PHP Roofing Blog

Creating sustainable roofing has always been a great way to prove your merits as an eco-conscious organization, but there’s far more to it than that. With traditional asphalt roofs lasting a mere 20 years or so, eco-friendly roofs are about more than just doing your part for the environment—they’ll save you money in the long run as well. From green roofs to solar panels, here’s how sustainability makes a great investment for your next commercial roof.

What’s the difference between a good rooftop design and a bad rooftop design?

Functionally speaking, a “bad” rooftop design will express itself through the results. You’ll find that a bad rooftop design requires extensive maintenance more often. A bad rooftop design will have poor fit and finish—there will be gaps between flashings and penetrations, and the edges may be composed entirely of roofing tar. You’ll begin to find leaks within months of the roof’s completion.

A bad roofing design will have poor conformity to building regulations. It may not be able to resist uplift forces. It will leak energy due to poor insulation, and you will be forced to spend more money to heat and cool the building. Between constant repairs and increased energy costs, you’ll spend more money maintaining the roof than you did on its initial construction.

Here’s the thing—there are all outcomes of poorly-optimized rooftop design. How do you catch these design flaws before they’re embodied in plywood and membrane—and before they start costing you money?

A high-performance roof isn’t something that happens on its own. We’ve written about this before – if you simply ask an architect to “create a roof,” you’re likely to receive a blueprint that does not correctly communicate its design intent to your builders. You need to select the right designer, hire a roofing consultant, and make sure that they collaborate productively with the contractors.  In other words, even creating a roof that lasts for as long as intended requires careful and proactive management.

It is commonly assumed that an architect knows what they’re doing. After all, the architect has gone to school, joined a practice, and designed several buildings. Why should your building be any different?

How Important is Wind Design for Your Commercial Building

When you need to install a new roof on your building or commit to major repairs, your first job—step one—is to hire a roofing consultant. Read that again. Not a roofing contractor—a roofing consultant. Many building owners hire a roofing consultant only when there is a problem with their roof, only to find that the problems exist due to things that should have been addressed before the build.

In the early 2000s, the EPA released a study that showed 85% of commercial buildings had sustained water damage at some point, 45% of which had existing leaks.

While there hasn’t been a similarly deep study of commercial water damage, you can bet that the situation hasn’t changed much. Minor roof leaking is often seen as low priority—an annoyance that can be dealt with at a later time.

However, you can’t just wait until leaks become apparent on the interior. Anything from improperly-secured RTUs to roof penetration, extreme weather, excessive foot traffic, materials/membrane/sealant failure, improper inspection and beyond can cause leak-inducing damage.

There’s no denying the value of a strong commercial roof. It’s your main defense against the elements and keeps your internal investments safe from damage.

But for all the thought of how a roof protects what’s under it, many building owners lose sight of protecting the roof itself. Just because roofing materials are built to last decades doesn’t mean you can leave them neglected.

The effects of damage to neglected commercial roofs can grow exponentially. One small crack will grow over time until what would have been a simple repair becomes a full-blown roof replacement.

The decision to invest in a new roof isn’t one you can make lightly. If it’s an emergency, you won’t have a choice—but that doesn’t mean you can dive in headfirst without doing your homework.

When you spend all that money, you can expect your roof will last the full 30-50 years the materials are meant for. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any issues along the way.

Luckily, you have your warranties to protect the investment. Right? The situation is a bit more complicated than that.

There’s a wide variety of warranties in the roofing industry and it’s important not to overlook your true coverage. Whenever you’re investing in a new roof, you need to be well-versed in all kinds of warranties and know how they vary in terms of coverage and obligation.

With so many day-to-day demands of facility management, it’s easy for rooftop traffic to get pushed to the back of your mind.

Especially for flat commercial roofs with HVAC equipment, ventilation, satellite dishes, electrical boxes, and more, rooftop traffic is a fact of life. Why spend so much time worrying about it when you know multiple people need regular access to walk on the roof?

Thinking this way can be dangerous. Believe it or not, regular foot traffic will take a serious toll on your roof and can cause damage if not managed properly.

If you don’t have a rooftop traffic strategy in place, you’re missing out on an opportunity to squeeze more life out of your investment. Now is the time to plan for keeping rooftop traffic in check.