Find a Roofer you can trust in Dunbeath.

Commercial roofing simply refers to any roofing work, including installation and repair, that is done to commercial buildings. This might include office roofs, shop roofs or commercial unit roofs. Every building needs a roof to keep out the rain!

Since looks aren’t usually the first priority with commercial buildings, lots of commercial properties have flat roofs. These are often made from felt, EDPM rubber or fibreglass. Felt is the cheapest commercial roofing material, while fibreglass tends to be the most expensive. In felt roofs, roofers use an adhesive to stick roofing felt onto a frame. EDPM rubber roofs have a rubber membrane that is laid down and glued onto the roof and coated with a contact adhesive, while fibreglass uses a cut glass fibre mat that is pressed on before a resin and topcoat are applied.

Not all roofing companies will offer commercial roofing services, because generally the buildings tend to be bigger. Small companies won’t have enough tradespeople to work on a roof without making it very expensive for you. Commercial buildings also tend to need more scaffolding to make it safe for the professionals to work, so some smaller roofing companies won’t offer commercial services. Make sure you check a company’s website or social media if you’re looking for commercial roofing – on the Quotatis Directory, our roofers will show whether they do commercial roofing to make your search easier.

One of the most popular choices for roofing materials are roof slates. There is a number of advantages that a roof slate has, hey can be aesthetically pleasing, they can also increase the potential selling value of the house and many more. Slate is a sturdy and resilient material that delivers waterproofing physical characteristics to a pitched roof. Unlike other roof materials which absorb water slates do not. Therefore, slate is the most resistant towards freezing and water damage.

Find out the pitch of your roof

Before beginning with the fitting procedure, you need to figure out the pitch of your roof. The roof pitch commands how much overlap is essential with each slate. This has been made a lot easier than the early days with the advancement of technology.

Find out the required overlap

Once you’ve found out the exact pitch of your roof accurately, take a look at the slate producer’s description. Each manufacturer will propose the obligatory overlap in order to form a firm and safe slate roof.

Roll out the roof membrane

Firstly, guarantee your joists or trusses are clean of any sheards or old nails that could harm the membrane. You will now have to roll the chosen roofing membrane along the roof trusses. It is always wise to start from one of the bottom corners and keep rolling it along to the other corner.

Secure the roof membrane

Once the membrane has been moved out, use thump nails to protect one edge. You will now have to pull the membrane taut and carefully fix it into position. Do this before adding any nails across the membrane at points of intersection with the trusses for extra stability.

Batten placement

This is done to find the proper assignment of the battens. For this, you will need two full-sized slates along with an under eaves slate. Carefully position the battens on the top of the roof on the top of the overlay. Make sure not to fix them down since it will be easier to move them around and make any adjustments.

A roof serves as something which is so much more than just a top of a building. A roof delivers guard from the elements and precipitation, it also helps drain water from a structure, and helps to provide insulation to the structure allowing it to keep the interior of a building cool or warm, according to season.

There are several steps to building a roof

Mount the trusses.

This step requires the building’s wall frames to be completely level, square and plumb. If you are building the roof onto a building that is still a frame you must use ladders or scaffolding. Hoist the trusses onto the roof.

Install temporary braces.

You will need to install temporary braces that the trusses can rest on until the sheathing and permanent bracing are installed, this has to be done before you install the trusses. At the centre of the back wall, nail the bottom half of one two-by-six board that's 16 feet long to the top of the outside wall, making sure you fasten it to a stud.

Install the end trusses.

Install the two end trusses at the front and back of the building, making sure you affix them to the temporary bracing. The batten you take will have to be a bit longer than the distance will separate the trusses.

Install the standard trusses.

According to the instructions provided by the manufacturer, you will first need to install the first standard truss. You will also need to nail it to the batten from the first truss.

Sheath the roof.

Once your trusses permanently braced, you can begin with the sheathing of the roof. Starting from the bottom corner and moving across the bottom, the sheathing is installed lengthwise.

Install the roof cover.

Like the sheathing and underlayment procedures, the roof cover is installed lengthwise from the bottom up. The shingles should be staggered, and they should also overlap at the same time. You will need to work up to the ridge and use a ridge cap shingles to finish the ridge.

How To Clean Concrete Roof Tiles

Dirt, moss and algae usually sees concrete roof tiles as the perfect place to reside. They can damage the structural bonds of your roof, they can lead to overheating of the attic and roof space as well as blocked gutters. In order to protect the structural integrity of your roof and ensure your home and properties are well protected against the elements, it’s therefore crucial to clean your roof regularly. There are plethora of ways to go about this but which method will best suit your concrete roof tile?

When it comes to working at heights, skill and confidence is paramount even if the actually cleaning and maintenance happens to be an easy task. As a result, if you lack the two attributes mentioned, we’d strongly recommend that you call in a professional roof cleaning contractor who can guarantee the best results for help. In this article, we aim to give you a good insight into the concrete roof tiles cleaning process. Let’s have a look!

✓ Use a trowel or stiff brush

This is a manual method which involves scraping off the algae, moss and dirt by hand using an effective tool like a trowel. However, before you do this make sure its a very dry day. Also, you can make use of a stiff brush to scrape off the dirt. Both cleaning tools are very easy and effective means to clean concrete roof tiles.

✓ Use chemicals

You can apply fungicide, moss killers and anti moss treatments with the help of a spray to kill any plant life on your concrete roof tiles. However, you should only do this after you’ve successfully scraped the surface with a trowel or a stiff brush.

Velux windows actually refer to one brand of roof window, which are windows that sit in your roof space and allow light and ventilation into your loft. But how do you install a Velux window? If you’re a competent DIYer, it’s not as difficult as you might think.

