Maintaining the integrity of your warehouse roof is more than just a matter of preserving your facility’s appearance; it’s about safeguarding your assets and ensuring uninterrupted business operations. 

As your first line of defense against the elements, a well-maintained warehouse roof protects inventory, equipment, and valuable resources from water damage, structural deterioration, and environmental threats. When warehouse roofing maintenance is an afterthought, there is the risk of damaged assets (which can run into millions of dollars), operational disruptions, and costly business downtime. 

While modern roofing systems have long lifespans, routine maintenance is vital to their overall performance. Even minor issues like a loose fastener or a blocked drain can escalate into significant problems and, if not promptly attended to, potentially result in premature system failure.

At Bigham Taylor Roofing, our team collectively boasts hundreds of years of roofing and waterproofing experience working on commercial and industrial buildings, multi-unit residential projects, and distribution centers.

We lead the way when it comes to preventative maintenance, given our history as warehouse roofing specialists, and are experts in prolonging the life of a building’s roof and avoiding costly and sometimes catastrophic events. 

In this article, we provide some helpful warehouse roofing maintenance tips tailored to various types of roofing systems and the specific needs of your existing roofing structure. Whether your roofing system is flat, sloped, or made of different materials, these tips will help you maximize the lifespan of your warehouse roofing while minimizing the risk of costly repairs or replacements down the line.

Common Types of Warehouse Roofing

There are many different types of warehouse roofing, each designed to meet specific operational requirements. From the durability of metal roofing and the seamless, watertight barrier of liquid-applied roofing to the versatility of single-ply membrane systems, the choice of warehouse roofing types plays a pivotal role in protecting assets and ensuring your business operations run smoothly.

Here are some of the most common types of warehouse roofing, their individual characteristics, advantages, and ideal applications.

Built-Up Roofing (BUR)

Built-up roofing (BUR), often called a “tar and gravel” roof, is a time-tested and durable system commonly used in warehouse roofing. This roofing method involves the application of alternating layers of hot-applied asphalt and reinforcing fabric, typically felt or fiberglass, creating a robust and waterproof membrane. The BUR system gains its name from the repeated layering of these components. A protective top layer composed of gravel or mineral blends is applied, providing an extra shield against environmental elements to complete the installation.

Incredibly durable and long-lasting, with a potential lifespan of up to 30 years or more when well-maintained, the advantages of BUR roofing are numerous. Its multi-layered structure makes it highly resistant to water penetration, ensuring long-lasting protection for the warehouse. It also boasts excellent fire resistance and can withstand foot traffic and other mechanical stress.

However, BUR roofing also has its disadvantages. The installation process can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, potentially leading to higher initial costs than other roofing systems. The accumulated layers add weight to the roof structure, possibly requiring additional support or reinforcement. Over time, the gravel or mineral top layer may also become displaced, making maintenance more challenging.

The team at Bigham Taylor Roofing has extensive experience working with BUR roofing, none more so than when working on the Mission Grove Condominium complex. One of the largest in Silicon Valley, the complex boasts residential and service buildings and dozens of carports spread across an entire city block. As part of the project, we removed the existing gravel built-up and tile roofs on the residential and service buildings, as well as the gravel built-up roofs on every carport.

On the residential and service flat roofs, we installed a Johns Manville Hot Asphalt Applied, Insulated Cap Sheet Surfaced built-up roof system. For the residential buildings’ sloped roofs, we installed a new Eagle Tile Roof System. The carport roofs were replaced with a Johns Manville Hot Asphalt Terracotta Cap Sheet Surfaced assembly. With the safety of residents paramount throughout, careful planning and execution were required to deliver this challenging modified bitumen roofing project successfully.

Metal Roofing

When it comes to types of warehouse roofing, metal is one of the leading roofing material choices due to its exceptional durability. Metal roofing is a system composed of corrugated galvanized steel, aluminum roofing, or other metal sheets. Using metal sheets provides robust protection against environmental elements, and its inherent strength ensures a long-lasting solution for industrial structures.

The fire resistance of metal roofing makes it a crucial safety feature, especially in industrial facilities where fire hazards can be a problem. Another advantage comes in its energy efficiency. With its reflectivity and corrosion resistance, a metal roof — primarily aluminum metal roofing — reflects solar heat, helping regulate interior temperatures and potentially reducing cooling costs.

As popular as it is, metal roofs do have their disadvantages. It can be noisier during heavy rain or hailstorms, which may not be ideal for certain warehouse environments. The initial installation cost can be higher than other roofing materials, although its long lifespan often justifies the investment. Over time, dents and scratches may also appear on metal roofs, affecting their aesthetic appeal but not their structural integrity.

We tackled a metal roof as part of the largest project in Bigham Taylor’s history. Working on an 800,000-square-foot warehouse north of Reno, we were tasked with solving dual problems of blow-offs and leaks due to the area’s weather and high winds.

The BT team researched a handful of solutions and consulted with a couple of manufacturers before discovering that a Carlisle system would solve the building’s issues and that the manufacturer was willing to put a 20-year warranty on the roof. Read the case study here.

Single-ply

Single-ply roofing is a roofing system that utilizes membranes made from rubber or synthetic materials. These membranes can be applied in various ways, including ballasted, mechanically fastened, or chemically adhered to insulation, providing a protective layer for warehouse roofs.

There are two main subtypes of single-ply roofing: Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO) and Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM).

Due to its lightweight nature, single-ply roofing is easy to install, and it can often be applied directly over existing roof systems, reducing labor costs. In addition to offering excellent UV resistance, TPO and EPDM are known for their energy efficiency, reflecting sunlight to maintain lower interior temperatures and reduce cooling costs.

Certain disadvantages come with single-ply roofing, however. The seams and joints in the membranes can be potential areas of vulnerability, necessitating careful installation to prevent leaks. While TPO and EPDM are known for energy efficiency, not all single-ply membranes offer the same level of UV resistance, and the quality of the material can vary. Single-ply roofing can also have a shorter lifespan than other roofing systems, requiring more frequent replacements or maintenance.

Did you know that single-ply roofing is pivotal in facilitating Title 24 compliance for industrial warehouses and commercial structures? Title 24, a set of building energy efficiency standards, mandates specific requirements for reducing energy consumption. Single-ply roofing, particularly reflective materials like TPO (Thermoplastic Olefin), effectively reflects solar heat, contributing to a more energy-efficient building. By regulating interior temperatures, single-ply roofing assists in meeting Title 24 requirements, reducing energy consumption, and ultimately helping warehouse owners achieve compliance while simultaneously cutting operational costs.

Warehouse Roof Maintenance Tips