If treated correctly, your roof could last anywhere from twenty to fifty years. Simply lasting is not a measure of roofing success, however—instead, you’ll want to look at lifetime costs. Picking the right commercial roofing materials up front, treating them properly, and investing in the correct infrastructure and maintenance programs will make your roof more efficient and more likely to last its full lifetime without incurring significant costs.
As far as the efficiency of your commercial roof is concerned, there are three main considerations you should take into account.
In other words, a good roof will be relatively inexpensive up front and relatively easy to maintain. In addition, it will provide a good seal for your building envelope, prevented cooled or heated air from escaping. What does this roof look like in real life?
Ensuring greater efficiency starts with material selection. Back in 2012, buildings.com conducted a study of two hypothetical roofs: a 10,000 sq. ft. premium black asphalt roof and a fully adhered white membrane roof of the same size. Using estimates from roofing consultants Simpson, Gumpertz and Heger, Inc, plus expert input from the DOE, they determined the lifetime cost of each roof.
While both roofs cost roughly $57,000 up front, with the white membrane roof being slightly more expensive, there were stark differences in lifetime maintenance costs. Over the course of twenty years, the black asphalt roof was projected to cost over $115,000 in maintenance. Meanwhile, the white membrane roof was predicted to cost less than $50,000.
Many components contribute to this difference. Energy is one—the black roof was able to save only $4,000 in energy costs versus $16,000 for its competitor. White membrane roofs reflect heat in the summer, making it cheaper to cool the building—although the report notes that the advantage only remains if you clean the roof at least once every three years.
Meanwhile, maintenance costs for both roofs start out approximately the same. After about seven years, however, the asphalt starts to chemically deteriorate due to UV exposure. By year fifteen, the owner must undertake a major renovation—and once the roof reaches end of life, the owner has to pay for the materials to be disposed of in a landfill.
By making what appears to be a relatively minor choice up front, you can drastically alter the cost, energy, and maintenance efficiency of your roof going forward.
Let’s say that instead of re-roofing your existing commercial roof, you’ve inherited a building in the middle of its lifecycle. You did not have a choice in the material of your roof, but there’s no reason to change it until it truly reaches its end of life. How do you modify your commercial roofing infrastructure so that it remains intact and efficient for as long as possible?
Investing in custom mounting systems and walkways for your infrastructure and workers can help protect your building’s roof. Systems like the PHP System/Design’s non-penetrating rooftop support structures will keep your roof and your equipment separate, preventing them from damage. This helps to defray long term maintenance costs—and keeps your roof performing efficiently throughout its long life.