Fire Damage Roof Repair - San Antonio Commercial Buildings

Post-Fire Roof Assessment - What We Look For

Membrane condition: TPO and EPDM membranes in or near the fire zone show heat distortion, surface melting, shrinkage, and, at the fire origin, burn-through. We map the extent of visible membrane damage and the boundary between heat-distorted membrane and intact membrane. Heat-distorted membrane that has not burned through may appear intact visually but has lost its seam integrity and dimensional stability - it needs to be replaced, not retained.

Insulation integrity: Polyiso insulation chars on the exposed face under fire conditions and loses its compressive strength. Charred insulation cannot support the fastener pullout loads required for the new membrane attachment. We probe insulation compressive strength at the damage boundary and pull cores to determine the depth of thermal degradation.

Deck condition: Metal deck loses temper - its heat-treated structural strength - at sustained temperatures above approximately 700°F. Temper loss is not visually obvious; the deck appears intact but has reduced load capacity. When fire conditions were severe enough to compromise temper we require a structural engineer's deck assessment before we load the deck with workers and materials.

Smoke and heat damage beyond the burn zone: Smoke deposits on membrane surfaces adjacent to the fire zone affect membrane adhesion for subsequent repairs and coatings. We document the smoke deposit zone and specify surface preparation requirements for the repair integration boundary.