Residential vs Commercial Roofing: 5 Key Differences
When you’re looking to hire a trusted local roofing company in East Texas, choosing a roofing contractor specializing in residential and commercial roof repair and replacement means you’ll be covered no matter your roofing needs.
Steele Roofing, an East Texas roofing company, is a good example.
Steele Roofing is a roofing company that provides everything from emergency roof repair to roof replacement, to seasonal roof preparation, to professional roof inspections, and much more for residential and commercial roofs.
Companies who service both types of roofs will have the experience, as well as the proper equipment, to deal with any roofing situation that comes up.
But what’s the difference between a residential and commercial roof?
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Size of the Roof
Traditionally, commercial roofs are significantly larger than residential roofs, although that’s not always the case.
There’s a lot that comes with constructing and maintaining a large roof. More square footage means you’ll need more of everything: professional roofers, roofing materials, and whatever safety equipment is required.
In addition, the roof’s structure will need more support than a residential roof because of its size. Larger square footage of support will be necessary because of the weight. The weight of a roof is a big balance point that professional roofers need to consider for all aspects of roofing safety. This is especially true in places like East Texas, which can get hard rains and strong winds. This is another reason it’s important to hire an experienced local roofer who also offers emergency roof tarping and storm damage roof inspection for commercial roofs. A roofer who only has experience and equipment for residential storm restoration services won’t be able to provide adequate assistance for a large commercial roofing job.
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What’s on the Roof?
One significant difference between commercial roofs and residential roofs is the number of outlets needed for things like smokestacks, vents, blowers, skylights, etc., on commercial roofs, which are generally optional on residential roofs. While you might find a skylight, a vent pipe, a chimney, or occasionally an HVAC unit on a residential roof, for the most part, there won’t be many extra units and systems extending from the roof.
However, depending on the type of business or commercial factory housed beneath the roof, commercial roofs might have a range of necessary units on the roof.
Hiring an experienced commercial roofer who knows how to work around industrial systems that impact the roof is important.
Workers and technicians often need safe and direct access to the roof and the different systems and units housed there. This is another important factor in why most commercial roofs are flat.
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Maintenance Requirements
Whether you have a commercial or residential roof (or both), they need regular maintenance. Details such as ensuring the roof gutters are cleaned, roof leaks checked for, and seasonal inspections are necessary for either roof type.
Commercial roofs have more square footage, which makes for significantly more maintenance—especially after a big East Texas storm.
However, residential roofs can have complicated pitches and valleys, causing their maintenance to also be challenging.
No matter what type of roof you have, making sure you have regularly scheduled maintenance appointments and have the roof inspected for damage after a storm is important.
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Roof Height
Hello up there!
The business of roofing always requires special equipment to deal with the height and the need to move both people and equipment/materials from the ground and up one, two, three stories, or more. Commercial roofs, however, can often be taller than residential ones and require special equipment to reach the high heights. For such big jobs, much more than a ladder is needed.
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Sometimes Commercial Roofs just need…more
Commercial roofs are generally large and need a bigger crew to work on them to ensure the safety and timely completion of the project, whether it’s roof repairs or roof replacement.
This means commercial roofs can be pricier than residential roofs because of the extra labor, specialized tools, and safety equipment/protective gear needed for that particular project.
Because of all they entail, it can be generally assumed that a commercial roof will be costlier than a residential roof.
Whether you have residential roof needs, commercial roof needs, or all the above, hiring a roofer specializing in both roof types can be very helpful. From having the needed experience to the necessary equipment to get the job done, contacting a professional local roofer such as Steele Roofing, who specialize in both types of roofing and emergency roofing services, will surely have all your roofing needs covered.
