Newmarket Roofers carries out commercial roofing work in Chippenham and the surrounding area, covering everything from flat roof repairs to full re-covers on warehouses, retail units and agricultural buildings.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Most commercial roof failures do not happen without warning. The problem is that the warning signs are easy to overlook, especially on a flat or low-pitch roof where nobody walks past it every day. By the time water is coming through the ceiling, the damage has usually been building for months. Spotting the signs early is what separates a straightforward repair from a costly full replacement.
Newmarket Roofers carries out flat roof replacements, leak repairs, re-covers and leadwork on all types of commercial building, and we work around your operating hours to keep disruption to a minimum.
Flat roofs are the most common roofing type on commercial buildings, and they have specific failure patterns worth knowing about. Ponding water is one of the earliest signs of trouble. Some standing water after rain is normal, but water that sits for more than 48 hours means the falls are wrong or the surface has distorted. Over time, ponding accelerates the breakdown of felt membranes and puts stress on the roof deck below.
Blistering is another tell. When the bond between layers of felt breaks down, air or moisture gets trapped and the surface bubbles up. Blisters are not just cosmetic. Once they split, water gets in fast, and the damage spreads quickly from that point. On an EPDM rubber roof, look instead for lifting or peeling at seams and around any upstands or penetrations such as rooflights and pipe collars.
Blocked gutters deserve particular mention. When water cannot drain properly it backs up and sits against parapet walls and upstands. The joint between the roof surface and those upstands is always a weak point, and prolonged contact with standing water will eventually push through it. Keeping gutters clear is simple maintenance that prevents a much larger repair bill.
Pitched roofs on commercial buildings, such as agricultural barns, retail units with pitched sections, or office buildings with tiled or slated roofs, show different warning signs. Missing or slipped tiles or slates are obvious from the ground, but cracked tiles are not, and a single cracked tile in the wrong place can let in a significant amount of water. Moss and lichen growth matters too. It is not just cosmetic. The root systems work into the surface of clay and concrete tiles, trapping moisture and accelerating frost damage.
Lead flashings around chimney stacks, valleys and abutments are a common point of failure on older commercial roofs. Lead work can last a very long time when correctly dressed, but poorly fitted lead lifts in wind, and old lead becomes brittle and cracks. A failing flashing is often responsible for a leak that appears to be coming from the tiles themselves.
Age is the obvious factor, but it is rarely the only one. Poor original installation is behind a large proportion of the commercial roof problems we see. Flat roofs laid without adequate falls are a classic example. The design requires a minimum fall to drain water away, and when that fall is insufficient or the deck settles over time, ponding becomes permanent and the roof deteriorates much faster than it should.
Maintenance neglect is the other major cause. Commercial roofs are often out of sight and out of mind until something goes wrong. Twice-yearly checks, particularly after winter and after any period of high winds, would catch the majority of problems at the stage where a repair costs a fraction of a full replacement. Checking the roof after a storm is not just about missing tiles. It includes checking that flashings are still seated, that no debris has blocked outlets, and that any rooflights or penetrations are still sealed.
Thermal movement causes problems too, particularly on large commercial roofs. As a roof expands and contracts with temperature changes, poorly detailed joints and upstands are put under repeated stress. Over years this works fastenings loose, opens up seams and lifts the edges of membranes. A professional inspection will spot these details before they become leaks.
We work on the full range of commercial roofing, from single retail units to large agricultural and industrial buildings. Our work includes:
Every job starts with a proper look at the roof before any price is agreed. We will tell you honestly whether a repair will hold or whether the roof has reached the point where further repairs are false economy. On an older flat roof, for example, patching a felt membrane that is generally degraded rarely lasts more than a season or two. A re-cover costs more upfront but removes the cycle of repeated call-outs.
If you have noticed any of the warning signs above, or if your commercial roof has not been inspected in the last couple of years, call us to arrange a roof survey. A proper inspection now is far less disruptive, and far less expensive, than dealing with water ingress once it has reached your stock, equipment or interior finishes.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
