What To Know About Single Ply Roofing Systems

Here are the basics of single ply roofing systems. 

When you are talking about getting a single ply roof, there are quite a few things you are going to want to take into consideration. Although these roofs are chemically superior to other roofs, they also happen to be much thinner and susceptible to puncture should someone drop a hammer or throw a bottle up there. It is important that people weigh the pros and the cons of single ply roofs before deciding what is going to be the best option for their own building. 

The biggest downside to single ply roofs is that they can get punctured easily. If somebody is walking on the roof, or if somebody drops a hammer or a knife when they are on it, then you are going to have a leak. So that is a problem, especially with lower buildings where people can easily throw things up there. 

If you are building a one-story, fourplex home, where people might be climbing up on the roof and making a mess, then you definitely do not want to go with a single ply roof. In that case, you are going to want to choose a two or three ply built up roof or a modified roof simply because those options are physically stronger. There are multiple layers to those roofing styles, which means they can physically take more abuse before wearing out or causing leaks. 

Because single ply roofs are chemically superior, though, they can be a great alternative to restaurants that might have animal fats building up on the roof. The chemical properties of these roofs allow them to stand up well to things like animal fats or acid rain, along with inclement weather like wind, snow, or extreme sun. So all of those are reasons why a business would certainly choose a single ply roofing option. 

Another industry that commonly asks for a single ply roofing system is hospitals. If you are a hospital, you really dont want a hot tar roof material that is going to be seeping through and producing noxious fumes, especially once heat and temperature changes are taken into consideration. So instead, what you would be looking for in that type of situation is a single ply roof that is going to be chemically superior and cleaner at the same time. 

There are many grades of single ply roofs, and depending on which grade you have chosen, you may need to get your roofing maintenance done more or less often. Generally, you can get a good 10- or 15-, even 20-year manufacturer warranty on commercial projects with these roofs. 

Meanwhile, the average life span for a single ply roof is no more than 16 years on average. And after 16 years, people should plan on needing to do some re-roofing or some other type of major repair. One good aspect to single ply roofs, in this regard, is that the roofs lightness means that you can overlay the roof a lot of times before needing to tear it off entirely and start over. So people who have a single ply roofing system in place can just go over the areas where they need additional layers of roofing, which can be cost-effective. 

There are a million factors why you would or wouldnt choose a single ply roof, and all of the above reasons only start to touch on those factors. Most important, though, is that each homeowner or building owner knows the specific needs of his building, because that will be the biggest determination when choosing between a single ply or another roofing system.