A Q&A with a Mule-Hide Expert
Nick Musel, one of Mule-Hide’s technical service administrators, recently gave us the scoop on the questions he and his colleagues field most often, industry trends, and some best practices for properly installing a low-slope roof.
Nick has been in the roofing and waterproofing industry for more than 20 years and joined Mule-Hide in 2019 as a field technical representative. In that role, he joined our contractors on the roof to complete warranty inspections. Today, he fields calls from contractors, installers, homeowners, building owners and architects who are looking for his expertise in roofing system design and installation.
Q: What is the most common question you are asked by contractors, specifiers, building owners and homeowners?
A: The most common questions I get are about fastening patterns for insulation. It is such an important topic, and it’s important to ask any questions before attaching the membrane. Proper insulation attachment is critical to the performance of a roofing system. If the insulation is fastened incorrectly and the membrane is then laid down on top, we will have to look at various repair options. Depending on the membrane type, the repair could be simple or difficult. TPO is a more forgiving material whereas mod bit is the most difficult to repair.
Q: How can an installer or contractor get someone to look at details of an installation before it’s started to avoid a potential repair or warranty delay?
A: Preregister the project. Often, the time from getting a bid to installing the roof is so quick that the job isn’t registered with us until after it’s done and the customer is looking for a warranty. We recommend preregistering projects so we can look over the details and identify and fix any potential issues before the work is done. It isn’t required, but we recommend it.
Q: What is the most popular product or system in the market right now?
A: Silicone coatings. And a lot of the calls we get are from homeowners looking to use silicone on their low-slope roofs because it has a long lifespan, is easy to apply and is repair-friendly. In most cases silicone coatings can be applied to almost all existing roof types. Roofs that have previously had aluminum coatings applied to them require additional prep work prior to applying silicone coatings. The other predominant question is how much silicone to apply and what warranty terms can be achieved.
Q: How important is it for installers to be aware of and comply with wind and fire codes, and what role do you play in helping them meet these requirements?
A: They typically come into play on larger projects – mostly government and military buildings – or on buildings that are adjacent to large bodies of water. On those projects, our technical services team helps find pre-tested roof assemblies that meet the design pressures or fire ratings requested by the architect or other specifier.
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