About Us
O'Brien Group Roof Consulting Inc., was founded in 2018 by Conor O'Brien after nearly two decades in the roofing industry in various capacities. His career spanned all aspects of the industry from the contracting side, to technical presentations to design teams, to owner consultation, to material sales and more. OBG has the knowledge and experience to properly diagnose roofing problems and to propose appropriate solutions. Being in a purely diagnostic, consultative role, our continuing success depends on proposing the correct remedies for our client's roofing issues and projects. So whether you're a building owner with a troublesome roof, or a GC or architect in the midst of challenging roofing project, O'Brien Group can provide professional expertise to assist you on your project. Based in Pepperell Massachusetts, we service the entire Northeast region and beyond. O'Brien Group staff has achieved the following IIBEC, (International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants), credentials, Registered Roof Consultant & Registered Roof Observer, and maintains continuous commitment to ongoing training and expertise development. Currently Conor is serving a Board Member of the New England Chapter of IIBEC as well.
Roof Consulting & Assessments
We will perform a thorough, multipoint inspection of your existing roofing system. This can be as simple is investigating one particular problem area, to inspecting all flashings, seams and details as well as underside deck condition. Serviceable life of the existing system, remedies to existing problems along with cost estimates and possible replacement options if appropriate, are discussed along with budgets in a clear, and understandable report for decision makers. Core cuts are performed to establish existing roof composition, assess the condition of insulation system, as well to confirm any suspicisions of moisture. Specification and design assistance are also provided.
Roof puncture indicated by pen.
Delmhorst moisture meter confirming infrared image of moisture in the roofing insulation.
Arrow shows pen inserted into existing hole in membrane. Right infrared shows moisture under membrane associated with the puncture.
Infrared Moisture Surveys
Infrared thermography is a well established tool in diagnosing moisture within an existing roofing system. Infrared imagery of a roof can be used as a method to determine the viability of coating and recovery options. In addition, when looking at a roof replacement, infrared imagery can be used to target specific areas for removal leaving non-compromised insulation in place. Defining project scope with infrared technology can result in significant savings to the owner by reducing labor, material and disposal costs. Thermography is also useful in leak detection as the imagery often pinpoints the source of the leak. Thermography is used as well in post construction quality assurance with respect to the entire building envelope. Not only is it useful in detecting hidden moisture, but also in assessing the quality of air vapor barrier systems. O'Brien Group has achieved CIT Level I from the Infraspection Institute. CIT #12405
Infrared showing moisture coming off of parapet wall.
HVAC and plumbing vent leaks.
Peculiar wet area near no flashings. Likely due to small puncture or compromised seam.
Moisture around hot stack.
Significant water infiltration surrounding rooftop structure.
Leaking along parapet wall. Daylight inspection showed compromised coping cap.
Infrared Moisture Surveys (cont)
During the moisture survey areas that are indicative of moisture are marked out with paint and any other roof defects are photographed and included in a written report. The report includes a table quantifying the total square footage of wet insulation, as well as a CAD drawing illustrating where wet areas are on the roof.
Quality Assurance observation
Rooftop Quality Assurance Observation is a service whereby a trained, certified, and knowledgeable individual provides daily observation and reports to the project team on a roofing project to help ensure the installation is performed in accordance with the contract documents and industry and manufacturer standards. This service can greatly contribute to a quality roof installation by discovering construction defficiencies during construction versus afterwards when a roof failure can result in catastrophic losses. A number of government agencies have realized great benefit of having an RRO (IIBEC certified Registered Roof Observer), during roof construction and now require it in their specifications. QA observation can add tremendous value to private projects as well.
QA Observation encompasses the following roof construction related items:
-Materials conformity to project specifications.
-Deck condition prior to installation.
-Material storage.
-Insulation attachement is in conformity with project requirements.
-Adhesive rates and usage are in conformance with manufacturer's specifications.
-Flashing details are in conformity with manufacturer's requirements for specified warranty term.
-Night tie-ins.
-Days worked, men on site and weather conditions.