Brandon Roofers carries out commercial roofing in Eriswell and the surrounding area, covering everything from flat roof replacement to large-scale single-ply and felt systems on industrial units, warehouses, retail premises and office buildings.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Commercial roofing is a different discipline to domestic work. The roof areas are larger, the consequences of a failure are more serious, access requires planning, and the materials used are typically specified for long service life under heavy use. Whether the building is a warehouse on an industrial estate, a retail unit, or a small office, the approach has to be methodical from the first visit to the final clean-up.
Brandon Roofers works on commercial properties in and around Eriswell, bringing the same careful process to every job regardless of size. Below we set out exactly what that process looks like, so you know what to expect before you pick up the phone.
Every commercial roofing job starts with a proper survey. We attend the site, carry out a visual inspection from ground level and then get up onto the roof itself. A visual from the car park tells us very little - the real picture comes from walking the surface and checking drains, upstands, flashings, penetrations and any areas of ponding water.
On a flat roof we look for blisters, splits, open laps, failed seams and any points where water can track beneath the membrane. On a pitched commercial roof, we check ridge and hip cappings, the condition of any profiled sheeting, fixings, and the state of any roof lights. We check the substrate too - a wet or deteriorating deck changes what systems are suitable and affects the total cost of the job.
At this stage we note the roof area, the existing system, its approximate age, and what access equipment will be needed. Some roofs can be reached with a ladder; others need a scaffold or a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP). That decision shapes the programme and the cost, so it needs to be established early.
Once we have surveyed the roof, we put together a clear specification. This sets out what needs to be done, what materials we propose to use, and why. For commercial flat roofs, the main options are built-up felt systems, EPDM rubber membranes, and single-ply membranes such as TPO or PVC. Each has different characteristics in terms of installation method, longevity, and suitability for the substrate.
Built-up felt remains a practical choice for many commercial buildings. A good three-layer system, properly torched and detailed, performs well and is straightforward to repair if damaged in future. EPDM rubber is a single-layer membrane bonded or ballasted to the deck; it is flexible, handles temperature change well, and is particularly suited to roofs with penetrations or unusual shapes. Single-ply systems are welded at the seams and can be mechanically fixed, adhered, or ballasted depending on the deck type and wind uplift requirements for the location.
We will explain the pros and cons of each option for your specific building and your budget. We do not push one system over another for any reason other than what suits the job.
Commercial properties are often occupied or in use, which means the programme has to work around the business. We can schedule work outside normal trading hours - early starts, evenings, or weekends - where that is the only practical option. For phased works on larger roofs, we plan the sequence so that no large area is left exposed overnight.
Before work starts, we confirm the access route, any restrictions on where equipment can be parked or positioned, and who the on-site contact is. We also confirm the drainage arrangement - on a working flat roof, temporary drainage protection may be needed during stripping works so debris does not block the outlets.
For jobs requiring scaffold, we co-ordinate the scaffold erection to precede the roofing works by enough time to allow a safe working platform to be fully inspected before anyone starts on the roof.
Unless we are overlaying an existing system (which is sometimes appropriate if the deck is sound), the old roof covering is stripped back to the deck. On a flat roof this typically means removing layers of old felt, scraping back adhesive residue, and clearing all debris. The deck is then inspected thoroughly.
Deck condition is one of the most important variables in a commercial roofing project. Timber decks can be wet, soft, or delaminated in patches. Concrete decks can have carbonation or cracking. Metal decks can have corrosion. Any defective sections need to be replaced or repaired before the new system goes on - putting a new membrane over a failed deck simply moves the problem forward by a few years. We will always show you what we find before proceeding with repairs to the substrate, so there are no surprises in the final account.
Once the deck is sound, any upstands, kerbs, pipe penetrations and drainage outlets are checked. Outlets are cleaned and cleared; any corroded or broken components are replaced at this stage rather than after the membrane is installed.
Installation method depends on the system specified. Felt systems are torched in layers, with each layer lapped and bonded to the one below. The first layer is typically a venting base sheet on a timber deck; subsequent layers build up the waterproofing and cap sheet. Flashings are cut in at the upstands and dressed carefully - the junction between roof and wall is the most common failure point on any flat roof, so detail work here is not something to rush.
EPDM membrane is typically supplied in large sheets, reducing the number of seams on the finished roof. It is either fully bonded to the deck using adhesive, or mechanically fixed at the perimeter and ballasted with aggregate. Seams and terminations are sealed with tape or liquid adhesive designed for the material.
Single-ply systems are heat-welded at the seams, producing a continuous waterproof layer. The weld is testable - a correctly welded seam can be probed without separating. This is an important quality check we carry out as work progresses.
On pitched commercial roofs, profiled metal sheets are fixed to the purlins, with laps and fixings detailed to prevent wind-driven rain penetration. Ridge and hip cappings are fixed last, with foam closures or purpose-made fillers at the eaves and ridge to prevent bird and debris ingress.
The membrane alone is not the whole roof. Flashings at parapet walls, upstands, rooflights and any penetrations (pipes, cables, ventilation) all need to be carefully formed and fixed. Lead is still the most durable material for most flashing work; code 4 or code 5 lead is used depending on the width and pitch of the flashing. On some commercial systems, manufacturer-specific flashing details in matching membrane material are used to maintain system integrity.
Rainwater outlets on flat roofs are refitted with new domed guards where needed. Falls to the outlets are checked - a finished flat roof should have a minimum fall of 1:80, and ideally 1:40, to avoid long-term ponding. Where falls are inadequate, tapered insulation can be used to create them without altering the building structure.
Before we leave site, the completed roof is inspected in full. We check every seam, every flashing, every outlet, and every penetration. On membrane systems, we use a blunt probe to test welds and laps. Where a roof is particularly large or complex, an electronic leak detection test can be carried out - this passes a low-voltage current across the membrane and identifies any pinholes or weak points.
We also check that all debris has been cleared from the roof surface and from the gutters and outlets. A blocked outlet on a flat roof will cause ponding within the first rainstorm, which is avoidable.
At the end of the job, the site is cleared of all waste material, off-cuts, and packaging. Skip hire or bagged waste removal is arranged in advance so there is no delay at the end of the project. Any scaffold or access equipment is removed once the roof is complete and inspected.
We walk you around the finished roof so you can see the work for yourself. We explain what system is on the roof, how it should be maintained, and what to look out for in future. On flat roofs, an annual check of the outlets and a walk of the surface after heavy weather is good practice - catching a small split early is far cheaper than dealing with a water-damaged ceiling or stock.
These are reasonable questions for any commercial roofing project. A roofer who cannot answer them clearly before work starts is not a roofer you want on a commercial building.
Brandon Roofers is based in Brandon and covers Eriswell and the nearby area for commercial roofing work. If you have a commercial property that needs a survey, call us to arrange a visit and we will tell you exactly what the roof needs and what your options are.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
