Award

Firestone's UltraPly TPO SA install; RubberGard EPDM SA from Firestone. J UNE 2015 | 13 Roofing/Cladding Materials T The increasingly frequent bouts of extreme and unpre- dictable weather events are prompting a heightened focus on robust systems – at the same time the demand for better esthetics is on the rise in Canada. Unsurprisingly, the roofing sector players, whose products often bear the brunt of stormy weather impacts, have been upgrading the resilience of their systems to ensure their roofs and attached compo- nents stay where they are supposed to. Cladding sys- tems, both more visible and less vulnerable than roofs, have also been sprucing up, especially in the case of owner-occupied buildings. In what could be seen as a combination of both tendencies, there has been a sustained trend to white membranes – TPO and PVC. "These are continuing to grow in all climates, not just warmer climes, for which they're best suited," says Rick Ruppert, architectural services manager at Firestone Building Products. Just as the use of white roof membranes has moved northwards, the installation of air and water barriers has become more common in the U.S. as energy codes continue to tighten. Also, fully adhesive-attached roofs have become more popular because they tend to be stronger, have better impact resistance, have fewer weak points and last longer. Their main drawback has been temperature requirements for adhesion – typi- cally, about 15 degrees Celsius, Ruppert says. That is until now. Product solutions to the chal- lenge of cold weather installation were introduced by Firestone earlier this year in the U.S. and will be available in Canada this summer. UltraPly TPO SA (self-adhesive) and RubberGard EPDM SA combine the membrane, seams, flashing and general detailing of existing systems with a new, advanced adhesive. No primer is needed for either product and the adhesive is already on the membrane. Both products are VOC-free and acceptable ambient temperature for application begins at minus 7 degrees Celsius. "It's a new mecha- nism of adhesion, made possible through secure bond technology. It's a truly new advance in adhesive," Ruppert says. The performance of the two products, expressed in Celsius, now begins below freezing at minus 7 degrees C, instead of requiring optimal conditions of at least plus 15 degrees C. As wind loads have increased in recent years as a result of climate change, the need for standards and practical rating systems has become more urgent. "Having products rated helps clients know what they are getting is sufficient to manage the probable wind loads for the building. We have a large selection of products that are rated and eventually all of them will be," says Jean-François Côté, director, strategic devel- opment, at Soprema Inc. Despite the advantages of adhesive-applied roof systems and their wide use in Canada, insurance cov- erage has been a challenge in the past for buildings without mechanical fastenings for membrane roofs. Bridging such a gap was one of the objectives of the Special Interest Group on the Dynamic Evaluation of Roofing Systems (SIGDERS). Supported by the National Research Council (NRC), this has had a role in changes to CSA standards and the National Building Code of Canada. Côté says that calculating the wind load for a build- ing being roofed has been simplified with the use of NRC's Wind-RCI online calculator. "All new buildings at some point in the not too distant future will have to use products that have been rated based on a govern- ment- and industry-accepted standard. Any manufac- turer will have to do the necessary testing," he says. Roofing and cladding sectors boost durability and thermal efficiency by GODFREY BUDD OutOn TOP PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY FIRESTONE BUILDING PRODUCTS

• Cover