Harnessing Roofing Technologies for Cost Certainty

When it comes to refurbishing – or replacing – a flat roof, a handful of crucial factors can define a project. Naturally, performance and long-term reliability will be key considerations, but what about cost certainty?

Budgets can significantly impact the potential of any project, and social housing is no exception. It’s therefore essential to have a thorough understanding of the roof you’re working on in order to maximise the budget available. This was the case at Hobbs Court, a social housing complex in Hampshire, where water ingress across its 500sqm roof was having a negative impact on occupants.

In this blog, we’ll explore the roof refurbishment at Hobbs Court further, in addition to the roofing technologies that supported contractors to gain a full understanding of the roof and deliver a solution on a strict budget. But before we do that, let’s first consider the importance of delivering cost certainty.

What is cost certainty and how is it achieved?

Focussing on delivering cost certainty allows you – and your customers – to be confident that a project will come in on budget. In many cases, cost is a key performance indicator, providing your customers with the reassurance that their budget will cover the cost of the necessary work. Likewise, cost certainty allows you to effectively plan a project, including the scale of work, time required and materials needed.

To achieve cost certainty, building a complete understanding of a project is critical. Where flat roof refurbishments are concerned, identifying the problems with the existing roof – such as persistent water ingress – is an important starting point. By equipping yourself with an intricate understanding of the existing roof, you set yourself and your customers on the path to bringing projects in on time and on budget.

The roofing technologies behind cost certainty

When embarking on a new flat roof refurbishment, two technologies stand out in particular for their ability to enhance your understanding of a roof’s condition – survey and condition reporting, and moisture mapping.

let’s take a look at each of these roofing technologies in turn to understand how they can support you.

Survey and condition reporting

Condition reporting helps you to take a scientific approach to understanding the condition of an existing roof ahead of its refurbishment – including defects, damages, or areas of concern identified during thorough inspections. Icopal’s service can even provide you with information on the roof's structural integrity, material condition, waterproofing effectiveness, and recommendations for maintenance or repairs.

This is all made possible through Icopal’s expertise and the core samples and supporting documentation that ultimately provide you with a detailed assessment of the current state of a roof. 

A core sample is where a small section of the roof is removed in order to assess the condition of the roofing materials. This sample is typically taken by drilling or cutting through the roof layers, from the surface down to the deck, to analyse the composition, thickness, and condition of each layer, including the insulation and membrane. The process helps identify issues like moisture infiltration, material degradation, or improper installation. Core samples provide valuable information for determining the overall health of the roof and planning necessary repairs or replacements.

With these insights, you can plan your project effectively while reducing risk, saving time and delivering on budget.

Moisture Mapping

Icopal’s Moisture Mapping service provides a non-invasive way to visually assess moisture levels within a roof using advanced low-frequency electronic signal technology. This method allows you to evaluate the roof's condition without any disruption. With the detailed insights from the moisture map, you can accurately plan your roofing project to ensure long-lasting performance while effectively managing costs."

This is the technology that supported contractors, SPR Roofing, to take an evidence-based approach to their refurbishment of the roof at Hobbs Court.

Achieve cost certainty with Moisture Mapping

Spanning 500sqm, the roofs of Hobbs Court were nothing if not complex, particularly as their L-shaped layout saw sloping slides leading into a central gully area. Working with a tight budget to rectify the problem of water ingress, the contractors knew it was important to get a clear understanding of the condition of the roof – and the damage caused by persistent leaks.

Icopal’s Moisture Mapping diagnostic technology made this possible. By providing evidence of water in the base of the fall, alongside moisture levels across the entire roof, the technology helped SPR Roofing to determine how much of the roof needed to be replaced through the renovation works to prevent water ingress in the future.

By focussing efforts on the areas of the roof that were in the greatest need of renovation, the project was completed within budget, while the use of high-quality roofing materials – including Icopal’s Thermaweld bituminous roofing system – delivered the performance required for long-lasting reliability.

With our heritage and experience in flat roofing, Icopal has a wide range of Flat Roofing Technologies and Technical Support services available to help professionals at every stage of their projects. These tools play a pivotal role in identifying the specific challenges and characteristics of individual roofs and support the specification of solutions that prioritise performance, reliability and longevity.