Retrofitting Loadmaster Roof Decks
A Loadmaster Roof Deck is not a traditional steel roof deck system — and retrofitting it requires Loadmaster-specified components throughout to preserve the engineered assembly and its building code compliance. Unlike conventional steel deck and rigid insulation assemblies, the Loadmaster system is an engineered composite structure designed to deliver gravity load resistance, diaphragm load resistance, and wind uplift resistance simultaneously. These are not incidental performance characteristics. They are the structural foundation the original engineer of record specified for the building. When retrofitting work disturbs the assembly, every one of those performance requirements must be fully restored. That restoration can only be reliably achieved using Loadmaster approved materials, Loadmaster specified attachment methods, and guidance from Loadmaster's Technical Department working alongside a licensed structural engineer.
The retrofit process itself is where unapproved materials create the greatest risk. Removing existing roof coverings loosens screw attachments and strips facer material from the roof deck surface, directly undermining the engineered relationship between the Duraflex Mineral Board, the fastener pattern, and the steel sections below. Restoring that relationship requires installing new Duraflex Mineral Board to exact specifications and screw-attaching it through both the new and existing board layers and insulation into the steel deck. Substituting generic cover boards or alternative products may appear adequate on the surface, but those materials do not share the density, composition, or fastener-holding characteristics that make Duraflex an integral structural component rather than a simple cover layer.
The consequences of using non-Loadmaster materials extend well beyond performance, they reach directly into code compliance and insurability. Any retrofit using materials not approved and supplied by Loadmaster will likely cause the building to fall out of compliance with applicable building and fire codes. Bringing a non-compliant roof deck back into compliance after the fact is costly, disruptive, and entirely avoidable. More critically, a building that no longer meets code may no longer be insurable - a liability exposure that no building owner, contractor, or specifier should accept in exchange for a short-term material substitution.
When Loadmaster materials are used for the retrofit, the system's warranty protection is renewable. A professionally evaluated and properly retrofitted Loadmaster assembly qualifies for a new Loadmaster substrate warranty, which can be extended to align with the watertightness warranty issued by the roofing manufacturer. Loadmaster is an approved substrate for leading roofing manufacturers including CertainTeed, Owens Corning, TAMKO, GAF, Carlisle, Siplast, Johns Manville, and U.S. Ply, giving building owners and specifiers broad flexibility in roof covering selection without sacrificing system integrity. For project specific retrofit guidance, contact the Loadmaster Technical Department at 800-527-4035.
