Roofing Solutions for Healthcare Facilties

No roofing manufacturer understands the needs of healthcare facility building owners and managers better than Sika. No roofing membrane manufacturer is better prepared to address those needs for healthcare facilities and hospital buildings.

Sika delivers a series of high-performance thermoplastic roofing systems proven to be energy-efficient, highly reliable and sustainable — factors that result in one of the lowest roofing life cycle costs in the industry area.

The company’s products can be installed free of odor and VOC’s and with minimal disruption to facility occupants. They provide long-term, reliable protection for buildings and building contents, require little in the way of costly maintenance and save dollars by minimizing energy consumption when compared to competitive roofing products.

These characteristics are extremely important to healthcare facilities housing vulnerable patients, with high-value systems and equipment in place for the treatment of these patients. Hospitals, medical clinics and healthcare facilities already face a host of ever-increasing costs that have a major impact on patient healthcare and treatment — as well as the financial health of the facility, itself.

Sika acts as a partner with healthcare facility management, tailoring a roofing system to their specific needs and delivering a proven, high-performance system that, over time, will help to keep expenses in line.

Click on the projects below to read about how we helped these companies address their specific needs.

To remain viable in a very competitive marketplace, hospitals and clinics must invest in expensive medical systems and equipment. Older healthcare facilities must stay ahead of building repairs and refurbishments. Newly-planned facilities must contend with the rising costs of construction. Compliance with a host of safety regulations can be costly, as well. In the very near term, a wave of baby boomers will be accessing health care facilities in far greater numbers.

Sika roofing systems help to alleviate cost issues. The company’s single-ply thermoplastic membranes are durable, lightweight and flexible, and available in a variety of systems. Included are the reflective, energy-efficient EnergySmart Roof®; solar-ready roofing systems that accommodate a wide variety of solar configurations; vegetated Green Roofs; and stylish Décor Roof Systems in a range of standard and custom colors. Sika roofing products feature long service life, low maintenance requirements, and consume fewer raw materials.

Reflective surfaces help conserve energy and are available with several Sika roofing systems. Cool roofs like the Sarnafil EnergySmart Roof have been shown in independent testing to significantly lower energy consumption.

In a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy and the EPA1, researchers compared energy consumption in a 100,000-square-foot Texas facility over a two-year period — with a black rubber EPDM roof in use for the first 12 months, and a Sarnafil vinyl EnergySmart Roof in place for the following 12 months. As recorded in the Lawrence Berkeley report, the EnergySmart Roof reduced peak summertime air conditioning demand by 14 percent and resulted in an estimated savings of $7,200 (7.2 cents per square foot per year).

Cool roofs save in other ways, too. These systems do not experience the high rooftop temperatures that accompany dark-colored roofing systems and negatively affect the thermal performance of insulation. In addition, rooftop-mounted air conditioning equipment gets less use with cool roofs, thereby potentially extending the equipment’s service life.

Sika roofing systems satisfy the most demanding service life requirements. System seams are hot-air welded and Sarnafil membranes require virtually no maintenance, helping to keep annual operational costs to a minimum. Sika systems have a proven history of durability and are amongst the lowest cost roofing systems available when considering the life cycle of a building.

“Our Sarnafil roof has been virtually maintenance-free for 22 years, with no coating, seam work or re-securing required.” – Bill Doney, Facilities Manager, Oconto Falls Community Memorial Hospital, Oconto Falls, WI

Performance over time is the only true test of the quality of roofing or waterproofing systems2. Independent studies have shown that Sika roofs last for decades — this legacy of proven performance can be found on buildings around the globe, in every imaginable climate. With billions of square feet of roofing and waterproofing membrane installed worldwide over a 50+-year period, healthcare facility managers know they can depend on Sika for proven products and system performance.

