Sustainability News

Sika Sarnafil, the worldwide market leader in thermoplastic roofing and waterproofing membranes, is pleased to announce its dedication to further advancing the environmental benefits of Vinyl in the construction industry and beyond.The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) is launching a groundbreaking initiative to advance and recognize the U.S. vinyl industry as a trusted leader in sustainability. +Vantage Vinyl is a voluntary collaboration of companies in the vinyl value chain committed to proactively advancing sustainable development, reducing their environmental footprint and making a difference by doing more with less.

Last year, the eighth consensus-based sustainability standard — NSF/ANSI 347, Sustainability Assessment for Single Ply Roofing Membranes — developed through NSF for building products went into effect. It is the first standard for evaluating and certifying sustainable attributes of low slope single ply roofing membranes over their entire life cycle. As products with environmental claims continue to enter the marketplace, independent, third-party certification of products to national standards can help architects and specifiers make educated decisions about product selection. Areas covered are product design and manufacturing, membrane durability, corporate governance and innovation. NSF 347 is also the first standard that addresses the building envelope, carrying with it significant potential for improving building energy efficiency while positively impacting the quality of the urban environment.

Sika, the worldwide market leader in thermoplastic roofing and waterproofing membranes, has published new product-specific Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for its Sarnafil® S 327 and G 410 single-ply PVC roofing membranes. By publishing these new EPDs, Sika becomes the first manufacturer in the industry to distribute Cradle-to-Grave declarations for single-ply roofing membranes.

Cool roofing is “hot.” It is a frequent topic in trade magazines and at roofing symposia. Sales of various cool roofing products outpace the overall market year after year. Manufacturers expend significant development resources working on the radiative properties of their materials, looking to improve their market positioning and share. With all the talk surrounding the subject, one could be forgiven for thinking that the general concept is new and innovative. In fact, “cool” roofing has been around for quite some time now. Light-colored thermoplastic sheet materials and various types of coatings have been available for decades. Some have remained virtually unchanged over that time, and some of the earliest installations, dating back to the 1970s in North America and the 1960s in Europe, are still in service today.

Performance over time is the only true test of any waterproofing system. Sika roofing has been providing waterproofing solutions for vegetative roofs, plazas, and other landscaped areas for over 40 years. With over 15 billion square feet of roofing and waterproofing membrane installed worldwide, Sika Sarnafil has developed a world class record for reliability and performance. The Sarnafil G476 and G476 Self Adhered membranes are specially engineered for subgrade environments, compounded to remain watertight in extreme conditions, including constant dampness, ponding water, high and low alkaline conditions, and exposure to plant roots, fungi and bacterial organisms. In addition, Sika roofing has been recognized throughout the industry for its innovative recycling program that takes back vinyl membranes to be recycled into new membrane products at the end of their useful life.

The great challenge of the next 100 years is to remake our rapidly growing cities into structures that can stand up to environmental changes with residents that are healthier, happier, and more prosperous than previous generations. We often do not think about the roofs above our heads, but making thoughtful materials choices on urban rooftops is a critical, readily-implementable strategy to help meet our new urban challenges. Roofs comprise over 25% of urban space and are readily accessible and easy to upgrade relative to other urban sustainability interventions. With roofing technologies that are currently available, cities can improve their biodiversity, reduce rising urban temperatures, improve health and quality of life, and defend against high energy costs and power blackouts.

While cool roofing remains a hot industry trend, the science behind cool roofs, properties such as infrared emissivity and solar reflectance, isn’t exactly first on the minds of facility executives researching roofing options. To most, cool roofing is a cut-and dry issue: Roofing systems that reflect the sun’s rays can save energy, and thus money, in warm climates year round and during hot summer months in more seasonal climates. However, less clear and more controversial is whether cool roofing is beneficial in climates where, over the course of a year, heating energy loads dominate cooling. In other words, can cool roofs be advantageous in cold climates?

Sika Sarnafil has long been committed to environmentally friendly building construction and practices. Each year since 2004, Sika recognizes and awards a sustainable roofing project of the year. In 2012 Imperial Roofing from West Union, Iowa received the award for their collaboration with Sika in recycling 175,000-squarefoot of vinyl roof membrane from a Super Target store in Olathe, Kansas. Target has maintained a recycling partnership with Sika Sarnafil since 2007.