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Posted: Dec 27, 2009 11:58 PM	How cold is to cold? How cold is to cold for roofing? We have been having fun the last couple of weeks between trying to keep the material warm enough to spray and working in between the rain. Customers wait till the last minute to decide they want a new roof and then always want it done right now. Where do you guys draw the line when it comes to temperature and spray foam roofing? 50 Degrees, 60 degrees, 40 degrees? What are your thoughts?
Dennis Davidson Posted: Dec 28, 2009 02:09 PM	Steve Welcome to the world of Northern applicators. We deal with this every year. It's business as usual here with customers waiting until the snow fly's then expecting miracles. To answer you question about when it's to cold...when the foam doesn't rise anymore. In reality, it depends on the substrate type. It's possible to spray in low temperatures using a faster speed foam, but what can happen is you get a very dense under layer of foam on the substrate about a 1/8-1/4" thick. This is where failures occur and you might not even know it for months. This dense layer won't have a good bond and you end up with blisters, or worse, total failure. Some guys might say to just flash the surface with a little foam. Flashing never works on cold roofs. That's a good indication that it's to cold to spray the roof. Sometimes you just have to tell the customer they'll have to wait.
Posted: Dec 29, 2009 08:56 AM	Hi Dennis You guys must laugh at the guys from the South. A little cold and we are lost. Always seems to be a problem when you take a 50% deposit up front for a roof and the customer wants it done right away regardless of rain, sleet, snow or shine! The few times that I let myself get pushed into doing it when I didn't really want to usually came back to bite me in the butt...ie.. overspray, bad yield, scarify and start over, etc.. Fortunately there are a lot more 60 degree days here than 30 and 40's. Steve
Dennis Davidson Posted: Dec 29, 2009 09:15 AM	A clause I put in my roofing quotes is "weather permitting" This let's you off the hook from being pressured into doing what you know you shouldn't do. And it forewarns the customer of limited conditions for roof applications. As far as Northern guys laughing about your cold conditions...well, I know first hand how blazing hot the Southern Summers are. I use to live in S. Texas. A few years ago I helped spray 1,700 sq's of foam & coating on a metal roof in Florida. The temps got as high as 106 with high humidity. Guys up here pass out when it hits 85degs.
quentin Posted: Feb 16, 2010 11:00 PM	I may have to get with you two or Olger since I have classes but no expreience in the roofing end. Working on getting government work but until I can it is slow going for us smaller guys with GM, NCR and all the rest leaving town like rats in a sinking ship. That is if you can use a semi-dumb hand willing to work and learn! No competition from me later and I enjoy a couch for sleeping! LOL
Dennis Davidson Posted: Feb 17, 2010 08:42 AM	Quentin Semi-dumb but willing to learn individuals are always welcome.

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Posted: Dec 27, 2009 11:58 PM

How cold is to cold?

How cold is to cold for roofing? We have been having fun the last couple of weeks between trying to keep the material warm enough to spray and working in between the rain.

Customers wait till the last minute to decide they want a new roof and then always want it done right now.

Where do you guys draw the line when it comes to temperature and spray foam roofing?

50 Degrees, 60 degrees, 40 degrees?

What are your thoughts?

Dennis Davidson

Posted: Dec 28, 2009 02:09 PM

Steve

Welcome to the world of Northern applicators. We deal with this every year. It's business as usual here with customers waiting until the snow fly's then expecting miracles.
To answer you question about when it's to cold...when the foam doesn't rise anymore. In reality, it depends on the substrate type. It's possible to spray in low temperatures using a faster speed foam, but what can happen is you get a very dense under layer of foam on the substrate about a 1/8-1/4" thick. This is where failures occur and you might not even know it for months. This dense layer won't have a good bond and you end up with blisters, or worse, total failure. Some guys might say to just flash the surface with a little foam. Flashing never works on cold roofs. That's a good indication that it's to cold to spray the roof.
Sometimes you just have to tell the customer they'll have to wait.

Posted: Dec 29, 2009 08:56 AM

Hi Dennis

You guys must laugh at the guys from the South. A little cold and we are lost.

Always seems to be a problem when you take a 50% deposit up front for a roof and the customer wants it done right away regardless of rain, sleet, snow or shine!

The few times that I let myself get pushed into doing it when I didn't really want to usually came back to bite me in the butt...ie.. overspray, bad yield, scarify and start over, etc..

Fortunately there are a lot more 60 degree days here than 30 and 40's.

Steve

Dennis Davidson

Posted: Dec 29, 2009 09:15 AM

A clause I put in my roofing quotes is "weather permitting" This let's you off the hook from being pressured into doing what you know you shouldn't do. And it forewarns the customer of limited conditions for roof applications.
As far as Northern guys laughing about your cold conditions...well, I know first hand how blazing hot the Southern Summers are. I use to live in S. Texas. A few years ago I helped spray 1,700 sq's of foam & coating on a metal roof in Florida. The temps got as high as 106 with high humidity. Guys up here pass out when it hits 85degs.

quentin

Posted: Feb 16, 2010 11:00 PM

I may have to get with you two or Olger since I have classes but no expreience in the roofing end. Working on getting government work but until I can it is slow going for us smaller guys with GM, NCR and all the rest leaving town like rats in a sinking ship. That is if you can use a semi-dumb hand willing to work and learn! No competition from me later and I enjoy a couch for sleeping! LOL

Dennis Davidson

Posted: Feb 17, 2010 08:42 AM

Quentin
Semi-dumb but willing to learn individuals are always welcome.

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