There are many commercial roofing materials, including PVC, TPO, and EDPM, that can be layered on a commercial roof. When your existing layer begins to rip, tear, or allow moisture in, adding a new layer right on top of the existing layer can help to protect your building. There are many pros and cons to simply adding a new layer of roofing to your commercial roof. Read on to learn more about these pros and cons.
The Cons of Re-Roofing a Commercial Roof
Making Repairs Can Be Costly
One of the downsides to adding layers of roofing to your commercial roof is that making repairs to a layered roof can be costly. A roofing professional has to determine how deep the issues go and may have to cut out multiple layers when repairs are needed to identify where the problem is. This can increase the cost of even minor repairs.
Each New Layer Adds Weight to the Roof Trusses
The other disadvantage of adding a new layer of roofing to your commercial roof is that each new layer adds weight to the roof. The roof trusses support the weight of all of your roofing material, as well as water and snow that sit on the roof. The trusses can only support so much weight, so you have to be mindful of how much weight your trusses can support when determining whether to re-roof or start fresh.
The Pros of Re-Roofing a Commercial Roof
Re-Roofing Is Cheaper Than Removing and Installing New Materials
One of the biggest advantages to adding a new layer of roofing to your commercial roof is that re-roofing is a lot cheaper than removing your existing roofing materials and then installing new ones. When you have to remove materials, you have to pay for that labor, which increases the costs. You can cut out those extra costs by re-roofing.
Re-Roofing Is Faster Than Removing and Installing New Materials
The other benefit of re-roofing is that it is faster to re-roof than it is to remove and install a fresh roof. Installing a new roof can be disruptive to employees or tenants in the building below. If you want the work done fast and the disruptions kept to a minimum, re-roofing may be the better choice.
In some cases, adding a new layer of roofing to a commercial roof makes a lot of sense, but in other cases, it may be beneficial to remove your existing roofing and start fresh. A commercial roofing company can take a look at your roof and consider your budget when helping you to decide which option may be ideal for your commercial roof.
Contact a company like National Roofing Corporation for more information.