Roof Systems
Everything Commercial Roofing Help covers on roof systems, in one place.
Articles
- ArticleBuilt Up Roofing: A Guide for Building OwnersBuilt up roofing explained: how plies and bitumen build a membrane, why gravel is there, how BUR fails and when coating or replacement is the answer.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleBuilt Up Roof Details and AssembliesBuilt up roof details and assemblies explained: base sheets, plies, interply bitumen, surfacing and how the membrane is built at walls, curbs and drains.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleCan You Paint a TPO Roof?Whether a TPO roof can be painted, why ordinary paint fails on a plastic membrane, what coatings are made for TPO and what the preparation involves.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleCommercial Metal Roofing: A Guide for OwnersCommercial metal roofing explained: structural against architectural panels, concealed against exposed fasteners, substrates, coatings and where metal fits.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleHow a Commercial Roof Is BuiltWhat a commercial roof is made of: deck, vapor control, insulation, cover board, membrane and attachment, and how each layer changes the ones above it.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleCommercial Roof Insulation: How to Specify ItHow commercial roof insulation is specified: board types compared, layering and staggered joints, attachment, tapered design and what a bid must state.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleCommercial Roof Types, and What Decides YoursThe main commercial roof types by family: single ply, modified bitumen, built up, metal, foam and coatings, plus what decides which one suits a building.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleCommercial Steel Roofing: Coatings, Gauge and CorrosionCommercial steel roofing explained: galvanized and Galvalume coatings, paint systems, gauge, where steel corrodes first and when aluminum is worth it.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleEPDM Roofing: What It Is, Cost Drivers and LifespanEPDM roofing explained: how the rubber membrane works, ballasted, adhered and mechanically attached, where it fails, and what to specify before you buy.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleEPDM Roof Installation: How It Is DoneHow an EPDM roof is installed: deck preparation, insulation, the three attachment methods, seaming with tape, flashings and what to check at handover.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleMetal Roof FlashingMetal roof flashing explained: the components a panel roof needs, why details are formed rather than sealed, galvanic corrosion, movement and what to specify.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleMetal Roof Insulation: Options and CondensationHow metal roof insulation works: the options between and over purlins, thermal bridging, condensation control, vapor barriers and retrofitting an existing roof.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleModified Bitumen Roofing: A Practical GuideModified bitumen roofing explained: SBS and APP, torch, hot mop, cold adhesive and self adhered application, where it excels and how it fails.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleModified Bitumen Roofing Installation, Step by StepHow modified bitumen roofing is installed: torch, hot mop, cold adhesive and self adhered, ply layout, flashings, fire precautions and the handover checks.
Shane Galvin
- ArticlePVC Membrane Roof: What Is in the SheetWhat a PVC membrane roof is made of: the resin, the plasticizers, the reinforcing scrim, thickness over scrim, weldability and chemical resistance.
Shane Galvin
- ArticlePVC Roofing Guide: Where PVC Earns Its PriceA guide to PVC roofing: how the membrane is made, welded seams, chemical and grease resistance, plasticizer loss, attachment, thickness and what to specify.
Shane Galvin
- ArticlePVC Roof Installation: How It Is DoneHow a PVC roof installation works: attachment methods, what goes underneath, hot air welded seams, details, wind zones and what to check before handover.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleRoof Deck Types and Why They MatterRoof deck types compared: steel, concrete, wood and gypsum. How each fails, what it means for attachment and why deck condition decides recover or tear off.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleRoof Edge Flashing and Perimeter DetailsRoof edge flashing explained: drip edge, gravel stop and coping, how wind uplift loads the perimeter, cleats and fixings, and what a specification should state.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleRoof Flashing: What It Is and Why It FailsWhat roof flashing is, how base flashing and counterflashing work together, the heights and details that matter, and why most leaks start here.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleTypes of Roof Flashing, and Where Each One GoesThe main types of roof flashing explained: wall, perimeter, penetration and drainage details, what each one closes, how each fails and what to specify.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleRoof Insulation: R Value, Types and CodeCommercial roof insulation explained: the main types, how R value works, what the energy code asks at reroofing, and why wet insulation changes everything.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleRoof to Wall Flashing: How the Detail Should Be BuiltRoof to wall flashing explained: base flashing and counterflashing, cant strips, upstand height, how the metal is held to masonry and stucco walls.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleSpray Foam Roofing (SPF): How It WorksHow a spray foam roof works: closed cell SPF over an existing deck, the coating that protects it, substrate preparation, recoat cycles and where SPF fits.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleStanding Seam Metal Roofing ExplainedHow a standing seam metal roof works: concealed clips, snap lock against mechanically seamed, gauge, coatings, slope limits and oil canning.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleStanding Seam Metal Roof ColorsHow standing seam metal roof colors work: paint systems, reflectance, fade and chalk, dark colors and distortion, and matching a panel years later.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleStanding Seam Metal Roof InstallationStanding seam metal roof installation: substrate, underlayment, panel forming, clips and thermal movement, seaming, and what to check while it goes on.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleStanding Seam Metal Roof Panels and ProfilesHow standing seam panel profiles differ: seam types, seam height, panel width, length and thermal movement, striations and matching a profile later.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleStanding Seam vs Corrugated Metal RoofingStanding seam against corrugated metal roofing: how each is fixed, what each costs to own, minimum slopes, wind performance and where each one belongs.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleCommercial Roofing Systems: A Complete GuideCompare the main commercial roofing systems: TPO, EPDM, PVC, modified bitumen, built up and metal. How each works and where it fits best.
- ArticleTPO Commercial Roofing: How the System Is SpecifiedHow TPO is specified as a commercial roofing system: the full assembly, wind uplift ratings, attachment, thickness, details, warranty and what belongs in a bid.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleTPO Roofing: What It Is, Cost and LifespanTPO roofing explained: what the membrane is, how thickness and attachment are specified, where TPO roofs fail first and how long one should last.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleTPO Roof Drains and Drainage DetailsHow TPO roof drains are detailed: clamping rings, sumps, strainers, overflows and retrofit drains, plus what fails at the detail and what to require in writing.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleTPO Roof Installation: Step by StepHow a TPO roof is installed: substrate, insulation, attachment, hot air welded seams, test welds, probing and the details that decide whether it lasts.
Shane Galvin
- ArticleTPO vs PVC vs EPDM: Which Fits Your BuildingTPO, PVC and EPDM compared on product standard, thickness, seams, chemical resistance and reflectivity, with the building conditions that pick one.
Nadine Spadafora
- ArticleTypes of Flat Roof Membranes ComparedThe six flat roof membrane types compared on product standard, thickness, seams, attachment and what each tolerates: grease, traffic, hail and wind.
Nadine Spadafora