Are there different factors that need to be considered when choosing a commercial roof compared to when you are choosing a residential roof? In this post, we take a look at a few key variables that might change the way you approach commercial roofing.

Expertise

Installing a residential roof is usually pretty straightforward. Commercial roofs need to account for other factors that residential homes just don’t require. Commercial roofing requires expert roofing services that also takes into account various aspects including: external piping, air flow systems, skylights etc.

Unique Benefits

Different roofing materials products provide distinct benefits. Some materials are commonly used only in commercial buildings, mainly because of their strength and ability to cover wider areas with lower costs.

The design of a typical commercial roof has a few important factors to consider including the large area that needs covered and the weight of the equipment that the roof must accommodate. On the other hand, residential homes have less concern regarding these structural factors.  

Commercial roofs are commonly low sloped or flat and are usually larger than a roof for a residential home. It’s important to identify anticipated maintenance on your commercial roof and if heavy foot traffic would affect the building below - could it disturb workers if it was often?

Meeting Regulatory Requirements

When considering your commercial roof, make sure the one you are planning to use meets building codes, fire accreditation and other local requirements that could affect your choices. You should be able to predict how to roof will impact other building and its energy performance. Other factors such as the local area could also impact your roof choice. Local rules may affect working hours and noise reduction, which influences how a roof may be installed and when.

Aesthetic

Like with residential roofs, the way a commercial roof looks is important too. Does it match the brand’s image? For example, a modern IT tech company would opt for a more modern looking roof. Also, take into account the actual commercial building - does the roof match the modern or more traditional facade? What is the building’s characteristics? Are the many floors? Where is located? Does the building have an elevator? Even load capacity and size can influence commercial roof choice. If the height of the building or location on the site doesn’t allow for a crane and there is no other way to get materials to the roof and any debris off, the choice of the roofing system would be limited to what can be carried or even brought in by helicopter.

Energy Optimisation

Not only is a roof important for overhead protection, a great roof will also bring your ‘overheads’ down meaning they will also serve as a sound economical choice - saving on energy costs such as cooling in the warmer months and heating in the cooler months. Before investing in energy optimising materials, make sure they would make a significant impact. Do you have multiple buildings that need it? Would this roof work for all of them? When thinking of installing this kind of roof, look at the bigger picture. Make an estimation of the savings you could make taking into account the cost of installing, maintaining and eventually replacing or recovering the roof.