Types of Commercial Roofing Systems
What’s the Best Commercial Roofing System?
The best roof will meet your needs, budget and goals
A necessary part of every building is its fifth wall, the roof. Roofing systems are designed to last for decades, creating a “set it and forget it” dynamic. However, when your roof starts to show signs of aging, and you’re considering repairs or replacement, do you even know what kind of roof is on your building? Has your roof been delightfully out of sight and out of mind all these years?
Perhaps the roof was installed before you owned the building or before its maintenance was part of your responsibilities. Perhaps the paperwork from the previous roof purchase is lost, or vague, or was written in terms you just don’t know yet.
No matter the circumstance, here we cover the basics of commercial roofing systems to help you make well-informed purchase decisions.
GLRC’s President, Chris Lampien, discusses commercial roofing systems commonly used today.
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Petroleum-based Roofing – Click on the tabs to learn more:
You may already be familiar with one type of petroleum-based roofing: asphalt shingles. Commonly found on steep slope roofs, you’ll see asphalt shingles on churches and their steeples. Other commercial buildings like multi-family units, whether apartments or condo-associations, and hotels also gravitate toward shingles. Asphalt shingles enhance curb appeal and aesthetics with color variations that bring out the shape and unique characteristics of the roof line.
Second in our petroleum-based category is Built-Up Roofing (BUR). While not installed as frequently as it used to be, it may still be up on top of your commercial building. Built-up is a multi-layered system alternating between asphalt (or bitumen,) and reinforcing felt (or ply sheets). Depending on how thick that layer is, it creates a longer-lasting, more durable roof offering excellent waterproofing and weather resistance for flat or low slope roofs.
An alternative to traditional Built-Up is Modified Bitumen. Sometimes referred to as Mod-Bit, this multi-ply membrane combines asphalt with polymers like rubber or plastic. It can be installed with either a hot or a cold application. In a contemporary cold application, there’s an adhesive applied to the back of the multi-ply membrane, and then it simply rolls out. This process eliminates the use of an open torch. Known for its waterproofing and durability, Modified Bitumen can be found on both steep slope & low slope roofing systems.
The final product of the petroleum-based category is EPDM, ethylene propylene diene monomer. EPDM is a single-ply roofing product often called rubber roofing, found on low slope commercial buildings. It’s designed to encompass a large area very quickly. It’s commonly installed using adhesion; full-adhesion, or ballasting, where they put rocks over the top of it. Either application is ok, it just depends on the building and its structural load capacity.
Metal Roofing Solutions
Next, let’s talk about a few different types of Metal roofing. There’s steel, aluminum, copper and still some zinc being used today. When you drive past a steel roof that’s done like a shingle roof, it pops a little bit and people are pretty excited. This industry continues to evolve bringing customization to building owners with steep slope systems.
Let’s not take away from traditional styles of metal roofing too, like standing seam or corrugated. You’ve seen a lot of those with the barn look or having the standing seam or little ridge at the top of the roof. These systems can be found on residential and industrial buildings. Considering the higher upfront cost for the specialized and laborious installation, building owners hope their metal roofs will last twice as long as asphalt shingle applications creating a long-term savings.
The last thing to talk about with metal roofing is the traditional slate or wood shake look that can be replicated in metal roof systems. It’s a thicker look, really a unique style of roofing, and it can be accomplished using steel, metal or aluminum products.
It’s unbelievable the advancement in the industry. So look for those! You’ll see a real difference in how those traditional mimic roof systems can be done now with a new product.
Thermoplastic Roofing Systems
Moving next into our Thermoplastic category, we’ll start with TPO, which stands for thermoplastic polyolefin. It’s a single-ply design used predominately in large, flat, wide-open spaces. Being characteristically white in color, it reflects sunlight (reducing energy costs), and is resistant to UV rays, which delays breakdown of the surface. The single-ply sheets of TPO are heat-welded or hot-air fused together so that the seams themselves hold up over time.
PVC is another type of thermoplastic, single-ply roofing. Very similar to TPO, but a different chemical formulation – polyvinyl chloride. The chemical formulation of PVC is a popular roofing system on low slope buildings that have grease and debris build up. Both restaurants and manufacturing facilities with vents or stacks emitting residue onto the roof find their solution is often PVC roofing.
Designer Roofing Systems
Other types of roofing, we categorize all together, as Designer types. Examples you may find are plastic shingles, traditional slate shingles, wood shake or wood shingles, and clay tiles. These niche designer styles sole goal is to achieve a cosmetic look or specific aesthetic. Concrete shingles and even concrete tiles are also roofing options, but are very rare, especially in the Midwest.