by Stephen J. Wessling
Stephen Wessling
The answer to the question: “Why hire an architect for your roof repair or replacement project?” is complex but best summed up in the word “protection.” To elaborate on this aspect, we mean protection of all parties such as:
- The owner (their asset and investment)
- The tenant (their critical role in the property as lease/renter)
- The property management firm (their performance and professional reputation)
Of course, the protection and performance of the physical asset is obvious. Budgetary concerns are always included in the overall evaluation process and all available options are considered for the project.
The logical decision is to team up with a qualified architect who specializes in building envelope design and restoration. While many engineers and roof consultants understand roofing and are an asset to the industry, they quite often do not understand the entire “building envelope” as well as other aspects of the building’s architectural features and components that interface with the roofing.
We are full service architects who understand the entire building, inside and out, and also specialize in building envelope design and restoration. This unique combination of services provides clients with exceptional professional service. Wessling Architects has performed numerous building envelope evaluations; many of which concluded in identifying negligence of an engineer or consultant who improperly evaluated critical architectural components that interfaced with the roof system. These mistakes can lead to roofing failure and system damage well before the useful life expectancy of the roof system.
Using a competent and experienced architect is cost-effective in several ways. You save valuable time by having the required review and evaluation take place resulting in the best approach for the roof project. A comprehensive evaluation and design process actually saves money by developing proper designs and specifications from the start, thereby dramatically reducing the potential for short or long-term problems. In general, we are able to substantially reduce the life cycle cost of your asset.
All evaluation data is integrated into a complete set of contract documents for bidding. This will ensure all contractors in the competitive bidding process are providing the intended system and specific scope of work.
When different contractors are called in to bid, there is no standard for them to follow. Consulting with an architect who specialized in roofing and building envelope design and restoration will ensure all aspects of your building are evaluated and considered.
Stephen J. Wessling is owner of Wessling Architects.
