When you hear the word ‘thermal imaging,’ what’s the first thing that comes to mind?  Army surveillance?  Alien vs. Predator?  Thermal imaging is actually a powerful technology with benefits that aren’t limited to military maneuvers or bad action movies. In recent years, multiple industries have benefited from thermal imaging: facilities maintenance, construction, and especially roofing.  In the roofing industry in particular, the infrared can detect the presence of wet insulation on flat roofs, making it easier to detect leaks before they damage a roof beyond repair. Th ..read more

What do a commercial roofing company and a used car salesman have in common? Nothing, actually. But that’s not always the perception.  In my experience, when you suggest a roof inspection to a business owner, reactions can be mixed. While some tell you to go ahead, others are suspicious. They haven’t noticed any water leaks or pest invasions, so they assume you’re trying to sell them something they don’t need. Enter the ‘used salesman’ comparison. The problem here is that quite often they DO need a roof inspection and maybe even repairs. They just don’t know it until the next torrential r ..read more

My cat absolutely HATES closed doors.  The moment she hears that ominous click, she’s right there, and won’t leave until the door opens again. When it does, half the time she won’t even go in the room. She just looks around, visibly relaxes, and moves on. I’ve heard a lot of reasons why cats do it: they’re curious, they don’t like their territory blocked off anywhere, or they don’t like being separated from the rest of their ‘clowder.’ (That’s the official name for a gang of cats, and it includes you!) Whatever her reason, I can relate. I’m not a fan of closed doors either. In the commerc ..read more

Commercial roofer safety matters. The statistics tell us that in 2018, 1,027 workers died on the job in Canada. These are 1,027 people who had hopes, dreams, and families. They should also have had futures. One of them reported for work at a Hamilton commercial roof highrise on October 15, 2018. As a preliminary step for balcony restoration, he and a colleague were tasked with marking location measurements for the swing stage beam. Neither of them wore fall protection. We don’t know why. All we know is what happened next. As the roof worker’s colleague held the live end of the measuring tape a ..read more

If you own a business, your roof does more than keep out the rain. With the proper care and maintenance, it also reduces energy costs, saves you money, and sends your curb appeal through the roof- pun intended. So why is your commercial roof the last thing on your mind until something goes wrong? It’s basically the old principle of ‘out of sight, out of mind. If you can’t see something, it’s hard to know when problems are developing. It’s not just building owners who make this mistake: even property managers don’t always go on the roof until it starts leaking and they’ve got no choice. By that ..read more

Do you know what’s on your commercial roof? You might be surprised. Last year, a Detroit homeowner was surprised to learn that there was an 18-foot-long reticulated python on his garage roof. His snake, Juliet, had made a break for it after he failed to lock her cage properly.   Maybe she was looking for her Romeo? All jokes aside, there are two lessons here:  Keep your snakes locked up tight unless you want your building to trend on Facebook – and not for the right reasons. Always know what’s on your roof! At Stybek Roofing, we can’t monitor your pets, but we can tell you wha ..read more