ASTM Standard D 6705, Guide for the Repair and Recoat of Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Roofing Systems was approved August 10 for roofing consultants, inspectors, architects, engineers, building owners, contractors, material suppliers, and building code officials.

The new guide will “provide the building industry with peer-reviewed procedures for inspecting and evaluating the condition of an existing SPF [sprayed polyurethane foam] roof and procedures to make recommendations on repair and recoat,” said ASTM member Mason Knowles, technical director for the Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance (SPFA) as well as acting technical director of Building and Construction Issues for the American Plastics Council.

Application of D 6705 can result in an increase of SPF roofs being “repaired and recoated correctly, thereby extending the performance life of the roof,” Knowles explained. “In addition some specifiers/ consultants will be more likely to recommend repair and recoat over tear-off and replacement, thereby protecting the interior of the building from potential damage during tear-off and saving enormous amounts of construction debris from going to landfills.”

A large task group of ASTM Subcommittee D08.06 on Spray Polyurethane Foam Roof Systems under Committee D08 on Roofing, Waterproofing and Bituminous Materials has been developing the guide since 1998. Chaired by Knowles, the group included architects, engineers, roofing consultants, contractors, material suppliers, researchers, and members of the SPFA and the National Roofing Contractors Association.

Use of the standard can facilitate better recoat vs. replacement decisions by design or consulting professionals, and enhanced repairs/recoats on existing SPF roofing systems by the contractor and supplier community, Knowles affirmed.

For further technical information, contact Mason Knowles, Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance of the American Plastics Council, Arlington, Va. (phone: 703/253-0660). Committee D08 meets Dec. 2-5 in Dallas, Texas. For meeting or membership details, contact Pat Picariello, manager, Technical Committee Operations, ASTM (phone: 610/832-9720). //

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