Commercial Roofing
Expansion changes a roof faster than weather does. When a business adds a bay, moves a rooftop unit or ties a new section into an old one, the new tie-in becomes the likeliest leak on the building. La Joya's economic development corporation supports local business development and expansion, and any commercial owner planning added space has a roof question to settle first: how does the new work meet the existing membrane, and is the existing membrane sound enough to be joined? We check both, photograph the transitions and set a repair or tie-in boundary before material is ordered.
The junction between two roofs carries more risk than either roof alone. Different heights, different membranes and different ages meet at a wall flashing or a transition strip, and each material moves differently in the heat. We look for compatible systems, a firm termination at the wall, an adequate flashing height above the surface and a drainage path that does not send water from the new roof across the old seam.
If the old roof is nearing the end of its life, tying a new section into it ties the new warranty period to a failing neighbor. A commercial roof replacement that covers both sections avoids a seam that must be monitored for years, and a phased plan can handle the older portion on a separate schedule. We lay out those options with moisture readings and photographs so the owner can see the condition of the existing roof before making the call.
Penetrations that come with new space deserve the same attention. Added exhaust fans, plumbing vents and conduit runs each open the membrane, and each needs a boot or curb sized for the pipe, set on a sound substrate and sealed with a material compatible with the roof. We note the count on the walk so the owner can price the flashing work with the addition instead of discovering it later.
A fresh stain near a recent addition most often traces to the flashing at the junction, a sealant joint that was not tooled or a drain that was moved without a sump. The water enters at the transition and moves along the deck toward the lowest point, which can be a long way from the stain. We follow it back from the ceiling mark and test the tie-in details first.
Where the source is a termination or flashing detail, a targeted flashing failure repair restores the seal without disturbing the surrounding roof. Where the source is a drainage problem, the answer may be a corrected slope or a new outlet. In either case the photo record shows the owner what was found and what was done, which also helps when the contractor who built the addition needs to be contacted.
The city describes US 83 as connecting La Joya east to McAllen and west toward Rio Grande City and Laredo, and the county project list includes widening of Jara Chinas Road between FM 2221 and US 83. Roads shape roofing work in a practical way: where trucks can stop, where a lift can stage, how deliveries reach the building. We confirm the approach, the laydown area and the times when a tenant needs the lot clear before the crew mobilizes.
Planned road work can change those answers from month to month, so the plan is checked again close to the start date. For an owner on a busy road, that coordination saves a day of idle crew time and keeps customers moving past the work zone. A neighboring property in Mission or Peñitas may have different access, and each building is planned on its own conditions.
We start at the edges, since coping, drip metal and termination bars carry the first load in a storm. Then we cross the field, probing seams, scanning for ponding rings and looking for blisters. Penetrations and rooftop units come last, because each is a small system of curb, flashing and sealant that can fail on its own.
Readings go in where the surface raises a question, and drone or infrared imaging is added on larger roofs. Our commercial roof inspection produces a written record with a photograph beside each finding, and the findings are ranked by consequence so the owner can see which items protect the interior and which items only extend roof life.
Where a past repair is visible, we pull back its edge to see what lies beneath. A patch over wet insulation, a layer of mastic over a split lap or a coating applied across ponded dirt each tells us something about why the roof failed before, and that history decides whether the next repair will hold.
Valley heat-safety months run May through October, with sustained roof-surface heat the whole way. Sealants harden, membranes expand and contract, and the weakest details open first. For a roof that is otherwise sound, a restoration with a reflective coating can extend service and lower the surface temperature, provided the substrate is dry and bonded.
We run adhesion tests, repair seams and flashings, and apply a test area before committing the full roof. If the test fails or the insulation is wet, coating is the wrong tool and the scope moves toward removal and replacement of the affected layers. A roof coating and restoration scope is only recommended when the conditions support it.
Cost follows the findings. The extent of wet insulation, the amount of flashing to be rebuilt, the access to the roof and the need to work in phases all show up as separate items in the scope, so the owner can compare a repair, a restoration and a replacement on the same footing.
Sections of the roof are opened, repaired and dried in during a shift, with the end of each day leaving the building watertight. Interior protection goes up where a leak could reach inventory, equipment or a customer area. Staff learn which doors and walkways are inside the work zone before the first day.
Storm response runs around the clock, holidays included, for a roof that opens during hurricane season, which NWS lists as June through October. The roof condition report records every finding and repair for the next review, and the work can be shared across a larger multi-site roof program when an owner manages more than one building.
It can, if the tie-in is built without the manufacturer's required details. We review the existing warranty terms you provide and build the junction to match the system.
Old curb openings must be closed and flashed, and the new location needs a curb, a flashing and a supported penetration. Each is a potential leak source, so each is tested for water tightness.
Callbacks, wet insulation and interior damage. A junction sealed correctly the first time costs less than repeated service visits and ceiling repairs.
Yes. We confirm the roof sequence, curb locations and flashing responsibilities before the work starts, so the roof does not become a scheduling bottleneck.
Emergency response runs at all hours. The crew secures the opening with temporary protection and photographs the conditions that the permanent repair must address.