Choosing the right roof for your business requires careful deliberation; having just any roofing option installed in a Philadelphia business can be costly, and there are far-reaching effects for your business, depending on the kind of roofing choices you make.

Here are the main roofing components you should consider when selecting a roof for your needs:

The Structure

If you’re building your commercial space from scratch, choosing the right structure has a little more of an impact on your decision making than if you’re buying a property from a previous owner.

There are three main types of roofs commercial buildings use:

• Flat Roofs
• Low-Sloped Roofs
• Pitched Roofs

Flat roofs are the most common, with low-sloped roofs coming in second. These two roof structures are most commonly used because they offer easier access when repairs need to be made. In addition to making repairs easier, flat and low-sloped roofs have other benefits, like providing a place to put air conditioning units, easier installation of satellite dishes, or other infrastructure necessary to help your business run.

Pitched roofs minimize the number of maintenance issues you might have resulting from pooling water, but they aren’t very common on commercial properties because of the cost to maintain them. This type of roof does an excellent job of diverting water away from the roof itself, but once there’s damage, any contractor doing work will have to follow specialized procedures to maintain safety and get the materials where they need to be.

The Coating

Once you have chosen the structure of your roof – or know what kind you’re working with – you have to decide on the most changeable part of your roof: the coating.

The coating you select for your roof will impact the overall cost and longevity of the structure. Using a PVC coating will provide the best balance of benefits to cost, since it is impact resistant, flame retardant, and has one of the better seals among various coating options.

However, if you have a low-sloped roof, then it might be worth investing in metal roofing, since metal is one of the best materials for resisting fire and impact damage while offering a clean, finished look.

The Budget

It would be a mistake to think that budgets don’t factor into the equation when deciding what kind of roof and cover to buy. A basic tar and asphalt roof will be the cheapest option in terms of up-front costs, but it will also have a few more costs associated with it for maintenance and risk of fire damage. Spending a little more for a PVC roof, by contrast, can pay dividends in the long run, since it’s easier to maintain, has a lower risk of damage, and is perfectly sealed.

If you’d like to discuss your commercial roofing options with a Philadelphia-based team, give Philly Roofing a call today!