Cambridge Roofers carries out commercial roofing in St Ives, covering everything from flat roof replacement and pitched re-roofs to repairs, leadwork and guttering on offices, warehouses and retail units.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
One of the most practical decisions you will make when dealing with a commercial roof is which material to use - either for a repair, a replacement section, or a full re-roof. The right answer depends on the type of roof, the building's use, the existing structure and your budget. This page sets out the main options honestly, including their drawbacks, so you can ask the right questions when you speak to a roofer.
We carry out commercial roofing across St Ives and the wider Cambridge area, covering properties in Ely, Newmarket, Histon, Impington and beyond. The information below applies to typical commercial buildings in this part of Cambridgeshire - offices, single-storey retail units, warehouses, light industrial units and similar premises.
Most flat-roofed commercial buildings will need a replacement covering at some point. The two most common options our customers ask about are built-up felt systems and EPDM rubber membranes.
Torch-on felt, laid in two or three layers, has been the standard commercial flat roof covering for decades. It is straightforward to install, widely understood by roofers, and can be repaired without specialist equipment. A properly installed torch-on felt roof on a commercial building typically lasts 15 to 20 years before it needs replacement.
Pros: Lower upfront material cost than EPDM. Widely available. Repairs are relatively simple if the rest of the roof is sound. Suitable for most commercial flat roof configurations.
Cons: Seams and laps are the main point of failure, particularly around upstands, outlets and penetrations. The surface can blister if moisture is present in the substrate when laid. Requires good preparation of the deck beneath - a felt roof laid over a damp or uneven surface will fail prematurely. At the end of its life, stripping old felt layers can be labour-intensive.
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a single-ply rubber membrane bonded to the roof deck. It is increasingly used on commercial flat roofs because it is flexible, handles temperature extremes well and the main sheet can be laid in large sections with fewer seams than felt.
Pros: Fewer seams means fewer potential failure points across the main field of the roof. EPDM is resistant to UV degradation and remains flexible in cold weather, so it handles frost without the cracking that can affect aged felt. Manufacturer-stated service life is often quoted at 30 years or more for the membrane material itself, though the detailing around outlets and edges will still need attention over that period.
Cons: Higher upfront material cost than felt. The detailing at upstands, outlets and penetrations requires care and is still a potential weak point if not done correctly. Not every roofer works with EPDM regularly, so it is worth asking about experience with the material before committing. Repairs to EPDM use bonded patches rather than the torch-on process familiar from felt, so any later repair work needs someone who knows the system.
Pitched roofs on commercial buildings - older industrial units, storage facilities, office buildings with traditional construction - are most commonly covered in fibre cement profiled sheets, natural slate or concrete and clay tile. The right choice depends on what is already there, what the building's structure will carry, and the look required.
Natural slate is the most durable pitched roof covering available and is appropriate where the building's structure and appearance call for it. Good-quality natural slate can last well over a century. The slates themselves rarely fail - it is typically the nails fixing them that corrode and cause slates to slip. A re-slating job usually means stripping to the rafters, replacing any damaged timbers and battens, and re-fixing with non-ferrous nails.
Pros: Exceptional longevity when properly maintained. Retains its appearance well. Individual slates can be replaced without disturbing the rest of the roof.
Cons: Higher material and labour cost than concrete tile or profiled sheet. Natural slate varies in quality depending on origin, so the source of the slate matters. Requires skilled fixing - a slate roof laid with ferrous nails or inadequate head lap will fail early despite the quality of the material.
Concrete tile is the most common pitched roof covering on commercial buildings of the mid-to-late twentieth century. It is reliable, relatively low cost and straightforward to replace section by section. Clay tile is longer-lasting than concrete and more resistant to frost damage, but costs more. Both are heavier than slate, which matters if the roof structure is borderline on load capacity.
Pros: Wide availability of matching tiles for repairs. Concrete tile in particular is cost-effective for large commercial roof areas. Both materials handle ordinary UK weather well.
Cons: Concrete tile fades and can be difficult to match in colour for partial re-roofs. Mortar at ridges and verges needs periodic attention on both systems. Neither lasts as long as natural slate.
Box-profile and corrugated steel or aluminium sheeting is standard on industrial and agricultural buildings, and is sometimes used on commercial extensions and warehouse roofs. It is lightweight, quick to install over large spans and relatively low in cost per square metre. Repairs to individual damaged sheets are straightforward.
Pros: Fast to install over large areas. Lightweight, so suitable for steel-frame structures. Lower cost per square metre for large commercial roofs than slate or tile.
Cons: Exposed fixings and laps at sheets are the most common source of leaks. Insulation must be specified carefully - uninsulated metal sheet roofs create significant condensation problems inside, which is a common cause of stock damage in warehouses. Aesthetic choices are limited compared to tile or slate.
Whatever the main roof covering, the associated elements - lead flashings, guttering, fascias and soffits - are part of the same system. Lead flashing at chimney stacks, abutments and around roof penetrations is a common source of water ingress on commercial buildings. Lead is the right material for these junctions because it moves with the building without cracking. Aluminium or proprietary flashings are sometimes used as alternatives, but lead is generally the more durable choice where the junction is complex.
Guttering on a commercial building needs to be sized for the roof area it drains. An undersized gutter on a large flat or pitched roof will overflow in any substantial rain event. UPVC guttering is the standard choice for straightforward installations; cast iron suits older buildings where the original profile is to be retained. Blocked or failing gutters cause wall saturation and soffit rot, which then drives water into the roof void - so guttering is never a secondary consideration.
When you are speaking to a roofer about a commercial roof in St Ives or nearby, these are the questions worth asking before any work is agreed:
We work on commercial roofing in St Ives and across the Cambridge area, including Ely, Newmarket, Histon, Impington, Saffron Walden and neighbouring areas. If you want a straightforward assessment of your roof and an honest view on which material and approach suits your building, call Cambridge Roofers to arrange a survey of your commercial premises.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
