Commercial RoofingBased in Cleburne, TX

The Difference

What to know before you decide.

EPDM is the black rubber membrane found on many older commercial buildings. It has a long track record, stays flexible through temperature swings, and patches well when it is punctured. Its seams are joined with tape or adhesive, so aging seams are where EPDM roofs tend to leak. The black surface also absorbs heat, which is one reason some owners coat an EPDM roof white or switch to TPO at replacement. A sound EPDM roof with a few bad seams is often a repair job.

R-panel metal covers a lot of shops, churches, warehouses and agricultural buildings in this part of Texas. The panels are through-fastened, meaning exposed screws with rubber washers hold them to the purlins. Over years of heating and cooling the panels expand and contract, the washers dry out, and screws back out of their holes. Leaks then show up at fasteners, at the laps between panels and around penetrations. Repairs range from replacing fasteners with oversized screws and sealing laps to coating the whole roof, and when the panels have rusted through, new R-panel can go on.

Silicone roof coatings restore a commercial roof that is worn but still structurally sound. A coating goes over existing TPO, EPDM, metal or modified bitumen and forms a continuous waterproof layer that handles ponding water well and reflects heat. The key is what sits underneath. Wet insulation under the membrane has to be found and replaced before coating, usually through an infrared or moisture survey and a few core cuts, because a coating sealed over wet insulation traps the problem inside. When the substrate checks out, a coating costs a fraction of a tear-off and avoids hauling the old roof to a landfill.

Flat roofs share a handful of common failures whatever the membrane. Ponding water that stands more than a couple of days after rain speeds aging and points to a drainage or structural issue. Clogged drains and scuppers back water up against flashing. Flashing at parapet walls and around the curbs of rooftop units opens up as buildings move. Foot traffic punctures membranes near equipment. Commercial roofs should be inspected twice a year and after any hailstorm, since hail bruises membranes and dents metal in ways that are easy to miss from the parking lot.

Most businesses stay open during commercial roof work, which makes planning part of the job. Crane or lift access, material staging, deliveries, tenant parking and adhesive odors near air intakes all shape the schedule, and we will plan those around your building at the inspection. Inspections and estimates are free.

Costs vary with the system and what has to come off. A single layer of old membrane can often be covered or coated, while a building that already has two roofs on it generally has to be torn off down to the deck under the building code. As general North Texas market ranges, a full TPO replacement often runs roughly $7 to $12 per square foot, and a silicone restoration over a sound roof often runs $3 to $6 per square foot. Tapered insulation to fix ponding, new drains, or replacing wet insulation board all add to either figure. An inspection is the way to find out which of those your roof calls for, and whether a targeted repair would carry the building for a few more years while you budget for the larger project. Call (817) 558-6997 to schedule one.