When you don’t work in roofing it’s easy to assume that all buildings have more or less similar possibilities for their roofing decisions. In reality, there is a great deal of difference between installing or working on roofing for a residential property or a commercial property. Here are the most obvious ways commercial and residential roofs tend to be different.
The Design
The most noticeable difference between commercial and residential roofs is the shape and slope of the roofs. Although there is no one size fits all guarantee about either type, there are common trends to follow. Residential roofs tend to be more heavily sloped, whereas roofing for commercial buildings is often flatter. Both of these design styles carries its own pros and cons, and presents unique challenges to your roofer.
The Extras
The roof on an average residential home likely has fewer bells and whistles. While there may be complex patterns of intersecting roofing sections, there are rarely non-structural elements which will be set directly on the roof to work around. With commercial rooftops they are often used to house machinery and elements of the building’s HVAC and ventilation systems, which means the roofing must account for their weight.
The Complexity
The type of complexity involved in a roofing project varies greatly between commercial and residential jobs. On a commercial job, a roofer must devote a great deal of attention to the safe installation of the various pieces of heavy machinery that the roof will be storing. On a residential roof, a roofer is required to work with the more intricate roof shapes, including the steeper slopes and the tendency to have multiple different sections of roof which all must come together cohesively. With such different tasks it is important to select a roofer with not just lots of experience, but specifically experience for the type of roofing you need.
