Other Building Envelope Services

Roof Inspection

Some roofing contractors provide inspection services free-of-charge in the effort to solicit work. While most offers result in legitimate inspections, it might be advantageous to hire someone who works independently from a contracting company and can provide a more objective opinion. Roofing inspectors should pay particular attention to roof penetrations, flashings and distress areas such as blisters, fish mouths and cracks. Also advise the inspector of any problems that you may have noticed, particularly during the rain and snow season. The inspector’s findings may result in one of the following evaluations:

• Structurally sound, not currently in need of repair or maintenance work.
• In need of patchwork and coating.
• Requires resurfacing with a new membrane.
• Deteriorated to the extent that requires total removal and replacement.

Thermal Infrared Scanning

Water intrusion problems can be from a wide variety of sources. Siding / roof interfaces, roof leaks, roof penetration flashings or directly through masonry exteriors and windowsills, these are all potential areas where water can enter a building. Finding the exact source of these leaks can be tricky because water will travel in a variety of ways. It can just drip down, as from a roof leak, but can also wick up from a wet basement floor. It can travel sideways until it finds a weak spot in a drywall ceiling. It also travels horizontally through brick and masonry. In short, water travels in all ways possible and it is not always apparent where the source of the leak is.

Even skilled and experienced contractors have a hard time finding the source of water intrusion problems. They may be very good at their particular trade (masonry, carpentry, roofing, siding, etc) but they water problems can involve many different building components. We are professional, licensed and certified building inspectors, experienced in all of the building trades and specially trained to look at the building as a whole, can pinpoint the cause of the problem and do away with the guesswork, making the repair less expensive and definitive.

We use special tools, like thermal imaging cameras, pin and deep probing moisture meters, hygrometers, blower doors and MATS testing, but more important is the training and experience that we bring to the job. Building inspectors are unbiased and are not there to sell you a new roof or windows, but are there to find and help to fix the problem. Most water intrusion problems are relatively easy and inexpensive to fix once the source is found. This saves the building owner time and money because there is no guesswork.

Waterproofing

A building is only as good as its roof, and its roof is only as good as the care and maintenance you provide for it. Waterproofing is one way of protecting your roof. All American Exterior Solutions® has applied hot fluid waterproofing systems including insulation and drainage components for a number of plaza roofs and terraces. All applications installed by our manufacturer certified crews carry a multi-year Weathertight warranty.