What New Commercial Property Owners Should Know About Roofing: A Roofing Primer for New Business Property Owners – PART I: Determining the Right Type of Commercial Roof for Your Property

Whether you are a new business owner, property manager, or design professional, choosing the right commercial roofing system for your building or project is one of the most important decisions you will make. A good roofing system can protect your property for decades while a bad one will do otherwise and may even cause costly problems. To help you make an informed decision, here’s a three-part guide to what you should know about commercial roofing. Let us start with determining the right type of commercial roof for your property.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Commercial Roofing System

Without a good roofing system, you might put your business in danger. Here are the most important things to consider when looking for the right commercial roof.

● Durability and Resistance to Elements. Of course, you want a roof that can last a long time. You can make this happen by ensuring that you choose the right material and product right from the get-go.

● Appearance. Your commercial building represents your business; thus, you would want it to look presentable.

● Installation. No matter the quality of your chosen roof, if it is not installed properly, it might fail sooner than its average lifespan.

● Maintenance. Any roof needs to be maintained well for it to keep on performing as intended for years. But if you choose an easy-to-maintain material, you give yourself a valuable advantage.

Types of Commercial Roof

There are a number of commercial roofing options that you can choose from. Here are some of the most trusted and proven systems.

● Thermoplastics PVC/TPO Single-Ply. This type of flat roofing system represents the fastest growing segment of the US roofing market over the last decade. The PVC product is a reinforced membrane that has tough solvent-or-hot-air welded seams. It offers outstanding durability and stability. Both PVC and TPO roofs are also lightweight, weather-resistant, and aesthetically competitive.

● Single-Ply EPDM. A thermostat membrane, this material is compounded from rubber-polymer and is often referred to as rubber roofing. Its popularity can be attributed to its durability and excellent resistance to temperature extremes, moisture, and UV rays. It is also easy and fast to install.

● Self-Adhering Systems. Materials of this type provide long-lasting protection for low-slope roofs. They can be installed without the use of open flames or hot asphalt.

● Hybrid Systems. Specially installed for balconies and roof decks, these offer the durability, protection, and waterproofing benefits of other roof types while having a smooth, aesthetically improved finish similar to that of linoleum floors.

● Polyglass. This is a good coating choice for modified bitumen roofing and self-adhesive membranes.

Now that you have a basic idea of the roofing types available for you to choose from, it’s time to learn how they will be installed. Keep posted for our next post as we discuss just that.