Newmarket Roofers carries out commercial roofing in Cottenham and the surrounding area, covering flat roof replacements, repairs, leadwork, guttering and re-covers on offices, retail units, warehouses and agricultural buildings.
Commercial roofing covers a broad range of systems and building types. Flat felt and EPDM rubber roofs are standard on retail and office buildings. Agricultural and industrial units often use profiled metal or fibre cement sheeting. Each system has its own maintenance requirements, and ignoring those requirements is the single most common reason a roof that should have lasted twenty years needs replacing in twelve.
We work on commercial properties across Cottenham and the surrounding area, including Newmarket, Cambridge, Histon, Ely and Burwell. Whether the job is a straightforward repair, a full flat roof replacement or new guttering on a warehouse, the process starts with a proper survey and a clear scope of work.
A newly installed or repaired commercial roof is not maintenance-free. The buildings that get the longest life from their roofs are the ones where someone takes responsibility for basic checks and clears problems before they become failures. On a commercial building, a roof failure can mean closed premises, damaged stock and unhappy tenants - so the cost of neglect is much higher than on a domestic property.
The good news is that the maintenance most commercial roofs need is straightforward and inexpensive. Very little of it requires a roofer.
Blocked outlets are the leading cause of flat roof membrane failure. When water cannot get off the roof, it ponds. Ponding adds weight and keeps the membrane constantly wet, accelerating degradation and finding any weakness in the surface or at joints. On a large commercial roof, even a few centimetres of standing water represents significant structural load.
Flat roof outlets should be checked and cleared at least twice a year - typically in late autumn after leaf fall and again in spring. If the building is near trees, quarterly checks are more sensible. Outlets are usually fitted with domed or square grilles; these should be lifted and cleared of debris. If the outlet itself is blocked below the grille, that needs a roofer or a drainage specialist, not just a sweep of the surface.
Box gutters - common on older commercial and agricultural buildings - should be cleared just as often. A blocked box gutter will overflow internally, sending water into the roof build-up and the structure below before it ever appears as a visible leak inside the building. By the time you see the damp patch on the ceiling, the damage above it may already be significant.
You do not need to get on the roof to carry out a useful inspection. From ground level or an upper-floor window, look for:
If you spot any of these, call a roofer to investigate before the next period of heavy rain. Catching a small problem early is almost always cheaper than letting it develop.
After a flat roof replacement, the first twelve months are when installation quality becomes apparent. Properly installed felt or EPDM should show no ponding (beyond very minor surface water that drains within 24-48 hours), no lifting at edges or upstands, and no visible wrinkles or ridges that were not there at handover.
If you notice any of these within the first few months of a new installation, contact the contractor promptly. Most issues that stem from installation rather than maintenance show themselves in the first winter.
EPDM roofs may show minor surface dusting or a slight colour change in the first year - this is normal and does not indicate a problem. What is not normal is any lifting at seams, any pulling away from upstands, or any pooling of water that has not cleared after two days.
Leadwork around parapet walls, chimneys, roof lights and step flashings is one of the most vulnerable parts of any commercial roof. Lead expands and contracts with temperature change, and over time this causes joints to open or the lead to crack. A visual check from a safe vantage point once or twice a year - looking for sections that have lifted, cracked or lost their mortar pointing - can catch failures before they become leaks.
Silicone applied over failing lead is not a permanent fix. It buys a few months at best. If a flashing has cracked or pulled away from the wall, it needs to be properly re-fixed or replaced with new code 4 or code 5 lead, clipped and pointed correctly.
Metal profile roofing on warehouses and agricultural buildings should be checked annually for loose or missing fixings, corrosion at laps and ridges, and any damage from debris or falling branches. Loose fixings allow sheets to lift in wind and let water in at the fixing point. Replacing a handful of fixings costs very little; replacing a damaged sheet or repairing internal water damage costs considerably more.
Roof lights and translucent panels on industrial buildings are another point worth watching. These become brittle with age and can crack under point loads such as debris or foot traffic. Any cracked panel should be treated as a safety risk as well as a weatherproofing failure.
Some problems can wait for a scheduled appointment. Others cannot. Call a roofer promptly if:
Covering a leak with buckets and waiting is not a neutral action. Water moving through the roof build-up will saturate insulation and begin affecting the deck below, turning a surface repair into a more extensive job.
Factoring maintenance into a building budget is straightforward once you understand what is involved. Gutter clearance twice a year, an annual visual check, and the occasional small repair is all most commercial roofs need to reach their expected lifespan. A flat felt roof correctly installed and maintained can perform for 15-20 years. EPDM can last considerably longer. Neglect can halve those figures.
A commercial flat roof replacement typically costs between £70 and £140 per square metre depending on system, insulation and access. Keeping an existing roof clean and functional for another five years with basic maintenance is considerably cheaper. Ask us about carrying out an annual condition check if you want a professional set of eyes on the roof each year.
We cover commercial roofing in Cottenham and the surrounding area from our base in Newmarket. Call us to arrange a survey or discuss an ongoing maintenance plan for your commercial property.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
