Always On Top

Come visit us at the 2012 International Roofing Expo!

James — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:38:33 +0000

We’ll be in Orlando February 22-24 at the 2012 IRE! Come see us in booth 1247 at the Orange County Convention Center, South Hall A. We’ll have the newly redesigned Lazer Wagon, (which melts and applies APP Modified-Bitumen roofing fast and economically, eliminating the costs of adhesives) along with our other signature “Yellow” items and the nation’s leading roof flashing paint.

You’ll also meet our newest member of the Roofmaster Team, Glenn Beacham! Glenn is our new South East Territory Manager, based in Birmingham

How did Chopped Fiberglass come to the Roofing Industry

Jimmy — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:39:43 +0000

Roofmaster was approached by a gentleman named Jay Johnson in the late 1950′s, early 1960′s who had developed a chopped fiberglass gun. His company, Glas-Craft, was located in Montrose, California. They had

Original Glassmaster Gun

developed an air operated gun that was capable of chopping fiberglass roving into pieces anywhere from 1/2″ to 4″ long and then coating with epoxy. Their main business was using this technology to make fiberglass chickens, horses and other products that businesses would put on display. As it turned out, Jay used his gun to make a fiberglass catamaran, which he named “The Glass Slipper”. He entered it in the 1966 Trans-Pacific Yacht race from Los Angeles to Hawaii and won the race on his first try.

With Glas Craft’s help, Roofmaster was able to develop a gun to chop fiberglass, blow it through a delivery tube and two spray tips to coat it with emulsion or white coatings. The fiberglass strengthened the system and was able to help repair damaged roofs.

Glassmaster Gun

Backpack Rover Holder

Since, the Glassmaster gun has gone through some transitions and modifications to make it a little more user friendly. Roofmaster makes the unit in their Monterey Park plant. It comes in a lockable wooden case for protection. It comes with a set of straps and an ergonomically placed handle. We furnish extra anvil rollers as they wear as the blades index into them to fracture the fiberglass. We also offer a Back Pack to hold the box of roving. It includes a feed tube that funnels the roving to the chopper motor.

Typical usage is approximately 3# of fiberglass and 9 gallons of material per 100 square feet. In addition to a material pump for the coatings, the Glassmaster requires a compressor with at least 20 cubic feet capacity per minute.

There are contractors that specialize in this type of roof surface. It strengthens the roof while sealing it.

Re-Certify Your Retractables

James — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:39:06 +0000

During your slow season, you most likely service or repair your essential equipment. You should extend this line of thought to your self retracting lifelines (retractables). Guardian retractables should be re-certified every two years from the date it is put into service. Make sure this in-service date is noted on the I.D. tag. This ensures that the unit is always in proper working order in the event an accident or fall occurs. When a retractable comes in for re-certification, we inspect it to make sure that all the components are in proper working condition. The cable, locking snap hook, brakes and springs are all tested under simulated fall conditions, and any component that fails or shows sign of fatigue must be replaced. This can include the outer labels, which also act as instruction labels and an inspection chart.

Rain in the forecast? Know your tarps!

James — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:57:21 +0000

Roofers can tell you about the pit that forms in their stomach when they have an open roof with a storm approaching. If you’re a homeowner, or roofer, do you know which tarp is best for your application?

Most folks are familiar with your standard blue poly tarp. Chances are you own one yourself! They are made in a 8×8 weave with a 4.26 mil thickness and are good for short term weather-proofing needs. They do not hold up well over the long haul or in windy conditions.

If you’re looking for something thicker and longer lasting, there are two other heavy duty options. Green heavy duty tarps are made in a 14×14 weave with a 10-12 mil thickness. This tighter weave and thickness makes for a stronger, longer lasting tarp. Silver heavy duty tarps are the same weave and thickness as green tarps, but have a stronger UV protection to last longer outdoors.

If you’re looking for something to keep the rain out until you can get a contractor in to do repairs, our blue poly tarp pricing starts as low as 5.1¢ per square foot! We stock all sizes from 12′ x 16′ up to 50′ x 50′

Enter and Leave Your Roof Hatch Safely!

John Mac — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:55:47 +0000

Entering and leaving a roof hatch can sometimes be difficult if all you have to grab is the side or body of the roof hatch. Although it’s not code, a simple, inexpensive accessory is available for roof hatches to facilitate easy ingress and egress through the opening.

Roofmaster manufactures a Roof Hatch Grabber Bar. It mounts to all metal roof hatches to provide a safe means for workers to hold on to when entering/exiting through the hatch. It comes with all necessary hardware to mount it to the side of the hatch.

Construction is tubular galvanized steel with an exterior grade exterior-grade paint giving many years of rust-free service. The Grabber Bar fits all sizes of roof hatches.

Keep Your Roof Hatch Openings Safe!

John Mac — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:07:09 +0000

Any opening in a roof deck like a roof hatch is a hazard to employees or contractors if left open. Proper protocol is to close the hatch after going up through it, but most times this is not done leaving a dangerous hazard for someone to fall through it. This is in violation of OSHA’s standard 29 CFR 1910.23 and 27 that requires compliance for safe ingress and egress through hatch openings in the roof.

An accessory item is now available to place a safety fence, or rail, around the hatch to prevent accidental falling through the opening. This Safety Guard Rail is clamped around the roof hatch thus eliminating any need for screws or bolts. This also protects the roof deck since nothing is mounted on the roof; it’s mounted on the hatch body itself. A chain is secured across the opening to the roof hatch opening on the safety rail. This system can be easily installed at the time the hatch is installed or years afterwards.

Construction is 1-5/8” OD tubular galvanized steel with an exterior grade powder-coat giving many years of rust-free service. Each safety system is size specific to the roof hatch size. Most typical sizes will fit roof hatch sizes like a 2’6″ x 2’6”, 2’6” x 3’0”, or 3’0″ x 3’0”. Other sizes also are available.

