Accessory overview

Roofing professionals have the responsibility to design, specify and install quality roof assemblies. In many cases, the scope of their work is not limited to choosing and installing insulation and roof systems. Roofing professionals most likely need to include roof accessories in their designs and installations. And there are times a special accessory is needed to meet unique project requirements or used in an atypical situation.

NRCA's Technical Services Section receives many calls from roofing contractors and roof system designers looking for such roof accessories. To assist roofing professionals, Professional Roofing compiled a limited list of products and their manufacturers that offer out-of-the-ordinary or innovative products. Note that a manufacturer may offer more products than what is presented in this article. You should visit individual manufacturers' Web sites and contact them directly for more information.

And it is important to note inclusion of a product in this article does not imply endorsement by NRCA or Professional Roofing. NRCA and Professional Roofing do not possess or maintain any information about these products' performance records. The article's purpose is to offer some available options for unusual situations and present new and/or improved products.

Residential

Ventilation

A concern for many homeowners is how to properly ventilate attic spaces. NRCA recommends a static, balanced ventilation system with a minimum amount of 1 square foot (0.09 m²) of net free ventilating area for every 150 square feet (13.9 m²) of attic space measured at the attic floor level. A balanced ventilation system provides about half the total ventilation area at or near the ridge (such as a ridge vent) and the remaining area at the low points (such as soffit or eave vents).

However, there are times when typical ridge and soffit vent products do not conform to a roof's configuration. Designers may misuse or decide to forgo a ventilation system because of this situation, but this is not recommended by NRCA. There are design options available. For example, consider a roof where an overhang does not exist and soffit vents are not an option.

COR-A-VENT Inc., Mishawaka, Ind., manufactures the S-400 Strip Vent, a vent made of heat-resistant polypropylene that can be installed directly behind a fascia board. The S-400 Strip Vent is self-cleaning and crush-resistant to withstand installation by a nail gun.

DCI Products Inc., Clifton Heights, Pa., offers a product called SmartVent to address inadequate soffit ventilation or where attic insulation blocks soffit vents. SmartVent is a tapered, plastic vent installed at the soffit edge and under shingles. A continuous slot or a series of holes are installed in the roof deck under the plastic vent to allow for air flow.

Another example that calls for special treatment is when a roof's peak intersects a wall or doesn't have a true ridge, such as on a freestanding shed roof. Air Vent Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., produces specialty metal vents called FilterVent Specialty Ridge Vents that can be installed at such locations. The Flash FilterVent is for roof and wall intersections, and the Peak FilterVent is for roofs where a two-sided ridge does not exist. All FilterVent products have external baffles and internal weather filters.

In cases where adequate ridge venting is difficult (such as on a hip roof), electric fans or powered attic vents often are used to draw air through an attic. Although powered vents are not a new concept, there are solar-powered units available for energy-conscious consumers. Air Vent produces the SolarCool™ Attic Vent, a powered vent with a solar panel mounted on top. The solar panel is adjustable, so it can be rotated or tilted to gain maximum sun exposure. It is not hooked to a thermostat; instead, it continually operates as long as there is sunlight.

Tubular skylights

Homeowners who want to introduce natural light into their homes have a new skylight option. Tubular skylights have entered the market and are touted as being affordable and easy to install and feature flexible placement. They work on the principle that sunlight enters a tube, bounces off the highly reflective inside surface and is directed into interior space. Two manufacturers of tubular skylights are Velux-America Inc., Greenwood, S.C., and ODL Inc., Zeeland, Mich.

One tubular skylight product that is especially distinctive is the Spyder Skylight by Sun-Tek Manufacturing Inc., Orlando, Fla. This product will allow two spaces or four spaces to be illuminated with only one roof opening. Sun-Tek Manufacturing recommends the tubing be as short and straight as possible to achieve maximum benefits.

Commercial

Pipe-related products

NRCA does not recommend using roofs as locations for heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) equipment. But roofing professionals know roof-mounted HVAC equipment is, unfortunately, a fact of life. And with HVAC equipment, there will be pipes and conduit that need to be addressed either as vertical roof penetrations or when they run laterally along a roof's top surface.

Penetration pockets (also called pitch pockets or pitch pans) are not the preferred flashing method for pipe penetrations because they generally become a constant maintenance problem. However, if typical metal pitch pans are going to be used, contractors either have them shop-fabricated or formed in the field. But if a project requires a large quantity of metal pitch pans, there is a prefabricated, adjustable product available from Metal-Era Inc., Waukesha, Wis., called the Flash-Tite Adjustable Pitch Pan. It has a telescoping design to adjust horizontally and extenders to take care of larger penetrations. Different heights and materials also are available for use with any roof system. Metal-Era claims cost savings can be realized because the amount of sealant and filler will be minimized and units are competitively priced compared with shop-fabricated pitch pans.

Chem Link Advanced Architectural Products, Kalamazoo, Mich., offers another pitch-pocket solution called the ChemCurb™ System, which incorporates a curb composed of precast polyester composite or black structural urethane. The curb can be cut to fit penetrations of different sizes and shapes. The curb is adhered to the substrate with a bonding adhesive and filled with a moisture-cured, self-leveling sealer.

Another approach to addressing pipe penetrations is the Pipe Portal System offered by Portals Plus Inc., Bensenville, Ill. This system can house multiple pipe penetrations of varying sizes in one roof opening. Pipes with diameters ranging from 3/8 of an inch to 12 inches (9.5 mm to 305 mm) can be accommodated. The system consists of a roof curb, molded curb cover(s) made from acrylonitrite butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, sealing rings and EPDM rubber caps for each pipe penetration.

