Roof consultants typically work with both the building owner and the roofing contractor, giving them a unique perspective when it comes to examining roof maintenance. Roofing Contractor spoke with four consultants who work with building owners across the country and asked them to share their clients’ key concerns and their goals in setting up roof asset management programs.

Knappen Milling Co., one of the first providers of grain for the famous cereals of the Kellogg’s family of Battle Creek, Mich., had a roofing problem. It needed to replace a portion of the roof to keep the processed flour and grains inside from getting wet.

As the first LEED Gold certified animal shelter in the nation, the new Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) Animal Community Center in Milpitas, CA proves that even our four-legged friends can enjoy the benefits of sustainability.

JD Candler Roofing Company of Livonia, Mich., has installed the first GAF EverGuard Extreme TPO roof in the Great Lakes state. The new membrane now covers the 16,500-square-foot rooftop of Sealant Equipment & Engineering Corp., located in Plymouth, Mich.

Contractors and architects in search of sustainable and energy-efficient roofing products increasingly face a broad range of new choices. But a recent study suggests that a frontrunner in the race to be green may be one of the most tried and true products in the marketplace.

In February, President Obama announced the Better Buildings Initiative, a multi-pronged effort to make commercial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient over the next decade by encouraging private sector investment through incentives to upgrade schools, universities and municipal facilities, as well as offices, stores and other commercial buildings.

The initial cost of a roof system is typically 10 percent of the total building cost. However, over the life span the building the roof could account for nearly 60 percent of the building’s total maintenance costs.

Energy efficiency, re-use, and recyclability are buzzwords in the roofing industry, and while such terms have a tendency to lose their meaning over time, some in the business take them very seriously. With landfill space at a premium, recycling has become much more than a fad. Instead, it is increasingly providing a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and easy alternative to skyrocketing waste disposal rates.

In these financially strapped times, people are getting creative with their finances. Lake Tahoe Unified School District has been doing the same, with incredible results for its students and community. After putting together a District Facilities Master Plan in December 2007, the district prepared for a bond which passed in September of 2008.