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  1. #1
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    Mar 2007
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    Default Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Kind of an odd situation here and am curious what you guys think.

    A commercial building my wife's family owns is a restaurant and the tenant hasn't cleaned the hoods in ions and the grease has spilled down a sloped part of the roof and onto a flat torch down single ply roof. The grease has since totally solidified and covers a good section of roofing which is now leaking (and never has before).

    Since we're responsible for the roof they're looking for us to fix it but I'm pretty sure the grease is the cause.

    So, in general, does cooking grease eat away at roofing tar/sealant that is used to torch down the sheets of roofing or the roofing sheets themself?

    Until they get the roof cleaned (not even sure how they're going to do that) I can't see anything. It just seems like too big a coincidence that the roof is leaking where it never has before only under a big pile of grease.

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Snowbird (this means I'm retired and migrate between locations), FL/MI
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    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Fellman View Post
    Kind of an odd situation here and am curious what you guys think.

    A commercial building my wife's family owns is a restaurant and the tenant hasn't cleaned the hoods in ions and the grease has spilled down a sloped part of the roof and onto a flat torch down single ply roof. The grease has since totally solidified and covers a good section of roofing which is now leaking (and never has before).

    Since we're responsible for the roof they're looking for us to fix it but I'm pretty sure the grease is the cause.

    So, in general, does cooking grease eat away at roofing tar/sealant that is used to torch down the sheets of roofing or the roofing sheets themself?

    Until they get the roof cleaned (not even sure how they're going to do that) I can't see anything. It just seems like too big a coincidence that the roof is leaking where it never has before only under a big pile of grease.
    Matt F,

    Google (without the quotes): "deterioration of torch roof +oils"

    deterioration of torch roof +oils - Google Search=

    Within the even the top ten:

    eliminate any spillage of coolant, oils, grease, etc. and repair roof membrane if ... Failure to maintain the roof may result in deterioration of the roofing system ...

    ... adversely affected by coal tar, asphalt, oils and animal fats. ...

    ...Ruberoid Torch Plus Modified B... Ruberoid Flame Free 160 FR Mod. ....
    Additional features and benefits of GAF EverGuard EGSR-40 roofing membrane
    include: ... Resistant to chemicals, oils and grease, • Allows installation on
    ... oil and grease contamination would deteriorate typical PVC and EPDM
    membranes.* ...

    Depends on what you have on the roof! Not all torched down roofs are equal.

    However from what you describe you have a health and fire hazard at the property. insects, vermin, offal, and a fire hazard. Fire inspection/occupancy and Public Health officials should be shutting this place down.

    Disgusting.


  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Oregon
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    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Thanks HG... I tried Google-ing but didn't get the right terms.

    And, yes, it's a bit of a mess. I try to go by and check things out periodically... I just haven't been for a year or so. They actually run a clean kitchen and overall clean place (I worked restaurants for years so I definitely know the difference).... I haven't talked to the tenant specifcally about this yet but I'm sure she just got side tracked..... of course, it's pretty important stuff.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Massachusetts
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    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant


  5. #5
    Timothy M. Barr's Avatar
    Timothy M. Barr Guest

    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Where is the health inspector and the fire inspector. If they did their job there would be no problem.


  6. #6

    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    I agree with most of the responses as far as this is a "ridiculous situation" and the grease is afactor in the roof leak. HOWEVER and more importantly it is an extreme fire hazard and the local officials should be notified unless you have amazing fire insurance and are looking forward to a huge building update. Also, since your family owns the property you must have copies of the tenant insurance coverage...if you send copies to the underwriter they will require this to be corrected or they will cancel coverage of your tenant...
    Also, if your fire policy underwriter finds out they will cancel your policy as well!

    Jeff Zehnder - Home Inspector, Raleigh, NC
    http://www.jjeffzehnder.com/
    http://carolinahomeinspections.com/

  7. #7
    Richard Byrne's Avatar
    Richard Byrne Guest

    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    There is a business insurance issue here as well. I perform inspections on restaurants on behalf of insurers that issue business insurance policies to restaurants. In addition to fire/safety/building codes inspections, insurers send guys like me around to assure businesses are following industry-standard guidelines to avoid risks -- like, say, grease fires.

    The situation you described would result in an insurer either not issuing a policy or canceling an existing policy. The industry standard calls for restaurants to have their hoods cleaned professionally on a quarterly basis (services exist solely for this purpose), and monthly if they are a higher volume location. I have to look for and photograph the service's sticker posted on the kitchen hood showing the latest cleaning date. If it was more than three months ago, they would be non-compliant.

    My guess is they are operating without specialty business insurance or they have found an insurer that does not inspect, although I've never heard of such a thing. Operating uninsured might be a violation of their license, local ordinances and/or their lease.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Oregon
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    2,365

    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Wow.... you guys are just totally over the top

    I asked about roofs...... feel free to post all your concerns about insurance, business operations and other stuff I DIDN'T ask about in the proper catagories.... this is the ROOFING forum.


  9. #9
    James Whitman's Avatar
    James Whitman Guest

    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Quote Originally Posted by Timothy M. Barr View Post
    Where is the health inspector and the fire inspector. If they did their job there would be no problem.

    I agree with this about inspections. Why haven't a fire and health inspector been out to the property? Or maybe have them come out to the property now.


  10. #10
    Frank Suchodolski's Avatar
    Frank Suchodolski Guest

    Default Re: Cooking Grease vs Roof Sealant

    Yes the grease will adversely affect the Torch-on roof, especially if it is only a 1-ply membrane. Most torch-on roof systems are meant to be applied as a 2-ply systems, for durability and redundancies. All restaurant hood fans should have grease traps and be regularly maintained.

    Frank Suchodolski, TQ, RRO


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