Thybar Corp., Addison, Ill., offers a similar product where multiple penetrations are accommodated in one roof opening. Its system includes the ThyCurb Piping Cover, which is made of ABS thermoplastic korad acrylic and incorporates graduated flashing boots that can be cut to fit. Stainless-steel clamps are used to seal the flashing to the penetration.

Although NRCA does not recommend laying pipe and conduit on a roof surface, roofing professionals often encounter such cases. In many instances, the pipe supports used are wooden blocks. Because pipes constantly expand and contract and are subject to wind load, these blocks are forced to move back and forth, as well as side to side. The constant rubbing of the wooden blocks' hard surfaces and sharp edges may damage a roof covering. Three manufacturers fabricate pipe supports that accommodate thermal movement, but each offers a slightly different approach.

As its name implies, Portable Pipe Hangers, Houston, makes a pipe support that consists of a high-density polypropylene plastic base, metal struts, threaded rods and hangers. The struts and hangers are fully adjustable. The company recommends plastic bases be installed over walkway pads.

Miro Industries Inc., Salt Lake City, manufactures a "cradle" that has a self-lubricating polycarbonate plastic roller with a stainless-steel rod attached to a polycarbonate base. The product comes in different models to accommodate a range of pipe diameters and height requirements.

Plymouth, Minn.-based Pipe Pier Support Systems' solution to pipe supports is a closed-cell polyethylene foam block that encases a metal channel strut. Pipes or conduit are held in with strut clamps, rollers or other approved accessories. If pipes are unusually large or heavy, a combination of struts and multiple blocks may be used to create a framework to support the load.

Walkway pads

There is a current trend in the construction industry to use green building products, which are made of recycled, salvaged materials; products that conserve natural resources; or products that have low environmental effects during the manufacture, demolition, installation or renovation process. Building owners and roof system designers are trying to use these products for energy-saving, environmentally friendly and sustainability reasons. There is one roof accessory that some manufacturers have adapted to meet this need—walkway pads.

Several manufacturers produce walkway pads and pavers made of recycled rubber products. Each company produces pads that are marketed to be impact-resistant, weather-resistant and compatible with all roof systems. The Unity Surfacing System by Unity Creations, Hicksville, N.Y., and the Nova Walkway by EcoStar, Mundelein, Ill., are square, interlocking pads that allow water to drain freely underneath the pads. Roof-Gard Pads by Humane Manufacturing, Baraboo, Wis., are available in three sizes and can be easily cut.

Bird control

A nuisance that plagues a number of building owners is bird infestation. Pigeons, sea gulls, swallows, vultures and other birds can damage roof systems by pecking at them or by their droppings. Although birds can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage, owners seem to prefer humane methods of eradicating them. Fortunately, there are several techniques and products designed to keep birds away from rooftops.

Shock Track by Bird•B•Gone, Mission Viejo, Calif., is a flexible, electric track that mildly shocks birds and prevents them from landing. The system addresses all types of birds and can be installed on any surface. The low-profile track is an open design, so water can flow through it. And the track bends in every direction. The Shock Track system can be powered by either solar or electric chargers.

East Moline, Ill.-based Nixalite® of America has been manufacturing bird-control products. One of its featured products is a stainless-steel wire and strip barrier that repels birds. There are different models available for particular bird species.

Bird-X Inc., Chicago, offers the Quadblaster QB-4, which emits ultrasonic sound waves to scare off birds. Each unit has four speakers that produce harsh, harmless sound waves that cannot be heard by humans. The unit can be mounted in any direction, and optional remote speakers can be purchased for unusual roof system configurations.

Grease control

Restaurants, manufacturing plants and buildings with commercial kitchens share a common problem—fats, oils and grease deposited on their roofs from exhaust fans. These substances often are referred to as "FOG" and can be detrimental to almost all roof coverings.

One of the best ways to protect a roof system from the effects of FOG is to prevent it from reaching a roof covering. There are several systems available that purport to collect and contain FOG discharge.

Facilitec Corp., Gurnee, Ill., makes the G2 Grease Guard® system, a grease-containment system that incorporates a grease-deflecting flashing system, aluminum framework and filter system. The grease-deflecting flashing system is installed on an exhaust fan's equipment curb sides. The frame is installed around the exhaust fan, and the proprietary filter system is cut to fit inside the frame. The filter captures and traps the discharge. Once the filter is saturated, it should be replaced.

Los Angeles-based Flame Gard® Inc. markets the Flame Gard Grease Catcher System. It consists of a metal containment box that is installed on an exhaust fan's side. A Flame Gard Grease Pillow then is placed inside the box to absorb the discharge. The company recommends replacing the pillow when it becomes saturated. For additional protection, the Flame Gard Universal Grease Pad can be placed directly on a roof.

Grease-CONTROL, San Francisco, offers GreaseDiapers,® which is marketed as a cost-effective grease- and oil-collection system that is easy to install and maintain. It can be attached to one or all sides of an exhaust fan and is meant to collect grease, oil and fats that spill from the sides of the fan.

Wrap-up

This article's purpose is to present products that meet unique project requirements or offer innovative ideas. It is not NRCA's intention to recommend or endorse specific products or manufacturers. A majority of the information was found on manufacturers' Web sites at the time this article was written.

Before they use any of these products, I encourage roofing professionals to contact the manufacturers for further information and verify a roof accessory is appropriate for their specific needs.

Joan P. Crowe is an NRCA manager of technical services.