Roof Test Cuts

A roof test cut uses a tool called a core cutter to extract a sample of a building s existing flat roof system.

Roof test cuts.

For contractors a test cut with a roof core cutter tells what roofing materials have been used historically from decking to sheathing insulation and all other parts of the roofing system. Determine what materials make up a flat roof system it is difficult and often impossible to determine the composition of a roof system by visual inspection alone that is without penetrating the membrane. Most low slope roofs have the insulation immediately above the deck and the waterproofing layer on top of the insulation. Cutting with a knife saw combination is useful for cutting samples of 4 to 12 square.

Determine the moisture content of a flat roof system. Larger samples can be done but takes a considerable amount of time. One or more test cuts can determine the materials and deck type. The core cut also permits the constituents of the roof system and their condition to be determined.

Sometimes there are multiple layers of roofing systems. In addition roof test cuts with a roof core cutter help identify any repairs that have been completed that would have an impact on insulation application or coatings such as asphalt based patches which can drastically alter plans. It is difficult and often impossible to determine the composition of a roof system by visual inspection alone that is without penetrating the membrane. Using a knife to cut through the roof membrane and then an insulation knife or saw to cut through the subsequent layers allows for better examination of the roofing layers.

The deck type usually can be determined from underneath you may have to pop a few ceiling panels. Core samples consist of cuts through the roof membrane down to the roof deck.