Commercial Roofing
A membrane in the Rio Grande Valley works under a long, hot season, and the system that suits one building can fail early on the next. In Edinburg, TX I start from the failure I would expect first, whether that is a heat-cycled seam, a lifted edge or a drain that holds water, and pick the system around that. Valley heat-safety guidance runs May through October, so surface temperature and solar exposure sit in every recommendation.
Most flat commercial roofs here are single-ply or close to it. TPO roofing is a common white membrane with heat-welded seams, while PVC roofing adds chemical resistance for roofs near kitchen exhaust or grease. EPDM roofing is a rubber sheet that handles movement well, and KEE roofing is a ketone ethylene ester membrane built for chemical and grease resistance. Each one is only as good as its seams and flashings, so the details matter more than the label.
Layered systems such as modified bitumen roofing and built-up roofing give redundancy through several plies, which helps on roofs with heavy foot traffic. Metal suits a different set of buildings: standing seam metal roofing for new construction and metal roof retrofit over an existing deck when tear-off would disrupt operations. Metal needs attention at clips, panel ends and wall transitions where thermal movement works on fasteners.
Spray polyurethane foam roofing adds insulation and seals irregular roofs in one pass. Liquid-applied coatings extend a sound roof: silicone roof coatings tolerate standing water, and acrylic roof coatings suit roofs that drain freely. A coating only works over a dry substrate, which is why moisture readings come before any recommendation.
Hurricane Dolly's 50-to-70-mph gusts and Hanna's wind and flooding in July 2020 are the local reminders that edge securement and drainage count as much as the membrane choice.
Surface temperature loads every seam, so I check how a system is joined before I look at its color. Heat-welded seams, mechanically fastened laps and adhered laminates fail in different ways. Wind pulls at perimeters first, which means edge metal and termination bars deserve as much attention as the field of the membrane. The June through October hurricane window is the other date on the calendar, and work is planned so open edges are closed before it begins.
If the existing roof is dry beneath the surface, a recover is possible. If moisture has spread, the old system comes off, and wet insulation is the usual reason.
A reflective surface reduces heat load, but seams, flashings and drainage determine how long the roof lasts. The color helps only when the details are sound.
Mechanically attached or adhered single-ply is quiet and phased easily, while hot-applied systems need more control around air intakes, so noise, odor and staging time steer the pick.
We take core samples and check the deck, insulation and membrane type at several points, then match the repair or new system to what is actually there.