When most buildings require roof hatches, it’s like getting a light switch: a general option gets selected from a catalog and ordered. The hatch gets installed to pass inspection and then it’s out of sight, out of mind, until there’s a problem.
The problem is that “standard” roof hatches are made for “standard” use in standard buildings, and one thing that buildings aren’t, ever, is standard. A roof hatch that meets an average commercial structure’s needs in Phoenix could be worlds apart from the needs of a similar facility in Minneapolis. Conversely, a roof hatch that accommodates typical rooftop maintenance traffic could be the precursor to disaster for a building with extensive rooftop MEPS.
And the problem is, these situations don’t often resolve themselves until months or years later. Whether it’s complications from weather erosion, inaccessibility of maintenance, or quiet overages on energy bills, many issues develop overtime from standards that should have been avoided in the first place.
Pre-Cut Dimensions That Don’t Match
Most standard roof hatches come in pre-cut sizes around either 30 inches by 36 inches or 36 inches by 36 inches. These dimensions provide a decent amount of access for many situations, which is exactly why they were made standard in the first place. But buildings often present strange quirks that don’t accommodate catalog solutions…