Maintaining the integrity of a warehouse roof is essential to safeguard owners’ assets, maintain positive tenant relations, ensure uninterrupted business operations, and preserve a facility’s appearance. 

Indeed, a well-maintained warehouse roof is the first line of defense against the elements, protecting inventory, equipment, and valuable resources from water damage, structural deterioration, and environmental threats.

When companies make warehouse roofing maintenance a low priority, the risk of damaged assets (including a building’s structure and tenant inventory), operational disruptions, and costly business downtime can run into millions of dollars.

Most modern roofing systems’ technology and material strength ensure longevity and dependability. Routine maintenance and inspections, looking for faulty drainage or loose fasteners, contribute to a system’s overall performance. No matter the size of the threat, attention to maintenance can result in premature system failure.

The Bigham Taylor Roofing team collectively boasts hundreds of years of roofing and waterproofing experience. We’ve worked on warehouses, commercial and industrial buildings, multi-unit residential facilities, and distribution centers across Northern and Central California. 

Our history as warehouse roofing specialists helps us lead the way when it comes to preventative maintenance, and we are experts in prolonging the life of a building’s roof to avoid costly and sometimes catastrophic events. 

In this article, we look at several 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. The choice of warehouse roofing types is pivotal 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 — called a tar and gravel roof when gravel is the surfacing product — is a time-tested and durable system commonly used in warehouse roofing. A BUR system gets its name from these components’ repeated layering (“building up”).

The BUR 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.  A protective layer, either gravel, a mineral-surfaced cap sheet, or a fluid-applied coating, is applied to provide an extra shield against environmental elements.

Often, a BUR roofing system lasts 20 years or more when well-maintained. There are many other benefits to this system. Its multi-layered structure creates redundancies, making it highly resistant to water penetration, and helps eliminate applicator errors during installation. BUR boasts excellent fire resistance and durability against foot traffic and other mechanical stresses when paired with additional system products. 

The team at Bigham Taylor Roofing has extensive experience working with BUR roofing.  We have installed millions of square feet of hot asphalt built-roof systems on warehouses.  

Metal Roofing

Another leading choice for warehouse roofing is a metal roofing system that’s composed of galvanized steel, aluminum, or other metal sheets. Frequently, metal roofing sheets serve as a roof deck and system, which can lower installation costs. 

Aluminum sheets can provide exceptional corrosion resistance in harsh weather environments. Plus, many metal roofing sheets offer a level of fire resistance and energy efficiency. 

While a popular warehouse roofing solution, metal roofs do have disadvantages. Fastener gasket systems that adhere roofing sheets to the deck can fail when they wear out over time. When used in low-slope applications, metal systems can be problematic when the seam gasket system deteriorates over time. 

On a more practical level, it’s a challenge to correctly integrate equipment on metal roofs and maintain a watertight condition, and edge flashings and panels can be susceptible to wind uplift damage if not correctly installed. 

Inspecting and maintaining a metal roof as you would any other roofing system is essential to maintain system integrity. Metal roof restoration is possible with a liquid-applied coating system or a single-ply retrofit when necessary. 

One of the most significant projects in BT’s history came when we tacked a metal roof retrofit using a single-ply system. The existing system on an 800,000-square-foot warehouse north of Reno was failing because of blow-offs and leaks due to the weather and high winds in the area. 

Our team researched a handful of solutions and consulted with many manufacturers, concluding that a Carlisle TPO single-ply system consisting of expanded Polystyrene (EPS) flute fill insulation, High-Density Polyisocyanurate (HD ISO) insulation cover board, and .60 mil. light gray TPO membrane installed with Retro-Driller metal truss fasteners at an increased fastening pattern rate of six inches on center would solve the building’s issues. As an added benefit, the manufacturer offered 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.

The main subtypes of single-ply roofing are Thermoplastic Olefin (TPO), Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM), and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC).

Due to its lightweight nature, single-ply roofing systems can be applied directly over existing systems, reducing labor costs and environmental waste. Many systems feature highly reflective colors reflecting sunlight to maintain lower interior temperatures and reduce cooling costs while offering excellent UV resistance and enhanced energy efficiency.

Certain challenges and disadvantages come with single-ply roofing, however. For instance, a minimum-thickness membrane will lose mass over time at a greater rate and not last as long as expected due to the lack of membrane thickness over the reinforcing scrim in areas with high UV loads. 

Further, premature loss of membrane thickness and system failure can occur in certain areas when standing water is next to a highly reflective vertical surface. The refraction of UV rays from the vertical surface onto standing water adds a UV load on the membrane.

Researching the levels of UV resistance is essential because not all single-ply systems are equal. 

“Did you know that the single-ply roof system is a pivotal component in Energy Code compliance for industrial warehouses and commercial structures? Building codes require energy efficiency standards and mandate 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  Energy Code requirements, reducing energy consumption, and ultimately helping warehouse owners achieve compliance while simultaneously cutting operational costs.