In recent years the construction industry has been marred by scandals associated with collusion, bid tampering and bribery of elected City officials. The scandals included some of the largest players in the engineering and construction industry, as well as some well-respected and established politicians.
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In my 20+ years in the roofing business I’ve witnessed a lot of crazy reasons for holes on a roof; Birds, kitchen utensils (thrown from higher roof sections), needles, bullets (YYZ), icicles falling from support wires, heck… even groundhogs burrowing into a roof! But one of the most intriguing theories I’ve heard in recent years is meteor strikes.
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Bird excrement in large enough quantities can pose substantial biological hazards. The fungus that grows in pigeon excrement for instance can cause Cryptococcosis and Histoplasmosis disease. An accumulation near an HVAC intake, (where birds often tend to seek shelter) at a hospital, for instance, could pose a potential health risk for the building occupants.
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On a recent trip, I took my daughter to Ek’Balam, one of the best-kept secrets in Yucatán. The pyramid and peripheral buildings were in immaculate condition. We toured with the locals throughout the entire site. My daughter was in awe of its grandeur, she couldn’t comprehend how something could have been built so long ago, yet be in such pristine condition.
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So Global Warming is real, there is no denying it and the Urban Heat Island Effect is also a very real phenomenon. But what can we do? One of the biggest issues leading to the heat island effect is the materials we are using to clad our buildings and pave our streets.
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Green roof systems help reduce the “Urban Heat Island Effect”, have stormwater retention capabilities, and can extend the service life of the underlying roof membrane by protecting it from some environmental conditions (UV rays, etc…). But what if your roof wasn’t intended to be green? What happens when a roof has unwanted plant growth?
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