Hole Mentality used by Industry
Commercial buildings are designed with equipment installed on the rooftop, for example; heating & air conditioning,
walk-in coolers & freezers, ventilation exhaust fans and makeup air units. This type of equipment must connect to
the building's interior power, secondary controls and equipment.
The MEP services (i.e. electrical wiring conduit,
refrigerant or water tubing, gas pipes, satellite & tv cables, plus remote camera sensors) are currently run through
a hole in the roof (known as the penetration) which is sealed by a pitchpan, portal-plus, or candy cane to make
it watertight.
Commercial building designers, architects and engineers don't specify how this penetration should be sealed, only that it must be watertight.
It's absurd that any facet of construction, capable of causing so much damage is omitted from the design and specifications of a building project.
Present Limitations
- Damaged electrical conduit doesn't get replaced; becomes fire hazard
- No area to mount Code required components; safety disconnects or electrical receptacles
- Ignores thermal expansion movement; interior rafters & rooftop move at different speeds
- Periodically requires removal and replacement of tar; this never happens
- Tar transfers heat to refrigerant lines; reduces cooling efficiency
- Doesn't allow individual trades to separate cross-trade liabilities, raising costs
- Makes new equipment installations look nasty
Jobs of Shame
Make a problem free equipment installation on the roof and EVERYBODY was sure that SOMEBODY would do it. ANYBODY could have done it, but NOBODY did. SOMEBODY got angry, because it was EVERYBODY's job. EVERYBODY thought ANYBODY could do it, but NOBODY realized that EVERYBODY wouldn't do it. It appears that SOMEBODY should have told ANYBODY but EVERYBODY told NOBODY. It ended up that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY when NOBOBY did what ANYBODY could have done!!!
electrical connection |
penetration |
electrical |
penetration & electrical |
electrical |
penetration |
penetration |
electrical |
penetration |
electrical |
penetration |
penetration |
penetration |
electrical |
penetration |
penetration |
electrical |
penetration & electrical |
penetration |
electrical |
penetration |
electrical |
satellite |
penetration |
electrical |
electrical |
penetration |
penetration |
penetration |
satellite |
penetration & electrical |
penetration & electrical |
penetration & electrical |
electrical |
penetration & electrical |
penetration & electrical |
Explanation for the Hole Mentality
The job is to install a rooftop unit which has lines that need to access interior equipment and power. So,
drill a Hole in the roof slightly larger than the equipment supply
lines. Run them through and attach to the building rafters. Now seal that pesky Hole ... with a
flanged, open bottomed enclosure made of sheet metal set on the rooftop to surround the equipment lines and maybe a put a
top over it.
The Hole enclosure is filled with grout bituminous sealants (black viscous mixture
of petroleum distilled hydrocarbons) or polymeric (plastic, rubber and resin). This complicated jargon is
designed to make the procedure sound engineered and technically advanced, it isn't
It's designed as a Hole and it addresses only the Hole.
Guaranteed Problems
These systems are known universally to be responsible for major roof leaks, exorbitant
maintenance costs and equipment inefficiencies. These systems haven't been subjected to a simple engineering evaluation,
yet continue to be the preferred methods of sealing roof penetrations by building designers and contractors.
The equipment
connections are unaddressed, so contractors engineer a way to mount needed equipment (i.e.
safety disconnects, GFI outlets and motor starters).
"It's been done this way for hundreds of years and that's a good enough reason for engineers and contractors to continue implementing this unengineered, unsafe, misused, outdated and antiquated hazard".