From top to bottom: How F&S has ramped up roof replacements

Considered high-risk infrastructure, the roof is a fundamental part of every building.

“The roof is one of the top components of deferred maintenance,” Steve Barratt, senior property manager at Facilities & Services says. “If there is even a little leak, that could grow into more problems down the road.” 

In 2019, F&S changed how it prioritizes deferred maintenance on campus—adopting a more comprehensive risk-based methodology.  

Prioritization now considers the physical condition of the asset, the impact of failure on occupants and other building systems, the current use of the facility, as well as the future planned use of the building. 

As a result, roofs floated to the top of the priority list. Last year, roofs and building envelopes accounted for 73% of the total cost of all deferred maintenance on the St. George campus.  

And the Property Management team took on the challenge. 

Over the last four years, the amount spent on roof and building envelope projects grew sixfold. According to Barratt, the total value of roof projects this year is just over $9 million. 

To prioritize repairs, the Property Management team works with an external roofing expert to complete an inspection and lifecycle study of every roof. At the end of the assessment, each roof is assigned a life-expectancy rating. 

After the university approves funding, the Property Management team begins the rehabilitation process. 

“The first thing we do is determine the roof’s composition and whether it contains materials requiring safe disposal,” Barratt says. “Then we remove that existing roof to get to the structural roof, dispose of it properly, and build it back up using modified bitumen product.” 

While that may sound like a basic process, it frequently includes many steps to ensure a long lifespan for the roof. When necessary, roof drains are replaced, mechanical ductwork is re-insulated, and flashing—a flat thin piece of metal used to prevent water penetration around edges and mechanical equipment—is upgraded. Safety is also enhanced by adding roof anchors or other fall prevention measures. 

By addressing more roof maintenance, F&S is also ensuring that the newly replaced and rehabilitated roofs are ready for future opportunities, such as making roofs ‘solar-ready,’ that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.