Understanding the expected lifespan of a roof is important to ensure you’re getting the most out of your property investment and you’ll have protection for many years before requiring another roof replacement. When checking out various commercial roof types for comparison, many businesses pay close attention to the price differentiation of the various commercial roofing materials, but cost is just one factor to consider when making this large investment. Choosing Your Commercial Roofing Materials Even though you’ll need less maintenance, it can be more difficult for commercial roofing contractors to safely work on the roof, making it more expensive to perform routine maintenance. Pros: Sloped roofs have better drainage and less debris build-up than a flat roof, which means less need for maintenance visits.Ĭons: Commercial roofing systems with slopes could be hazardous depending on the incline of the pitch. Here’s a few factors to keep in mind when considering a pitched roof: While homeowners prefer these types of roofs for curb appeal, businesses often opt out of sloped types of roofs on commercial buildings. While even flat roofs have the faintest pitch, it’s extremely uncommon for commercial buildings to have a sloped roof similar to what is seen on residential properties. In addition, some types of commercial roofing materials need to be reapplied to prolong the life of the roof. Not only will businesses with flat roof types need more maintenance because of water and debris clean-up, commercial roofing contractors will also need to perform maintenance checks to ensure the seals remain watertight to prevent leaks. Commercial flat roof materials require more maintenance.Not only is it harder to spot a miscellaneous item on a flat commercial roofing system, it’s unlikely the debris will fall off on its own, so debris will collect on the roof until it’s cleared. Debris collection is much more likely on flat roofs.The pressure from pooled up water over time could lead to a roof leak if gone unnoticed. Like we mentioned, having a slope can help with water run-off and limiting excess water build-up. Flat commercial roofs have poor drainage.Keeping these systems out of the way looks nicer for the business front and keeps maintenance and tuneups more discreet. Oftentimes, businesses will opt for commercial flat roof materials so they can store their HVAC system on top of the building instead of down below. This is just one of the reasons flat types of roofs on commercial buildings are more cost-effective than a sloped roof. There’s less material, so flat roofs are less expensive to install.Since there’s no steep slopes, there’s less risk and liability to commercial roofing contractors when installing flat roofing materials.

Here are some more things to consider when choosing a flat type of roof on a commercial building: Additionally, the size of most commercial buildings would make a pitched roof dangerous or inefficient. Flat Commercial Roofing Systemsįlat roofs are by far the preferred type of roofs on commercial buildings because they are more cost-effective than a sloped roof. When you choose a reliable commercial roofing contractor, they will know that flat roof materials should still be set up with a slight pitch. Without this slope, it would be unrealistic to prevent and remove water and debris build up. All types of commercial roofs need to have a gradual slope in the middle or towards the edges to allow for drainage. While flat is the most common commercial roofing material, there is no such thing as a completely flat roof. Commercial Roof Types: Comparison Between Flat or Sloped Learn about the best types of commercial roofing materials and the pros & cons of each. Whether you are making updates to commercial buildings or have new builds in the works, the type of commercial roof you choose can have a big impact on long-term costs.

Types of roofs for commercial buildings