Newmarket Roofers provides commercial roofing services in Mildenhall and the surrounding area, covering flat roofs, pitched roofs, leadwork and guttering on all types of commercial property.
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When a commercial roof needs replacing or re-covering, the choice of material matters more than most building owners realise. The right system depends on the roof's shape, the building's use, your budget and how long you need the roof to perform before the next intervention. There is no single best answer for every building, and anyone who tells you otherwise without looking at the roof first is not giving you useful advice.
Newmarket Roofers works on commercial properties in Mildenhall and across the wider area, including Newmarket, Ely, Burwell and the villages in between. Below is an honest look at the main systems used on commercial roofs, what they are good for, and where their limitations lie.
Torch-on felt (also called built-up felt or modified bitumen) is the most widely used system on commercial flat roofs in the UK. It consists of two or three layers of reinforced bitumen felt heat-bonded together and to the deck below. When correctly installed with the right number of layers and adequate falls, a torch-on felt roof is durable and cost-effective.
Honest pros: Lower material cost than rubber or zinc. Widely understood by roofers, so repairs are straightforward if something goes wrong. Suits roofs with upstands, outlets and multiple penetrations because felt is easy to detail around complex shapes.
Honest cons: The surface degrades under UV exposure over time, and on an unshaded commercial roof this process is faster than manufacturers sometimes suggest. A single-layer felt system is a false economy on a large commercial roof. On a building where the roof is difficult to access and maintenance is unlikely to be regular, felt may need replacing sooner than alternatives.
Typical costs for a commercial torch-on felt re-cover run from around £40 to £70 per square metre for the roofing work itself, depending on the number of layers, the complexity of the roof and the extent of any deck repairs needed. These are broad UK figures. Large roofs attract lower per-square-metre rates than small, complex ones.
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a single-ply rubber membrane that has become a popular choice for commercial flat roofs. It is bonded to the deck as a single sheet or in large panels with very few seams, which removes one of the main failure points of older felt systems.
Honest pros: EPDM is highly resistant to UV degradation. A properly installed rubber membrane on a commercial building can perform for 25-30 years or more before showing signs of age, though actual performance depends on how the roof is maintained and whether the deck remains sound. It is flexible and handles thermal movement well, which matters on large commercial roofs that expand and contract significantly.
Honest cons: EPDM costs more per square metre than basic felt. Seams and upstands need to be bonded carefully. If the initial installation is poor, those seams are where problems start, and finding a leak at a seam on a large roof can take time to diagnose. Not every roofing contractor is equally competent with rubber systems, so it is worth asking specifically about their experience with EPDM before agreeing to any work.
Commercial EPDM installations typically cost from around £60 to £90 per square metre, depending on thickness, roof complexity and preparatory deck work. Again, these are indicative figures and every roof should be priced individually.
Zinc is used on both flat and pitched commercial roofs, particularly on modern or architecturally led buildings, or where a long service life with minimal maintenance is the priority. It is a standing seam system, formed from pre-weathered zinc sheet that develops a natural patina over time.
Honest pros: Zinc has an exceptionally long service life when correctly specified and installed. It is lightweight relative to its durability, requires very little ongoing maintenance once bedded in, and handles complex roof geometries well. It also performs well on both flat and low-pitch applications where traditional tiles are not appropriate.
Honest cons: The material and installation cost is significantly higher than felt or EPDM. It is a specialist system and not every roofer works with it. Zinc is not the right choice where the primary concern is minimising upfront cost, but on a building where the owner intends to hold the property long-term and wants to avoid repeated roof interventions, the lifetime cost can be competitive.
Pitched sections of commercial roofs, seen on agricultural buildings, retail properties and some office buildings, are most often covered in concrete interlocking tiles, clay plain tiles, or natural or artificial slate. Each has real differences in weight, longevity, maintenance needs and appearance.
Whatever the main roof covering, the lead details matter enormously. Flashings at abutments, parapet cappings, valley linings and soakers around chimney stacks or rooflights are the points where most commercial roof leaks originate. Lead dressed correctly and fixed with the right clips and cover flashings should outlast the main roof covering. Lead that has been cut short, pinched rather than properly dressed, or fixed rigidly without allowance for thermal movement will fail early. If you are having a commercial roof repaired or replaced, ask specifically about the leadwork and whether any flashings need renewing at the same time.
Commercial gutters and downpipes carry a much larger volume of water than domestic ones. On a large flat roof, a blocked outlet can cause water to back up rapidly, overloading the roof edge or forcing water through upstands. Cast iron and UPVC guttering are both used on commercial buildings. Cast iron is heavier and needs periodic painting but lasts well when maintained. UPVC is lighter and lower maintenance but joints can open up over time as the material expands and contracts.
If you are commissioning a re-cover or a new roof on a commercial building in Mildenhall, it is worth reviewing the drainage at the same time. Adding or repositioning outlets is straightforward during a re-cover and becomes much more disruptive and costly as a separate job later.
Call Newmarket Roofers to arrange a survey of your commercial roof in Mildenhall. We will look at what you have, tell you what the realistic options are and give you a price based on your actual roof rather than a standard rate per square metre. We cover Mildenhall and the surrounding area including Newmarket, Ely and Burwell.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
