When it comes to taking care of your commercial building, you want to have the right roofing structure in place. If you have a flat roof structure, you will want to have the correct type of roofing material in place to protect your building. There are multiple types of materials you can use for a flat roof; the key is to find the one that works best for your facility.
Built-Up Roofing
One of the oldest types of flat commercial roofing systems is built-up roofing systems (BUR), which are also sometimes called tar and gravel roofing.
This type of system has a semi-flexible and continuous membrane that is made of either fabric or felt layers. These fabric and felt layers are referred to as plies. In between each layer of plies is a type of asphalt material, with aggregate and tar being two of the most popular material.
This type of system is very durable and lasts for a long time. It is also really easy to fix. The downside is that it is not the most energy-efficient material.
Single-Ply Membrane Roofing
Single-ply roofing systems use one primary material on the roof. There are different types of single-ply roofing systems. You can use two different types of single-ply membrane systems: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO).
With this type of system, the installation is straightforward. The material comes in rolls, and it just has to be unrolled onto the roof deck. Then, heat is applied to weld the seams. This will make your roof waterproof.
One of the significant advantages of a single-ply system is that it is reflective, which means that it will reflect heat away from your building, helping with its energy efficiency. Another significant advantage is that it is resistant to chemicals, which is essential if your business releases any chemicals, oils, or fats.
Modified Bitumen
Another option is a modified bitumen roof. It is also often referred to as a rubber roof. It is made with multikey layers, similar to a built-up roof. However, instead of using an asphalt-based material, it uses a petroleum-based substance in the layers. The use of a petroleum-based substance is what gives the roof a rubber appearance. It is durable but not reflective, so it doesn't have the same energy-savings properties as a single-ply roof.
Discuss with your roofing contractor to figure out what flat-roof system will work best for your business. The three options above could work well for many different types of commercial buildings.
