What’s the Difference Between Commercial and Residential Roofs?

Maybe you haven’t given it much thought before, but now you need to replace a roof and are overwhelmed by all the options. Or, maybe you are familiar with the variations among residential roofs, but now you are in charge of replacing a roof at your business. Could you just put a residential roof on a commercial building? Is there a difference between the two? Of course, some businesses are in re-purposed homes or small, stand-alone buildings where a residential roof would work just fine. But for the average business, a commercial roof is necessary. Here is a breakdown of the features of each kind.

• • Pitch - The main difference between these two kinds of roofs is that commercial roofs are typically much flatter. On a large commercial structure like a strip mall, warehouse, or factory, a pitched roof would be impractical and difficult to construct. But, on houses, pitched roofs give the structure style and visual appeal.
  • Material – Residential roofs generally use shingles made from asphalt, metal, or tile. These give the homeowner several aesthetic options to choose from with a variety of colors, styles, and textures. By contrast, commercial roofs have very little visual appeal to them; they are purely functional structures. They typically use layered sheets of EPDM or TPO which are durable, resistant to the elements, and able to support frequent foot traffic.
  • Installation – Residential roofing re-installation is pretty straightforward. The base layer of roof is usually wooden, and covered with a layer of waterproof material. Shingle or tiles are affixed on top of this layer. Commercial roofing is a little more complicated and requires more knowledge. Since the roof is flat, roofers need to know how to build in a slight slope so that water does not pool.
  • Maintenance – Because both commercial and residential roofs are exposed to the same environmental conditions, you can expect similar sorts of repairs. But, while replacing a few shingles on a home might solve a leak, it can be trickier for a business. Depending on the material and technique used, roofers might need to replace the whole roof if one part is badly damaged.

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