Soprema Roofing Systems in Dearborn, MI
Laboratory and research buildings need exhaust stacks, vent lines and process piping, so their roofs can carry clusters of penetrations that a prefabricated boot does not always fit. The University of Michigan Dearborn campus map identifies engineering, manufacturing-systems, science, research, library and fieldhouse buildings, a higher-education and research building mix. Roofs over that kind of use put weight on the details, and the details are where leaks begin.
Soprema manufactures modified bitumen sheets, liquid-applied membranes and flashing resins, and roof insulation. Roofs of those types in Dearborn, MI turn on one detail, the penetration cluster, so the written findings map each cluster before they rate the membrane field.
Penetration Clusters
We photograph each pipe, stack, conduit and rail from a marked position and measure the spacing between them. When two penetrations sit too close for a prefabricated boot, a liquid-applied flashing may be the only detail that closes the gap. Equipment rails are checked for pockets that hold water and for fasteners that pass through the membrane.
The repair replaces the failed element and ties the new flashing into the field sheet. A penetration flashing is not finished until it has been tested by a water run, a cure check or a pull test of the reinforcement. The work order lists the product type, the number of coats and the date of each coat, and each coat's photograph carries that date, which makes the application sequence easy to verify later.
Condensate and refrigerant lines run across roofs on supports that rest on the membrane. Each support is checked for a protective pad, and a line that drips onto the surface is rerouted or given a splash block. A drip in one spot thins most membranes over time, so correcting it belongs in the repair scope with the flashing work.
Reinforced Liquid Flashing
A liquid-applied flashing performs only if the surface is prepared. Loose material is removed, dirt is washed off, rust on metal is treated and a primer is applied where the system requires it. A reinforcing fabric is embedded in the first coat, and a second coat covers it. The layers must cure before rain or freezing temperatures.
That is why scheduling matters. We check the forecast before opening a detail, apply the resin onto a dry surface and protect it if weather changes. Photographs show the substrate, the embedded fabric and the finished coat, and the file records the batch number and the application temperature. These steps matter more to the result than the brand name on the bucket.
Cured thickness is verified as work proceeds. A wet film gauge during application and a measured sample after cure show whether the coat matches the quantity the system calls for. The readings go into the closeout file next to the photographs of each coat, and a thin spot is recoated before the area is covered.
Modified Bitumen Sheets and Laps
A modified bitumen roof is made of polymer-modified asphalt sheets, in one or two layers, with a cap sheet on top. The sheets can be torch-applied, set in hot asphalt, bonded with cold adhesive or installed in self-adhered form. The laps between sheets are the weak line, and the walk checks side and end laps for open edges, wrinkles and voids.
An open lap is cleaned and re-adhered by the method suited to the sheet, then probed after cooling. Granule loss on the cap is recorded, since an exposed mat ages quickly in sun. Findings describe which method was used and why, and a roof with combustible framing gets a cold-applied method in place of open flame.
Drains, scuppers and edge metal are part of the same walk. A drain ring that has loosened, a scupper that has lost its sealant and edge metal that has moved each admit water at a place the sheet cannot protect. These are repaired in the same visit as the laps, and the photographs show each before the work is closed.
Cure Times in a Cold Climate
With 4,027 heating degree days a year and measurable snow running from about November 16 to April 7, cure time becomes a scheduling question. Resins and adhesives need temperatures and dry surfaces within a range, so detail work is planned for the months that suit the product, and winter repairs use temporary seals.
When a leak must be stopped in the cold, we place a stopgap and label it temporary in the findings. The permanent detail is scheduled for the first window that allows full cure, and the date is written into the repair queue. This keeps a winter stopgap from becoming the roof's permanent condition by default.
Insulation under a modified bitumen or liquid system is tested for moisture before any detail work. A resin applied over wet insulation traps the water, and the repair then fails from below. The findings state the moisture readings so the owner can see why a flashing repair was approved or deferred.
Research, Clinical and Institutional Interiors
Roof work above sensitive interiors needs a plan for dust, odor, noise and access. A college or university building may have instruments that must not be disturbed, and a medical center or clinic has patients and air intakes below. We ask which spaces are most sensitive, which hours are quiet and which air intakes must be protected.
Cold-applied and self-adhered methods avoid open flame, and liquid resins are chosen for odor and cure behavior. For buildings in the Fairlane and Midtown District, where the city notes proximity to two colleges and office redevelopment, the access window and work area are agreed before material arrives.
A work area plan accompanies each scope: the roof sections open on a given day, the route for material, the position of any lift or hoist and the fences that keep people clear. The plan is shared with the facility team before work begins, and any change is entered in the file with the date.
Records and Comparison
Any Soprema warranty is read for its notice and maintenance conditions, and the closeout file holds the penetration map, resin batch data, thickness readings and finished photographs. The same file backs a comparison with Johns Manville or Duro-Last systems. If a flashing fails again, the earlier photographs support the next flashing failure scope.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Why use a liquid flashing around closely spaced pipes?
A resin can follow irregular shapes and fill gaps where a prefabricated boot will not fit. The embedded fabric gives the cured layer strength. Ask for photographs of the fabric before the second coat.
What stops a liquid flashing from curing?
Moisture on the surface, dirt, or rain and cold during the cure period. Ask the crew to check the forecast, prepare the surface and protect the detail until it sets.
When is a cold-applied sheet better than a torch?
On roofs with combustible framing or insulation, and over occupied space where open flame adds risk. The work order should name the method and the reason.
How do I protect sensitive interiors during roof work?
Name the sensitive rooms, quiet hours and air intakes before the crew arrives, then protect the intakes, cover equipment and set noisy tasks in the hours the facility picks.
Can a winter patch stay as the permanent repair?
Treat it as temporary unless the findings say otherwise. Record the method, set a date for the permanent detail and approve it for the first window that allows full cure.
Schedule an inspection and send photographs of the penetrations
Send the roof plan and photographs of any pipe cluster, rail or curb that has leaked. We will map each detail, test the repair and record the results in written findings that state which flashings need replacement and which need monitoring.