Having trouble spraying cold process materials?

James — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:35:22 +0000

With Winter right around the corner, you may be noticing that you’re not getting the same spray results as you were the last time you had your spray rig on the job. “Material is the same, spray tips and spray bars and hoses are the same, it’s the same pump, it’s the same crew…something must be wrong with my pump!” Before you take your rig in to get re-packed, have you thought about the effects of the weather on the viscosity of the materials you’re spraying?

During the summer months, when the sun is blazing and the nights never get “crisp”, your materials probably maintain a relatively viscous state, and you’re able to spray from the moment you step on the job until the day is done. In winter, the cold can turn what once sprayed like water into a drum full of mud. Your pump may initially prime with some effort, but before long will be sucking air and you’ll be scratching your head.

There are several alternatives to get you back up and running. If you’re running a high volume job, the WarmMaster may be a job saver. The WarmMaster is an in-line heat exchange unit that warms cold process material as it is pressure-pumped from your material pump to the roof. It eliminates the torching or overheating of material without thinning or diluting with solvents. The WarmMaster may be used with any air or hydraulically powered pump.

If you have smaller jobs, you can add Drum Heaters or Pail Heaters. For larger 55 gallon drums, the Drum Heater comes with a 3″ wide strap and 6′ power cord. For prewarming cold process drums. For use on METAL drums ONLY! Place on bottom of OPEN drum for best heat transfer and to allow for expansion of material as it is warmed. There is also a Thermostat option for this Drum Heater that has a 50 degree F to 425 degree F temperature range.

There are also 5 gallon Pail Heaters, also available with a Thermostat.

Electrical Contractor Goes Mobile!

John Mac — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:28:20 +0000

Roofmaster has been producing its versatile 4-wheel trailer for more than 40-years for the roofing industry. It’s made of 2” heavy-duty steel channel, has wide flotation tires, and can hold up to 2000 lbs. Innovative contractors in many other construction trades have discovered how to convert this material handling equipment with a little customizing to a giant work tool that’s saving them $$$, time and effort!

A Roofmaster customer (industrial supply house) recently purchased nine (9) trailers for one of their customers. When inquired why they had bought so many trailers, they confessed they had an electrical contractor that bought them regularly for his crews to navigate wire, conduit, and other electrical items around jobsites. The trailers are strong enough to carry any weight they can put on it and feature a 30″ x 60″ deck that can accommodate rear forklift loading. They are also very sturdy (will not tip over), and are narrow enough to go through doorways, go on elevators, and navigate though just about any jobsite. You can also get a trailer with non-flat lite tires so you’ll never have another flat tire on the job!

This contractor welded brackets to unspool wire, hold conduit, boxes to hold electrical supplies, etc. The trailers become mobile toolboxes & workbenches. We also provide bolt-on accessories such as dump hoppers, and barrel holders.

Other trades that have discovered the versatility of Roofmaster’s trailers are concrete contractors, plumbers, drywall (remove the four pegs and easily maneuver sheets of drywall on a flat surface), framers (4’ x 8’ sheets of plywood), landscapers, lumberyards, etc. We also have a larger, 30″ x 72″ trailer that’s great for hauling larger drywall or plywood sheets, and an extendable trailer for longer roll goods.

If you have material or equipment handling issues, contact Roofmaster to discuss your problems.

HVAC Contractor thinks outside the Box!

John Mac — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:26:51 +0000

Roofmaster was recently contacted by an HVAC contractor on our PRO400 Platform Hoists. Seems he was looking for something to raise HVAC units up onto roofs (small to medium sizes) instead of having to rent a crane. He had already practically designed his own equipment and was ready to build his own unit when he tried looking online one more time and found our website and discovered our platform hoists would do the job. No sense in reinventing the wheel!

He is now using this hoist to lift HVAC units up to the roof saving him lots of scheduling time (no cranes required), $$$, and installation time. He loads his units onto a sheet of plywood (on to the unit’s fold down forks) and easily sends the equipment up to roof edge. He also bought the Pivoting Converting accessory that allows the unit to make a 90^o turn to get it onto the roof much more easily.

Platform hoists have been used in the roofing industry for many years by contractors when roof loading equipment is either not accessible, practical, or too expensive to load for smaller jobs. The PRO400 can lift loads up to 400# as low as 12 ft (28 ft unit), or as high as 40 ft. (44 ft unit). These units can be used indoors (electrical motor version) in warehouses, construction sites, etc., where cranes, forklifts, or other lifting equipment make not be possible, and outdoors (gas engines), to lift materials or equipment to higher elevations.

If you have material or equipment handling issues, contact Roofmaster to discuss your custom problems.

Universal Mara-Boot

James — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 22:58:06 +0000

The Universal Mara-Boot provides a permanent watertight and maintenance free means for penetrating roof systems. The Mara-Boot is able to be used on all types of roof systems and replaces using pitch pans. Made from EPDM rubber caps and a spun aluminum base, the Mara-Boot eliminates roof leaks from roof penetrations.

The EPDM Cap is made for maximum resistance to weathering, ozone, UV and extreme hot and cold temperatures. The caps are mechanically sealed to dual beads on the bases and grooves on the inside of the EPDM cap.

Each Cap accommodates two (2) 1/4″, 1-1/2″, 2″ and two (2) 3/8″-1/2″, 3/4″, 1″ pipe sizes. The cap can be trimmed to fit any penetration, from electrical to plumbing, and snugged tight using the 4 supplied stainless steel clamps.

Specs:

Flange Diameter: 14″
Stack Diameter: 8″
Stack Height: 6″
Total Height (with Boot): 9″