Cambridge Roofers carries out commercial roofing in Waterbeach and the surrounding area, covering flat roofs, pitched roofs, repairs and full re-roofs on offices, warehouses, retail units and light industrial premises.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
When a commercial roof needs significant work, the material you choose affects not just the upfront cost but how much attention the roof will need over the next 10, 20 or 30 years. This page sets out the main options honestly, with their practical advantages and limitations, so you can have an informed conversation with your roofer before committing.
Most commercial buildings carry at least some flat roofing - over extensions, plant rooms, entrance canopies or the full building footprint. The main systems used on commercial flat roofs are built-up felt, EPDM rubber membrane, and single-ply membrane systems.
Layered bitumen felt, applied with a gas torch, has been used on commercial roofs for decades. It is well understood, widely available, and relatively straightforward to repair. A good quality three-layer specification on sound decking can last 15 to 20 years.
The limitations: felt is only as good as the joints and upstands. It shrinks slightly as it ages, and the weakest points are always where the membrane turns up a parapet or around a rooflight. Blisters form when moisture is trapped beneath the layers during installation, and once a blister splits, water enters quickly. Felt is a reasonable choice for a straightforward flat area where budget is the primary concern, but it will need inspection every few years.
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a single-layer rubber membrane bonded to the deck. It is applied in large sheets, which means fewer seams and fewer potential leak points than felt. EPDM is flexible, handles temperature extremes well, and is resistant to UV degradation. On a well-prepared deck, a correctly installed EPDM system has a significantly longer service life than built-up felt.
The limitation is that quality of installation matters enormously. The adhesive bond to the deck and the detailing at edges, upstands and outlets is where failures occur. Cutting corners here is not visible from the surface until water has already entered. EPDM costs more than felt upfront, but over the life of the roof it is generally the better value on a building you intend to hold for more than a decade.
Single-ply systems such as TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) and PVC are common on larger commercial and industrial roofs. Seams are heat-welded rather than adhesive-bonded, which creates a very strong joint when done correctly. These systems handle foot traffic and plant mounting better than felt. They are typically more expensive than EPDM and require specialist installation equipment, so the choice of contractor matters.
Warehouses, industrial units and some office buildings use pitched roofs with profiled metal, concrete tile or natural slate coverings.
Profiled metal roofing is fast to install on large spans and carries a factory-applied coating that resists corrosion. Modern polyester or PVDF coatings typically carry a manufacturer's stated life of 25 to 40 years, though the fixings and sealant at laps often need attention before the sheets themselves fail. Older uncoated or thin-coated steel sheets corrode at fixings and can be patched, but large areas of corrosion mean replacement is more economic than continued repair.
On offices and retail buildings with traditional pitched roofs, concrete and clay interlocking tiles are practical and common. Concrete tiles are less expensive; clay tiles are more durable and generally better looking. Both are suitable for re-roofing where the existing timber structure is sound. Mortar-bedded ridges should be replaced with dry-fix mechanical systems when re-roofing - dry-fix ridges are more resistant to frost and wind than mortar and do not need re-pointing.
Slate is the most durable pitched roof material in normal use. Spanish and Welsh slates are both widely available. Welsh slate has a distinctive blue-grey colour and is specified on heritage buildings and where planning conditions apply. Spanish slate is less expensive and performs well. The key variable is the quality of the batten and underlay beneath - good slate on poor battens will fail at the fixing before the slate itself shows any deterioration.
The material choice for the main roof covering is only part of the picture. Leadwork at abutments, chimneys, VELUX frames and valley gutters is a critical secondary system. Lead is the most reliable material for these details, but its quality depends entirely on correct dressing, adequate movement allowance and proper fixing. Alternatives such as lead-compatible flashings are available, but lead remains the preferred material for most commercial applications.
Guttering on a commercial building carries much higher water volumes than domestic guttering. The correct gutter profile and fall are essential. UPVC commercial gutters are low maintenance; cast iron gutters, found on older buildings, last indefinitely with regular painting but need joint maintenance. Overflowing or leaking gutters cause damage to fascias and soffits and, over time, to the wall below - so keeping gutters clear and joints sound is genuinely important maintenance, not just a cosmetic concern.
Fascias and soffits protect the roof edge and provide a fixing point for gutters. On commercial buildings they are commonly UPVC or aluminium for low maintenance. When replacing guttering it is worth checking whether the fascia board beneath is sound - a rotten fascia will not hold a gutter properly regardless of how well the gutter itself is fitted.
Not every roof problem requires a new system. Many commercial roofs are repaired effectively with targeted work - re-sealing an upstand, replacing a section of membrane, clearing outlets and re-dressing lead. A proper inspection should look at the whole roof surface, the drainage system, all penetrations, edges and details, not just the area above a visible leak.
Inspection access is a practical consideration on commercial buildings. Single-storey units can often be inspected from a ladder or with MEWP access. Multi-storey buildings may need scaffolding. Whatever the access method, the inspection should result in a clear explanation of what is failing, why, and what the realistic options are - repair, partial replacement, or full re-roof.
A full commercial re-roof is a significant investment. The decision between repair and replacement comes down to the remaining serviceable life of the existing covering, the condition of the deck or structure beneath, and the cost of ongoing repairs if you defer. On a felt roof that has been repaired several times and is showing widespread failure, further patching is rarely economic. On a roof where only a small section has failed and the rest of the material is sound, a targeted repair makes sense.
Businesses should factor in access and programme planning for any major roofing work. Scaffolding erection, material delivery and the roofing itself all need to be co-ordinated around the building's operational needs.
Cambridge Roofers works on commercial premises across Waterbeach and the surrounding area. We cover flat roofs, pitched roofs, repairs, re-roofs, leadwork, fascias, soffits and guttering. If you are trying to decide whether to repair or replace, or which material is the right choice for your building, call us for a straightforward assessment. We will give you a plain account of what the roof needs without pushing you towards unnecessary work.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
