PHP Roofing Blog

Commercial buildings are getting larger. Of the 55 percent of buildings built between 1960 and 1999, the average size is 16,300 square feet. Meanwhile, the buildings built since 1999 have an average size of 19,000 square feet – an increase of almost 3,000 square feet. What does this have to do with sustainable roofing?

Your rooftop is crowded. As far as your rooftop is concerned, your workforce may need to navigate next to steep drop-offs, over ledges, around cable runs, and past skylights. Putting a foot in the wrong place can have negative consequences, if you’re not careful.

How old is your roof right now? Given that a commercial roof may have anywhere from a 20-year lifespan to a 50-year lifespan, it’s likely that you didn’t inherit your commercial roof when it was new. What’s more, no matter how badly your roof was treated before you started working, the success of your job depends on making your newly inherited roof last as long as possible.

Winter is approaching across the Northern Hemisphere, which means it’s time to prepare for thermal expansion—and its more dangerous cousin, thermal shock. 

Roofing professionals will tell you that roof lifespans are typically based on averages. This is a function of location. But some materials will outperform others in any given place. The following guidelines are designed to help you make your roof perform to the very best of its potential, no matter where it may be.

By now most of us in the building and design industry have heard of green roofs and know roughly what they are – a rooftop garden system (either extensive or intensive) and most of us have at least heard of blue roofs – a rooftop water storage system (either active or passive). But when considering both types, you may need to compare a blue roof to a green roof for your upcoming project.

 Thanks to the rise of new cost-effective “cool” materials and “cool” techniques (cool = reflects more sunlight), the building industry finally has some scientifically sound ways proven to moderate energy use over the course of a new or even an existing building’s lifetime. Energy savings mean cost savings. According to the EPA, the costs of choosing a cool roof coating or membrane can be somewhat comparable to the upfront cost to a non-cool roof, but cool materials provide better payback through substantial net energy cost savings and longer life expectancy.

Since there are so many things to consider while choosing a roof system, it's not uncommon for facility managers and building owners like you to feel overwhelmed. One of your most important considerations in this process is deciding on a rooftop warranty. Choosing the right warranty can be challenging, but it can also mean the difference between a minor hassle and a break-the-bank scenario.

Design-build construction is a one-stop-shop for your construction projects. Housing both the design and construction aspects of your project under one roof, the right design-build contractor can save you time, money and aggravation.

 Whether you manage your own facility or work for others as a roofer or builder, you have seen the term “resilient design” somewhere. Resilience is the new black when it comes to sustainability. As the climate patterns shift, the need for resilient architecture becomes even more pronounced. Modern building design relies heavily on this concept and The Resilient Design Institute is at the forefront of its advocacy. What is resilience, though, and what is its role in roofing?