SA Roofing February 2018 // Issue 97 | Page 27

Have you thought about integrating your air conditioning with your roof ? We have . Let us expand your roofing business .
FEATURES

Failing to incorporate the HVAC into the initial design can cause many problems – and not just for contractors .”
weight of the air conditioner and extra header beams had to be installed ,” he recalls .
Roofing structures also play a very important role in determining heat loads in a building and are incorporated into the HVAC design . “ Poorly insulated roof structures mean higher heat loads and increased energy costs ,” says Cramer .
Flat concrete roofs are great for the positioning of equipment , but they are also large heat sinks , which continue to transfer heat into the room below for hours after peak temperatures are reached , explains Cramer . “ A good energy saver is to fit pitched roofs over a flat concrete roof . Another suggestion is not to enclose it to allow natural ventilation .”
As most HVAC plants aren ’ t very pretty in terms of aesthetics , another common design practise is when you try to hide air conditioners by enclosing them behind walls and roofs . This can wreak havoc with heat dissipation causing long term damage to the equipment .
Cramer maintains that a competent design engineer has several options available to find practical solutions . “ The more challenging the problem , the costlier it will be . There are many times where very little thought has gone into HVAC requirement at design stage and expectations are high ,” he says . “ In these cases , you need to be able to put aesthetics behind should the requirement desperately need an HVAC solution , and provide a solution . This is noticeable when you see condensing units splashed all over the façades of buildings that are unsightly and noisy , especially at your neighbour ’ s house ,” he says .
Another issue is that clients often specify worst-case temperature scenarios to designers . “ These temperatures may only occur for a few hours and for a few days a year ,” Parry states . If , however there is no detrimental effect on the equipment in the room , if the inside temperature rises a few degrees during the worst-case scenarios , this can pile on thousands of rands onto the capital costs .
The entire construction process needs to be well thought out and executed to achieve the best condition for the building . The best way to do this is to work collaboratively with the entire team involved and plan accordingly .
Things to be considered by the roofing contractor before roof completion :
• Water proofing under and around the HVAC outdoors .
• Ventilation around the outdoor unit .
• Piping penetration into the building .
• Strength of slab / weight barring where the outdoors will stand .
• Aesthetics of the whole building .
Source : Fourways Airconditioning

Have you thought about integrating your air conditioning with your roof ? We have . Let us expand your roofing business .

Outdoor Construction Indoor Construction
Roof top unit
Roof curb
Transition Piece
Airconditioned Air Grille
Roof support
Top of Transition Piece
Integrated Roofing & Airconditioning
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For more info , contact Steve Kimber on + 27 ( 0 ) 11 100 1630 | + 27 ( 0 ) 82 881 0201 or steve @ pictech . co . za .