Sika Roofing and the National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) collaborated on a durability survey of Sarnafil vinyl roof membranes2. Roofing membrane samples from 44 roofs in North America and Europe were used to test the durability of the Sarnafil thermoplastic roofing membranes in exposed applications. Laboratory evaluations tested physical properties considered essential in estimating longterm behavior of thermoplastic roofing membranes according to ASTM (USA), DIN (Germany), and SIA (Switzerland) standards. The average age of the roofs tested was more than 20 years, with the oldest 34 years of age.

The laboratory testing confirmed that the membranes being examined held up extremely well when compared to the standard minimum values for new vinyl roofing membranes, as per North American and European standards. After considering the age and condition of the roofs analyzed, the data indicated that a properly formulated, properly maintained, Sarnafil-reinforced vinyl roof membrane system could perform in excess of 20 to 30 years in various climates throughout Europe and North America.

The British Board of Agrément (BBA) conducted their own independent analysis of Sarnafil membranes, resulting in the issuance of a certificate for Sarnafil vinyl membranes. The certificate indicated “All available evidence suggests that the durability of Sarnafil membranes when used in accordance with the relevant BBA Certificates should have a life in excess of 35 years”

The total cost of your roofing system is determined over its life cycle by system longevity, maintenance expenses, and disposal cost. The initial installation expense, while a component of life cycle costing, is outweighed by these other factors. In particular, the life of the roofing system and its annual maintenance expenditures are the two biggest factors determining total life cycle cost. The long-term differences between roofing systems can be dramatic when considering life cycles — these differences should be carefully weighed before making a roofing decision. This is especially true for healthcare facilities, which are typically designed and built for a long service life.

Sika roofing systems satisfy the most demanding service life requirements. System seams are hot-air welded and Sarnafil membranes require virtually no maintenance, helping to keep annual operational costs to a minimum. Sika systems have a proven history of durability and are amongst the lowest cost roofing systems available when considering the life cycle of a building.

Vinyl materials, such as Sarnafil membranes, are naturally fire retardant and do not support combustion when the flame source is removed. In a laboratory test conducted in accordance with a European fire testing standard, a flame source was applied for 10 seconds to SBS modified bitumen, polyolefin (TPO), Sarnafil (PVC) and fire-retardant rubber (EPDM). When the flame source was removed, the flame extinguished on the Sarnafil membrane, while the alternative membranes continued to burn.

According to independent industry groups, a sustainable roofing system must minimize the burden on the environment, conserve energy and extend roof system life spans 4. Based on these criteria, Sika roofing and waterproofing systems score exceptionally well.

The EnergySmart Roof conserves energy and supports the environment by minimizing rooftop temperatures as compared to less-reflective, dark-colored roofs. The result is less energy consumption for building cooling and a reduction in carbon emissions from energy production.

The company’s Green Rooftops off buildings with a durable thermoplastic membrane under a vegetated cover. Green roofs lower rooftop temperatures and reduce storm water run-off to minimize erosion.

The Solar Integrated Roofing System does more than conserve energy — this system protects the building interior from the elements and generates power for its energy needs.

Sika also helps to reduce the landfill burden by recycling vinyl roofing at the end of its life. The company has diverted more than 45 million pounds of pre-and post-consumer roofing material from landfills into new roofing membrane products. Today, Sika’s Roof Recycling Program allows building owners to recycle their old vinyl roofs at the end of their service life into new roofing membrane products.

A high-quality membrane is a crucial component in a reliable, long-lasting roofing system. It is not, however, the only criterion to consider when developing a roof specification. System design and installation are critical factors to consider. Even the best roofing system can have problems if these two elements are ignored. Sika Sarnafil is uniquely qualified to deliver a total system solution through our Milestone Management™ process. This rigorous approach is a key reason for the company’s reputation for delivering high-quality roofing and waterproofing systems that stand the test of time.

When considering a roofing system, building owners, architects and contractors should seek out a list of reference projects in the area that have exhibited longevity. Performance up on the roof is the only real true indicator of a roofing manufacturer’s ability to deliver a high-quality roofing system.