Building owners, roofing contractors, and specifiers have many options when deciding which commercial roofing system is best for a specific project. When selecting a roofing system, there are many issues to investigate. A thorough investigation will assure you that your investment is the best long-term roofing decision.
1. History/Longevity:
How long has the roof product been on the market under one owner? Proven longevity is critical when selecting a roofing system or manufacturer.
2. Cost:
Up-front cost is often perceived as the key factor in choosing a roofing system. However, the life cycle cost is the more important financial aspect that needs to be investigated. Considerations should include: tear-off, maintenance expenses, energy savings, additional warranty cost, and fast, non-disruptive installations.
3. Installing Contractors:
The long-term success of any roofing system ultimately falls on the installing roofing contractor and their application quality. Building owners and specifiers need to investigate the roofing contractor thoroughly. Roofing contractors should be trained and authorized by the manufacturer to ensure that quality is kept at the highest level.
4. Warranty:
Roofing system warranties can occasionally be confusing. Many times, manufacturers don’t have a published warranty and in some situations, the manufacturer or roofing product has been on the market less than 10 years, with warranties ranging from 10-20 years.
Features you may want to consider for a commercial warranty are:
- Exclusions for consequential damages
- Additional cost for the warranty
- Exclusions for ponding water
- Whether it’s a “repair or replace” warranty
- Whether the warranty is transferable
5. Type of Building Design:
The roofing system should be flexible and able to be designed to meet the needs of virtually any type of structure. Determine if the roofing system can be designed for:
- Dead level, low-sloped, or steep-sloped roofs
- Buildings that cannot handle additional weight
- All types of decks
- Retrofit applications
- Small roofs to large facilities
- The strictest wind or fire code requirements
- Metal buildings
6. Prefabrication:
Prefabrication is very important when choosing a roofing system as it allows the manufacturer to construct a portion of the roof in ideal factory conditions. Many commercial roofs are completely “manufactured” by an installer on top of a building where heat, humidity, cold, wind, and poor labor decisions will affect the roof’s long-term performance.
7. A Complete System Supplier:
With respect to commercial roofing systems, it is important to select one that has single-source accountability. It is important to have complete system warranty coverage, not just a warranty for the materials supplied by the manufacturer.
8. Company Support:
Contractors especially should investigate this issue to make sure the company supplying and warranting the roofing system is a complete service provider. These support services should be provided to all contractors:
- Sales
- Marketing
- Engineering
- Quality Assurance
- Manufacturing
9. Rooftop Environment:
- Is there a lot of foot traffic on the roof?
- Are there numerous penetrations on the roof?
- Any rooftop emissions?
- Are there extreme variations in the expansion and contraction of the building?
Each of these issues needs to be addressed when choosing a roofing system to purchase or install. Make sure that the roofing system you choose for your commercial application has the sales, marketing, quality assurance, engineering staff, and reputation to meet your needs.
