The Fort Knox of Commercial Roofs: When Nothing Can Get Through
When a commercial roof must be impenetrable to protect irreplaceable inventory inside, the layering of materials is as important as the materials themselves. When Just Good Isn’t Good Enough Fort Knox has a great roof, but it isn’t just gold-laden military installations that need protection from the top. Lots of enterprises are in the business…
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Looking for a Leak: The Long and Winding Road
Your ability to complete the complicated and crucial task of identifying and fixing a leak is directly proportional to how well you understand your roof. About Your Roof A single-ply roof actually has three layers: The outer weatherproofing membrane, the tough, rigid mesh in the middle and the backing layer beneath, which comprises nearly half…
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Hazards Up High: Protect Your Roof
The three most common threats facing a newly installed roof are punctures, cuts, and scratches. The reason for this has to do with the makeup of the roof itself. The Composition of a Roof Roofs are like the Earth—they have three distinct layers and they’re made mostly of salt water. OK, that last part isn’t…
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Walk Pads: Putting a Roof Over the Head of Your Roof
Even the heftiest among us aren’t going to damage a roof just by walking on it, but frequent impacts from sharp objects and heavy tools can and hurt commercial roofs. Manufacturing facilities—with their rooftop machines that require constant maintenance—are especially susceptible to rooftop wear and tear.
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Here Comes the Sun: UV Light, Thickness, and Your Roof’s Lifespan
The lifespan of a building’s roof is determined largely by two factors—its thickness and its exposure to sunlight. Size Matters Single-ply roofs are mainly offered in three levels of thickness: 45 mils, 60 mils, and 80-90 mils. As a general rule, the thicker the roof, the longer it will last. This is true regardless of…
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What’s Covered and What Isn’t: Know Your Warranties
Warranties are similar to insurance policies, and, like all insurance policies, it’s a complicated topic with a ton of fine print. There are three different parties that issue warranties in most commercial roofing situations: The general contractor The roofer The roofing manufacturer A Typical Set of Warranties Let’s look at a theoretical example of a…
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Different Materials for Different Roofs: Know Your Options
When it’s time to upgrade your roof, there are three primary options: TPO, PVC and EPDM. No, that’s not the third line down in that test that they give you at the eye doctor’s office. The Evolution of Roofing Knowing the difference between those jumbles of letters is crucial to making sure the roof you…
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Red Flags That You Have Hired the Wrong Roofer
There’s a lot of responsibility involved in putting a roof over someone’s head. Roofs provide us shelter, safety and warmth; so we shouldn’t trust just anyone to provide and install this complex component of a construction project. A good roofing contractor provides not only skilled craftsmanship, but honest, open communication, plus a commitment to get…
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Assess, Report and Decide: Get to Know Your New Building’s Roof
If you’re considering buying a new building, the very first item on your list should be to get an assessment of the roof’s condition. This analysis can prevent surprises down the line and—if the roof needs work—it can have a dramatic effect on the price you wind up paying for the building.
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