As a building owner or facilities manager, you’re in charge of determining when it’s time for a new roof. Sometimes the signs are clear – like when there’s significant storm damage and your insurance company tells you that you must replace the roof. However, if you’re not a roofer or don’t have roofing knowledge, you may not know if you really need a roof replacement.
Age Doesn’t Always Tell the Same Story
Some commercial roofing materials last 15 years. Others can last 20 or 25 years. A roof that’s properly maintained will almost always last longer than a neglected roof. Another factor that can impact your roof’s life is the foot traffic it gets. The more people who walk on it, the shorter its life. And, because we have all types of weather in Winston-Salem, your roof goes through a lot in a year. So, depending on your maintenance, traffic, and the weather, your roof may need replacing in as short as 15 or as long as 30 years.
Materials
As we mentioned, different roofing materials age at different rates. Remember, the life expectancy of anything in or on your building can be greatly extended with proper maintenance. Here is what you can expect, on average, for the following roofing materials:
- TPO – Thermoplastic Olefin has the shortest expected life. A poorly maintained and frequently walked on TPO roof may only last 10 years. However, it can last as long as 25 years.
- PVC – Polyvinyl chloride roofing, also called PVC or single ply roofing generally lasts between 15 and 20 years. With good maintenance and little traffic, you may get 25 years from it.
- EPDM – An ethylene propylene diene monomer roof lasts a bit longer. Although its average life is about 20 years, 15 is considered short while 30 is considered long.
- Metal roofing – Your metal roofing may last as long as 50 years with little maintenance, however, that’s in part because metal roofs don’t see much foot traffic and they don’t often have HVAC and other equipment mounted on them.
Two less common roofing materials in Winston-Salem are build-up roofing (BUR) and modified bitumen (Mod-Bit). Although they are booth proven roofing materials, they’re not common today in commercial roof replacement. You can expect either of them to last between 15 and 20 years.
Still Unsure if You Need a Commercial Roof Replacement?
If you’re wondering if you need a commercial roof replacement and you’re not currently working with a roofing company you know and trust, call Cooley Roofing. We’ll thoroughly evaluate your roof and help you decide if it’s time for a roof replacement. Call us today at (336) 766-6488 or fill out our contact form.
