The roof on most commercial structures is different from those used on a house. Part of this is due to building design because many commercial buildings use a low sloped roof. This type of roof is frequently referred to as a flat roof because the grade or slope it uses is very small. This can also limit the way the roof is covered. The most common method of covering a low sloped roof is the BUR (built up roofing) system. BUR uses multiple layers of a water resistant membrane, typically roofing felt or tar paper, covered with asphalt. The final layer is an aggregate material used by the commercial roofing company in Charles MO as ballast to secure the roofing in place. The most common ballast material is gravel, but alternatives like limestone chips may also be used.
BUR provides an affordable roof covering and one reason for this is that most problems are easy to fix. A BUR roof can be patched and any missing ballast restored. Alternately, the contractor may recommend adding a new layer to the roof if the damage is severe. There is a limit to how many layers may be added based on the support structure of the roof. One concern with BUR is damage from foot traffic. Maintenance crews and other people walking over the roof can cause the ballast to move and could result in gouges or tears in the roofing. This generally requires a Commercial Roofing Company in Charles MO to fix the damaged area.
There are other methods for covering a flat roof including TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) and EPDM (ethylene propylene diene terpolymer) membranes. TPO is a polymer film that can be placed in long strips. This speeds up the installation time, but it also makes the roof more reliable because the long seams can be welded by automated equipment. Welding the polymer in this fashion makes the seams extremely durable. EPDM is a synthetic rubber membrane that is frequently used on buildings that require a thicker roof. EPDM can be coated so that it reflects solar rays, which reduces heat accumulation in the building. Visit us and learn more about commercial roofing solutions.
