Monday, April 1, 2013

High Winds and Closed-Cell Polyurethane Roofing

Last year there were 939 tornados in the United States according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Storm Prediction Center. This was actually down from previous year which yielded 1691 tornadoes, one the biggest years for tornadoes and tornado deaths.

Predictions for the 2013 year are starting to trickle in as meteorologists and severe weather enthusiasts compile key ingredients for tornadoes. Many factors, including drought conditions in the midwest, the moisture in the Gulf, the Jet Stream and chance circumstance or an act of God determine the way the year will turn out. The website of Tornado Titans shot off a prediction that we would have an average amount this year. 

As Midwesterners living in tornado alley, an area of the United States notorious for the high number of these devastating storms, we keep close watch on the weather and cross our fingers. The goal is that if a funnel touches down on the ground, people will have been alerted prior and have enough time to get to safety.

High winds associated with tornadoes do as much damage to buildings and other structures as the actual funnel itself. Spray polyurethane roofing with closed-cell foam is capable of sustaining high winds and "offers increased resistance to hail, flying debris or wind-blown objects during high wind events," according to a 2008 report from Honeywell. The report goes on to say that "SPF roof systems have a proven track record for protecting buildings against severe storms, tornadoes, and hurricanes."

Closed-cell spray foam roofing enhances the structural integrity of a building due to it's dense properties and rigid nature after it is cured. It also doubles the wind uplift resistance of your roof. In June 2006, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released Performance of Physical Structures in Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita, stating "a number of spray polyurethane foam roofing systems were observed . . . Some of these were estimated to be about 20 years old. With one minor exception, all were found to have sustained Hurricane Katrina extremely well without blow-off of the SPF or damage to flashings."

There is not much our human population can do to hold back mother nature when she is ready to hit. However, sometimes we come up with some pretty good concepts that we can actually put into reality. Closed-cell polyurethane spray foam roofing is one of them.

Sources:
Honeywell SPFA Conference Report, March 16, 2008 "Severe Weather Walls/Roofs"
Tornado Titans
Storm Prediction Center
BASF

18 comments:

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  2. I had never even heard of this before, so thank you so much for sharing it you learn something new everyday! Do you know what the polyurethane is made out of? I wonder if the vancouver commercial roofing companies use it here it sounds like a useful thing to use. Thanks again!

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  5. good roofing is very much important, specially we all need to be protected inside in our house..that is why proper roofing and proper insulation would be always a good help..

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  7. Polyurethane foam is the latest technology in roof insulation to hit the market and it has a wide range of applications. The great thing about roof insulation is that it deflects the heat before it has a chance to become stored in the attic. This is important because once heat enters the attic it can stay there for hours on end.

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  8. One question that I have had is whether this type of roofing is viable for residential use. When I was a kid a micro burst storm hit my neighborhood and tore many of the shingles off of my roof. I wonder if this kind of roof would have prevented damages. What is the comparison in cost of this type of roof versus standard residential shingle systems? http://alignroofing.com/commercial/

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  9. I agree that closed-cell spray foam is a really good way to help protect yourself from the elements, like a tornado. Like you said there is not a lot that we can do to prevent mother nature but we can prepare. Thanks for the tips. I am excited to get the foam installed and feel just a little safer at home.

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