Bird Attack – Repeated Damage
One of the main issues Giromax faced in the treatment of cut edge corrosion and one which sought to overcome was the repeated damage to the silicone installation from birds, especially gulls and crows. Many of the projects undertaken were located near to ready sources of food, whether fast food outlets or recycling centres, which often attract nesting colonies to the surrounding roofs.
Once established, bird damage arises out of their natural curiosity towards their surroundings, constantly testing the roof structure by disturbing roofing materials as they search for food and burrowing insects.
The following reasons explain why the continual presence of roosting birds are on a roof can be an unwelcome and costly nuisance.
Giromax® Edgecoat has been specifically developed to supersede the design limitations of older silicone treatments by overcoming both dependence on moisture free corrosion control and a vulnerability to impact and abrasion damage, especially from Bird Attack.
Drains and Gutters
Bird detritus clogs gutters and outlets. When drainage is obstructed, excessive standing water accelerates gutter degradation, reducing service life. If a high enough volume of water collects, water ingress to the building is possible.
Disease
Birds pose a risk to health from parasites and transmittable bird-borne diseases. Inhaling and ingesting micro-organisms from bird droppings can result in serious health problems. Diseases can be transmitted into the building through roof leaks or maintenance personnel where food contamination could be a problem.
Rooftop Work
Birds can create a safety hazard for rooftop workers. Bird droppings can be very slippery. The risk of slipping and falling is increased when birds have been on the roof. Nesting birds may swoop and dive at maintenance personnel, creating dangerous working conditions.
Coating Damage
Bird pecks can result in serious damage to the roof systems. Pecking birds can cause punctures to coatings and membranes, increasing the likelihood of leaks. In the case of silicone based cut edge treatment, their curiosity towards any work activity means they naturally investigate, testing often to destruction any newly applied material.
Repeated Attacks – Old & New
It wasn’t just fresh material that suffered.
Revisiting older installations often revealed recent and repeated attacks through to the prepared substrate which had then re-corroded affecting the edge either side of the damage, even creeping onto the lower sheet.
This is particularly frustrating for both the client who has paid for what they believed would be long term protection and the contractor who has to return to a completed project, often within weeks, to reinstate the system they’d worked hard to install.
Although the ‘standard’ response to bird damage is that it is easily repaired with further material, in reality such repair involves protracted negotiation with occupiers
HSE provision requires additional access costs, insurance, contractor admin and, equally difficult to plan for – dry weather conditions governing at least two visits. And although Giromax always offered assistance with free issue materials, this in itself was never a long term or satisfactory solution.
Giromax® Edgecoat
Giromax® Edgecoat has been specifically developed to supersede the design limitations of older silicone treatments by overcoming both dependence on moisture free corrosion control and a vulnerability to impact and abrasion damage, especially from bird attack.
Giromax® Edgecoat uses the latest hybrid technology utilising a silane terminated polymer backbone that takes full advantage of the properties of both silicone and urethane and has been developed to overcome the application and wear limitations of silicone alone.
Fully moisture tolerant, the system can accommodate damp surfaces, removing application restrictions and performance limitations. The Giromax® sealant also incorporates glass laminar flake technology to stabilise lap corrosion, achieving edge encapsulation by hardening to a tough elastic coat with high impact absorption and damage resistance.
Giromax® Edgecoat
Whether you want more information, a quote or are simply seeking some expert advice. Call our friendly advisers on 01455 558969 or enquire today.
