You may think that because every building has a roof, that residential and commercial roofing are pretty much the same. And yes, their purpose is, however, their design is not. However, there are two main classifications of roofing – steep slope and low slope roofing. And, although steep slope roofing’s purpose is almost always only to protect the people and things inside from the elements, flat or low slope roofing sometimes has other purposes. No matter how flat or sloped your roof, it needs maintenance, but that too differs.
Roof’s Purpose
Although one purpose of all roofing protecting the people and things inside the building from the elements. However, commercial roofing sometimes has another purpose. When you look at a commercial building with a flat roof you may see equipment. That equipment, like HVAC systems and antennae can damage roofing which is why it’s essential that commercial roofing be inspected more frequently. Sometimes a roof is meant to be walked on which requires a different type of roofing material and more frequent inspections and repair.
Slope
Have you ever looked at houses and commercial buildings and wondered about different angles on the roof? The angle is referred to as the slope. The roof’s slope, in part, determines the type of roofing that can go on it. For example, you see homes with tile and asphalt shingles because both those roofing materials work well on what’s called steep slope roofing. You can’t put shingles on a flat roof. Both steep and low slope roofing can have metal roofing. However, a truly flat roof needs one of the commercial roofing materials intended for flat roofing. Some examples include EPDM, TPO or Mod-Bit.
Maintenance
All roofs should have regular maintenance. However, commercial roofing that has regular foot traffic needs more frequent maintenance than a metal roof without any traffic. Asphalt shingles require more maintenance than tile roofing. Skimping on maintenance can cut the life of your roof by years. Commercial roofing maintenance should be done at least once a year no matter what material. Residential roofing maintenance needs increase in frequency as the roof ages. You may be able to get away with a roofing inspection on a new asphalt shingle roof every other year during the first decade but should increase the frequency to annually after that. Inspections and maintenance help catch little issues before they turn into big roof leaks.
Cooley Roofing & Construction offers both residential and commercial roofing. We can do this because we have teams who have the training and experience in both. We don’t ever take on a job that we’re not 100% confident we can do right. If you need a roof repair, roof replacement or have another need for your home or business, call us and we’ll make sure the right team member provides you with a fair and accurate quote for the work – (336) 766-6488.
