Emory Hill Real Estate Services

New Castle, DE

Two Roof Leak Problem-Solving Examples

August 2011

When you have a leak coming in from the top of your building, the roof is not necessarily the cause. That was the lesson learned for Emory Hill, a full-service commercial real estate firm responsible for building, maintaining and managing properties throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. After a number of tenant calls for reported roof leaks, the other lesson for Emory Hill was the importance of having a quality and experienced roofing partner with a proven record of leak identification and problem-solving.

With five million square feet of office, industrial and retail space, the call for roof service or repair can come on a monthly, if not weekly, basis. From structural metal, ballasted and fully adhered EPDM, to TPO and even previously coated roofs, the GSM Roofing team has spent years handling the diverse portfolio of roof systems Emory Hill has throughout the region.

Click photo to enlarge

Leak in wall repair for Emory Hill Real Estate Services in New Castle, DE

Problem-Solving Highlights (not always the roof):

Apple Tree Restaurant, Centerville, PA – The previous roofing contractor could not identify a reoccurring leak at the Apple Tree Restaurant. After ruling out the roof as the source of the leak, GSM technicians investigated further by crawling inside the ornamental tower over the entrance of the building. The technicians were able to identify that the water was coming in through the wall and not the roof. GSM resealed the wall and solved the leak issue.
American Sleep Center, Lancaster, PA – GSM responded to a call to service a persistent “roof” leak, causing damage to ceiling tiles at an American Sleep Center. After an intensive inspection process, the GSM team identified the issue as an un-insulated water pipe between the ceiling tiles and the roof. Ironically, this pipe would condensate and then only “sweat” when it rained due to an increase in the humidity.

“GSM provides leak service and other maintenance to several of our properties. They’re fast and responsive. The GSM website and customer portal have been a huge benefit, assisting Emory Hill property managers in quick and efficient leak reporting.”
Colleen Corrado, Commercial Property Manager, Emory Hill Real Estate Services, Inc.

One of the most recent projects is the re-roofing of an 83,000 sq. ft. warehouse space. For this job, GSM used the Firestone UltraPly TPO InvisiWeld System, considered to be cutting-edge technology in the roofing industry. With this system, the 60 mil TPO membrane is welded, using an induction welder to attach the membrane to the TPO coated insulation plate. The system offers two big advantages: no VOCs because there’s no adhesive needed, and reduced labor and materials. Because the TPO coated insulation plates were already being used to attach the ISOGARD HD lightweight cover board, no additional membrane fasteners are needed – saving time and money.