NRCA Research on SPF Roofs
National Roofing Foundation Surveys SPF Roofs
In the most comprehensive roof survey ever performed the National Roofing Foundation has
examined SPF roofs from Eau Claire, WI to Houston, TX and from Los Angeles to
New York City. With Dr. Rene Dupuis acting as principle investigator, the
foundation has been examining in-place foam roofing, predominantly with service
ages ranging from ten to twenty years. This survey includes field observations
and random sampling as well as extensive laboratory analysis.
The report due out in Spring of 1997 is already providing some interesting insight into a roofing
system that is still widely misunderstood in many roofing circles. Dick Fricklas,
Technical Director for The Roofing Industry Educational Institute, discussed the
need for such a survey in his monthly column for RSI magazine.
Mr. Fricklas states, "Many readers of this column are roofing contractors and consultants who may be very
knowledgeable on BUR, modified bitumen and single-ply systems, but who have
never sprayed foam. When asked to look at an existing foam system... They're
more likely to tell the owner to tear the foam roof off and put down something
they do now how to handle."
Mr. Fricklas goes on to
state "For building owners, dubious because of the 'horror stories' they've been
told, the field survey should be reassuring. Earlier work done by Dr. Dean
Kashiwagi at Arizona State indicated many foam roofs have lasted 20 years or
more and appear to last indefinitely if maintained. Kashiwagi also discovered
that owners have been extremely satisfied with the performance of their foam
roofs. Should the (NRF) survey be as positive as Kashiwagi's earlier work,
perhaps some skeptics will be willing to take another look."
Dr. Dupuis expects many
members of the roofing community to be surprised by the NRF findings. According
to Dr. Dupuis, "most people think a foam roof is a foam roof is a foam roof.
They see an application performed by unskilled labor using improper materials
and they assume that all foam roofs are the same. Our survey is demonstrating
that the high end specification of SPF is equal to any other premium roof
system."
At last year's NRCA
convention in San Diego Dr. Dupuis stated that "SPF roofing systems appear to
have a very high degree of sustainability. Properly maintained with periodic
recoating these systems have an indefinite life expectancy."
