An Idea’s Journey outlines the beginnings and development of Roof Monitor, the system that continually monitors water and snow weight loads on a roof. It is designed to provide real-time reports to the right people so that preventative action can be taken.

Roof Monitor was developed as a response to the serious issue of roof collapse on low-slope buildings. Thousands of buildings, including malls, industrial buildings, schools, universities, and government buildings, have suffered from a roof collapse that was completely preventable – had there been some timely indication that something was wrong.



Roof collapse can result in severe injury or death, as well as a loss of millions of dollars of expected revenue. The preventative maintenance and surveillance required by a flat roofing system can quickly become expensive.



Brad Beldon, president and CEO of BELDON® Roofing Company, based in San Antonio, struggled with the dilemma of preventative maintenance promotion.  A necessary precaution, roof inspections and cleanings can cause additional damage to a roof.  To promote safety and better conservation of a client’s budget, Brad realized that something more had to be done – if only the roof could indicate when it was under stress.

The few roof monitoring systems available on the market did not measure snow or water load on a roof, which unfortunately is one of the main causes of roof collapse.  After consulting with a variety of engineers and physicists, the solution began to evolve around a system that was sensitive to the amount of pressure applied.

Several years of testing and extensive revisions brought about a patented, proven design.

Roof Monitor provides objective metrics and real-time monitoring to inform the right person exactly when the roofing system begins to experience stress from a snow or water load. This information can be dispatched instantly to the necessary personnel, including service representatives.

Web-based interface provides comprehensive data to pinpoint the stress load and minimize risks of false alarms.

The benefits are extensive, and greatly affect the safety, security, and efficiency of any low-slope roofing system.