We Don't Take Being a Performance Based Contractor Lightly

A Performance Based Contractor is a contractor who withstands rigorous annual inspections from the Arizona State University Performance Based Studies Research Group (PBSRG), a third party group of researchers and educators whose mission is to continually develop tools and processes to "improve the procurement and delivery of projects and services, as well as the measurement of internal operations and personnel."

Each year, Washington Roofing and Insulation provides a list of finished NEOGARD roof coating projects that the PBSRG scrutinizes to determine sustainability and customer satisfaction. PBSRG researchers send out surveys and inspect each project, then provide a rating back from 1-10, with ten being the highest amount of satisfaction.

Washington Roofing and Insulation is proud to one of 14 Performance Based Contractors in the entire United States.

But what does that mean to you?

That means we undergo tedious research and inspections which keeps pushing us to perform at our very highest. Our goal is for our customers to be satisfied throughout the life of their roof. With proper *maintenance the life of your roof should be as long as the life of the building.

To learn more about our status as a Performance Based Alpha Contractor, visit the PBSRG website. 

*Proper maintenance is recoating your roof at the end of your warranty period. Normal recoating is every 8-10 years.

Tiffany Ridge Elementary Project

In the fall of 2011, Washington Roofing and Insulation (WRI) began work on Tiffany Ridge Elementary school in Kansas City, Missouri. WRI was contracted to provide the air barrier for the building and worked with Universal Construction out of Lenexa, Kansas, and D&D Masonry from Kansas City, Missouri. 

Moriah Carpenter, Air Barrier Estimator for WRI, said that the LEED project was an outstanding addition to the Park Hill School District.

"We were proud and honored to be a part of this BASF Walltite Air Barrier project," Moriah said."It  all came together really quickly."

Southwest elevation during spray foam process.

Brick ledge by brick mason.

Completed building.

Front of completed building.

Moriah said that the mild winter in the area allowed them to complete most of the project in the early Spring.

"We enjoyed meeting the challenges this project brought to us due to several different exterior finishes that were used," she said. "We look forward to watching as they open their doors this fall."

The ribbon cutting for the Tiffany Ridge Elementary School is scheduled for late June 2012. The district plans to be open for the 2012-2013 school year.

Photos copyright of Washington Roofing and Insulation 2012.

We Will Come Back

When we consult with people on their roofing problems and discuss specific solutions, the biggest question we are asked, with no doubt, is:
"Will you come back?"

In every industry there are those unethical contractors who either take off with the money and don't return or finish the job but are never available for questions or to solve problems. In many cases with talking to potential clients, we have to convince them that Washington Roofing and Insulation will service them on a continual basis.

With clients located across the midwest we do a lot of driving . . . but we are prepared for that. In fact, we have evened opened up a new branch of Washington Roofing and Insulation in Claremore, Oklahoma, which has provided our Oklahoma and Texas clients with a faster response time. It is ran by a gentleman named Chuck Grubbs (we will talk about this further in a later post.)

Since 1978 we have met the challenge of  scheduling, service calls and client emergencies. We keep three and four crews busy at all times and are dedicated to superior service and bend over backwards to keep customers satisfied.

Bottom line? We will be there when you need us. We will come back.

The Lucky Flock of Geese

Chuck Carpenter, owner of Washington Roofing and Insulation, once told me a story about when he was a young kid back from the military. Since it is Memorial Day, it seemed like a good time to share.

He and his buddy had returned home and were offered an opportunity to go goose hunting with a guide for free. The guide wanted to pay respects for the young men, thank them for the service they provided the country, and take them on a hunt.

The guide was excellent, calling to the birds over Cheyenne Bottoms in Great Bend, Kansas, bringing them closer to the boys. There were many geese coming in and the guide told them to get ready. When the time came the birds were so close that they could have jumped up to tackle them. The guide said, "NOW" and chuck and his buddy started to shoot.

After the dust settled, the two military boys anxiously looked around to count their prizes.

Not a bird had been dropped.

After the group got back home, the guide looked at the sheepish crew and said, "Do you want to know why you didn't bring down any geese?"

