Industrial Flat Roofing

Industrial flat roofing projects tend to be larger on average and often have less penetrations than commercial flat roofs. This presents specific areas of concern, but also more ease of roof installation which should be taken into consideration when talking prices with your flat roofer.


Edging and Expansion Joints

Due to the larger expanse of industrial roofs, often without the same number of supporting walls as commercial buildings, the larger spans between supports can cause a few different concerns.

Water weight is especially to be avoided on these larger expanses because they can cause sagging which increases water buildup which in turn exacerbates the sagging problem.

In industrial buildings it is especially important to make sure that water exits the roof within 48 hours and is not ponding and causing increased stress on the roof.

The edges and expansion joints of large buildings are common areas for leaks because of the settling that occurs over the years. Just as a house shifts and thrusts through the year with the winter ice pushing upward and the spring thaw letting things settle back down, your industrial building undergoes the same processes but over a larger area.

Whereas a house might get hairline cracks in the paint on the walls due to these factors, large buildings will shift up and down over the years putting added stress on the materials at the edges.

These materials will have had to shift, stretch and bend on and off over the years which eventually can lead to decay of roofing products. For this reason the edges and expansion joints are areas requiring special attention on these larger buildings in order to keep them in top condition.


Competitive Pricing

Laying flat expanses of materials necessarily goes faster than flashing edges and sealing around projections. Time and specific attention is required around each projection, often requiring the use of handheld heat sealers or finicky sealants.

Large, open expanses of roof can often be done in a fraction of the time because each seal is a potential place for roof failure and thus must be checked and re-checked to make sure that everything has been properly sealed.

Large areas of membrane require less detail work and allow roofing crews to work quickly while maintaining a high level of quality. Make sure that your flat roofer takes this into consideration when pricing your job because industrial projects can often be done much faster than commercial roofing projects if they have fewer projections to work around.


Call Your Roofer!

This is the same point as in the commercial section, but it is so important that it bears repeating. Whenever you have work done on your roof it is essential that you have it inspected by a knowledgeable flat roofer.

Whoever is installing your penetration (HVAC systems, skylights, air ducts, plumbing, etc.) should be knowledgeable about that project and you would assume that they know how to get it through your roof without compromising the function of the waterproofing membrane but we have found time and time again that the assumption is false.

We have seen incorrect sealants used, tar slopped around a hole where flashing should be, correct materials installed upside down and even holes left on the roof with no attempt to seal them at all!

Save yourself the hassle of repairs to your building and the stress of coming in to find leaks. Call your flat roofer whenever you have work done on the roof!

Call Northern Seal today to get roof work inspected, to schedule maintenance or to talk about a re-roof.