You can normally install roof windows entirely from the inside, so you don’t need to get up on your roof or hire costly scaffolding. They come with detailed installation instructions, so as long as you follow them you shouldn’t have much trouble.

Before you start, you’ll need to read up on the Building Regulations and Planning Permission laws. Speak to your local Building Control department if you have any questions.

Firstly, prepare the opening by removing enough tiles or slates from the roof. There’s no need to go out on the roof – access them by cutting away the felt underneath which will give you access to the tiles and battens. Cut away one of the battens from under a tile, then you can slide all the tiles into the roof space. You’ll need to cut away the roof timbers to make the right size opening, then add more timbers to strengthen the ones that are left.

Next, remove the opening sash from the new roof window then fit the frame into the new opening using the brackets provided with the window. Then fit roof flashing between the new window and the roof so you don’t get any leaks. Then lay your tiles back in position around the new Velux window; you’ll probably have to cut some to shape which you can do with an angle grinder. Always cut them on the ground, not in position on the roof.

Lastly, fit the sash back onto the window and you’re done!

If this sounds like too much hard work, plenty of window installers will be able to help you fit a Velux window and will probably be able to provide a much cleaner finish.

How To Replace Flat Roof Felt

Also referred to as tar paper, roofing felt is installed underneath the roof’s shingles to help deny water access to your home. Installing the roofing felt in overlapping layers builds a water barrier in situations whereby the weather damages or blows away the shingles. Although the application of a roofing felt on a flat roof is relatively easier and safer than working on a peaked roof, it’s advisable to take enough care and precautions. If you lack proper training and experience for this task, we’d recommend you employ a reliable professional to guarantee the best results and save you from further headaches especially in cases whereby unfortunate errors are made. This step by step guide will give you a good insight into the flat roof felt replacement process.

• Take a measurement of the width and length of the roof.

• Calculate the square footage by multiplying the numbers.

• Multiply the square footage gotten by three (it’s advisable to install three layers of roofing felt to create a really strong weather barrier).

• Use a claw hammer to remove the existing roofing felt.

• Use utility knife to cut the new felt to fit the length of the roof.

• Place the first piece along the roof’s edge and use a hammer tacker to tack the felt in place with staples or galvanized nails and hammer.

• Put the staples or nails at every 6 inches along the side touching the roof’s edge as well as down the short sides.

• Repeat the same process for the second piece, laying it out beside the first row of felt.

• Cut a piece of felt to the appropriate length using a utility knife to begin the second layer of roofing felt, and cutting it in half, lengthwise.

• Apply construction adhesive along the first row using a trowel.

• Press the first piece for the second layer onto the adhesive. Repeat this process until the roof is covered with a second layer

• Apply construction adhesive over the second layer to install the third layer. Begin with a full piece of felt without cutting it in half.

• Overlap each piece by 2 inches until you’ve completely installed the third layer.

There is simply not one single answer when it comes to knowing how much would it cost to replace a commercial roof. Replacement costs is a variable which is dependent on several factors.

If you are looking to take a shot at guessing an estimate, you will first need to understand the what is need for the replacement.

YOUR COMMERCIAL ROOF IS AGEING

The first sign of replacement is definitely the age. Generally, roofs come with a warranty of twenty years. Based on your materials, the real lifespan for a commercial roof tends to be around 15 to 25 years. Depending on the maintenance and the materials, lifespan can be prolonged.

YOUR COMMERCIAL ROOF LOOKS TIRED

Compare your commercial property with other buildings in the area. If it looks pale and worn out in comparison, it is high time for replacement.

WATER DAMAGE

A sturdy roof should be able to withstand extreme weather conditions such as heavy rain or high winds. However, if a storm has caused significant damage to your roof, its structural integrity might be compromised. water damage is one of the most indicative signs for a roof replacement.

CRACKS AND HOLES IN ROOFING MATERIALS

Proper upkeep of the roofing materials is required for it to continue protecting your property. If you find any cracks or holes, bent tiles or sheets, replacing them is advisable.

SAGGING COMMERCIAL ROOF

Roof replacement is critical when your roof suffers from sagging or corrosion. Once sagging or corrosion begins, the structure becomes vulnerable to damage.

Keeping all the above factors in mind, replacing your commercial roof can range from anywhere around £10,900 to £44,000 depending on the materials you choose. Materials are available in the market from £35 to around £75 per square meter. If you chose higher or premium quality materials, price can range from £115 to £200 per square meter.

How you install commercial rubber roofing is similar to fitting it on a residential property, except that the area that’s covered is likely to be bigger. With commercial properties, you should always leave any maintenance and repair works to the professionals – whether you own or lease the property, you could invalidate any insurance if you try to install rubber roofing yourself. We’ll outline the steps roofers will take when installing rubber roofing on a commercial property.

Firstly, the installers will remove any existing coverings and clean and dry the surface thoroughly. This is vital in ensuring that the rubber will stick. They will then unwrap the EDPM rubber membrane and leave it to rest until it’s fully expanded. On a warm day this may take around half an hour.

Next, the roofers will work with half a sheet of rubber at a time and adhere it to the roof surface. They may use a water-based adhesive which they will spread onto the roof in sections, then roll the membrane onto the surface before moving onto the next section. If they’re using a bonded adhesive, they will apply it to both the roof and the rubber and leave it to dry until it’s tacky before extending the membrane.

Once the EDPM rubber is rolled out, the installers will brush the surface with a large broom to get rid of bubbles and provide a stronger bond. Then they will work of the edges, applying adhesive to roof and walls edges, sealing corners and creating watertight seals. They’ll also tidy up any excess membrane and seal all the trims.

As long as it’s installed correctly, your commercial rubber roofing should last you decades without any repairs needed. It’s always best to inspect your roof regularly to spot any damage before it becomes a bigger problem.