How Challenging Will Your Commercial Roof Installation Project Be?

Commercial roof installation work inherently represents a challenge. However, some projects will be easier than others, and you should understand why yours might swing one way or the other. In the commercial roofing installation industry, the following factors affect the general difficulty of jobs.

Seams and Other Complex Areas

Broadly speaking, a simpler roof represents less of a challenge. Particularly, many commercial roofs have seams that may pose problems if you can't easily channel water away from them. If the roof has a lot of seams, usually due to numerous corners or protruding structures, the contractors have to take more time to ensure each is properly sealed and can channel water into drains or off the structure. A building with multiple air conditioning units protruding from the top of the roof, for example, is likely to be harder to roof than one with a flat roof that has no features.

Architectural Designs

Especially if a new structure is going up and this is its first commercial roof installation, matching the roof to the architectural designs is critical. The measurements need to be accurate so the contractors can calculate the necessary materials for the job. Likewise, they need to know where the nooks and crannies will be so they can calculate potential materials waste.

Ponding

Many commercial roofs are close to completely flat. Consequently, they nearly all have risks of what roofers call ponding. A pond on a roof is a spot where water collects and doesn't drain or evaporate for at least a couple of days. If water stays on the roof too long, it can promote mold growth and even rotting materials.

You will have to decide on a strategy to deal with ponding. Drainage is one solution, but it tends to involve more engineering work, and extreme versions may require changes to your architectural plans. Conversely, water-proof membranes work well, but they have limited value in regions that constantly get rain. Unsurprisingly, many businesses use a hybrid solution with some drainage and membranes in key areas where ponding may regularly happen.

Wind

A flat roof can experience lift when winds blow across it. If you don't account for uplift in a commercial roof installation effort, there is a risk that high winds will pull the roof off the building. You should have an engineer study the peak historical wind conditions in your region. The roofing contractor can then use the information to determine which materials and solutions are appropriate.

Reach out to a roofing company, such as Double U Construction, if you need help with a roofing installation.