACH
Haag Canada’s initial inspection included a thorough scope of the interior, exterior, and grounds of the building. At the time, we found minimal concerns on the interior. However, we observed areas of heat loss within the building that were directly related to the roof condition.
On the rooftop we observed curb flashing that was far below the standard height, which was directly contributing to the heat loss observed within the building.
We also found numerous blisters, ponding, and poor adhesion between the cap and base sheets of the roofing system. These deficiencies would have been produced at the point of installation via inappropriate application techniques. The roof was a 20-year-old modified bitumen construction which comes with a typical lifespan between 15 to 30 years. Although this roof may have lasted another 10 years, its poor installation details limited its potential longevity.
According to the annual expenditure reports, the client was spending a significant amount on roof maintenance to preserve its condition. The long-term feasibility of their situation was inefficient on both physical and monetary standpoints. Therefore, we made recommendations for replacement of specific roof sections: 60% of the modified bitumen roof required mandatory replacement within 3 to 4 years, whereas the remaining 40% was recently installed within 5 years.
Following the submission of our report, the client returned to us with inquiries about the rooftop, looking for recommendations based on safe and sustainable solutions including long-term efficiency, recyclability, low VOCs (Volatile Inorganic Compounds), and mitigating potential risks involved with their vulnerable clientele. Based on the client’s concerns, we recommended a cold apply roofing system which has numerous complimentary benefits: the application method does not use heat which mitigates risk of fire and endangerment; the materials are a one-time installation with updates via overtopping every 20 years which allows for a 70% reduction in maintenance and replacement costs over an extended period; and the product is low VOC emissions and solvent free which is more environmentally friendly.
As part of our services and expertise, we assisted the client in a grant application for replacing the affected roof areas. Once their grant was approved, Haag Canada oversaw project management from start to finish including contract bids, material sourcing, site management and inspection which remains ongoing for the lifetime of the roof.