Chuck and his friend were very embarrassed. Excellent shooters, they couldn't understand what happened.

"It is because you didn't focus, boys. You shot randomly. You need to pick one bird at a time, and focus."

Chuck learned a very big lesson that day. He told me it has helped him through life and is one of the reasons Washington Roofing and Insulation is successful. Each job, each client . . .  gets his ultimate attention . . . his focus. And who would have thought that it all boiled down to a flock of lucky geese and a professional hunting guide.

Retail Box Store Has Leaky Roof

(Warning, this blog post will be more opinionated than normal.)

As a professional roofing contractor working across the Midwest in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa, we work hard to keep these blog posts fairly neutral in nature and try to present material in a professional manner -- leaving the opinions up to the reader.

But not this time. This time will be personal and a bit more opinionated . . . apologies in advance if anyone is offended.

On my day "away from the office" I was making the required "errand" rounds throughout the Kansas City metro which required me to stop off at one of the larger retail chains in the area. It was Sunday, and the rain decided to follow me around the area to let me know that I may want to come back in another life as a duck.

As I entered the establishment and started to shop, I noticed buckets scattered throughout in various isles of the store. Upon further inspection (and inspect, I did) it was obvious they were "catching drips" buckets. Their roof was leaking . . . and it was leaking everywhere.

Not only was this an inconvenience to employees and shoppers, but it also sent off a huge warning signal. Is upper management so unorganized that they cannot prepare for roof maintenance issues? Does the company not have the funds available? Are they using "cheap" subcontractors for quantity, not quality products and craftsmanship? Talk about a liability situation . . . throw some buckets and moisture on the floors with people pushing shopping carts around and cross your fingers. How can such a huge corporation with chains throughout most of the United States allow such a disaster?

Perhaps my concern is due, in part, to the fact that I am part of the roofing industry and I know how important it is to maintain your roof, especially in the commercial arena. Or perhaps my concern is due to the fact I am a consumer, a parent and a resident of the area. Whichever way, I ponder what the next "storm" will bring for that particular facility.

Urban Heat Island and Trees

Last year we discussed Urban Heat Islands and the effect that they have on the environment and how building owners could help diminish it. One of the ways was to install a cool roof system on a building, like an elastomeric coating system. The other was to increase vegetation around the building.

Source: wikimedia.org

Many cities have put into place a Tree Protection ordinance, prohibiting removing or pruning of trees without a permit. San Antonio, Texas actually requires different levels of free protection based on tree class or location.

There are also Street Tree ordinances that govern how to plant and remove trees along public right-of-ways and land that is privately owned but accessible by the public. For example, Orlando, Florida specifies that trees must be planted along both sides of a street, with one tree every 50 to 100 feet.

Parking lot shade is another way to help reduce the heat island effect and increase vegetation. In Sacramento, California, for example, a code in their zoning code requires that enough trees be planted to shade 50 percent of new parking lots after 15 years of tree growth.

So if you are looking to build or renovate your building, keep environmental concerns in mind and contact your city and see what steps can be taken to minimize the Urban Heat Island.

Severe Weather Awareness

We think spring has been beautiful this year. The trees and tulips are blooming with full, fragrant blossoms, the bees are buzzing, the grass needs mowing (again) and the record breaking warm days are quite refreshing coming out of winter.

These warm days also bring spring storms which will produce high winds and large hail. Keeping up with the weather in the Midwest can be quite challenging, since sometimes you hear thunder and see lighting and still be standing in complete sunshine. But there are several ways to keep updated on severe weather these days, especially with apps you can download on mobile phones and other web enabled devices. Here are a couple of ideas to keep you aware of weather in your area:

1. Check your local television station and download their weather app or subscribe to their feed
2. Go online to http://severewarningsystems.com/ and check out their live model or connect with them through social media
3. Google a list of "Weather Apps" and select one that fits your phone
4. Look into Radio Apps for your phone to tune you into stations that will keep you updated during the storms

No matter how prepared you are, however, there is not much you can do to protect your roof. If damage is done, please feel free to contact us for consultation on the best way to repair it. We will visit you onsite, prepare a written estimate and, if needed, work directly with your insurance company.