Mildenhall Roofers handles commercial roofing projects in Isleham, from the first inspection through to final clean-up.
If you are organising roofing work on a business premises for the first time, it helps to know what the process looks like from start to finish. A commercial roofing project involves more stages than a domestic repair, and understanding each one means you can plan around it, ask the right questions and spot if something is being skipped.
We work across Isleham and the wider area, including Mildenhall, West Row, Holywell Row, Barton Mills, Cavenham, Lackford, Icklingham, Herringswell, Culford, Kentford, Elveden and Risby. Whether the job is a felt replacement on a retail unit or a sheet re-roof on a farm building, the process follows the same sequence.
The process starts with a physical inspection of the roof. A ground-level look is not sufficient for a commercial flat roof - a roofer needs to get on the surface to assess the condition of the covering, check the outlets and drains, probe for soft spots that indicate wet decking beneath, and examine the condition of flashings, upstands and any penetrations for pipework or rooflights.
On a pitched commercial roof, the inspection also needs to cover the condition of fixings, the integrity of the ridge and hip details, and whether gutters and downpipes are coping with the volume of water the roof sheds. On large agricultural or industrial buildings, a full walk of the roof is the only reliable way to find every defect.
At the end of the survey you should receive a clear explanation of what the roof needs - whether that is targeted repairs, a partial re-cover or a full replacement - and why. Any roofer who gives you a price without physically accessing the roof has not done this step properly.
Once the survey is complete, the roofer should be able to specify exactly what materials and method are appropriate for the building. For a flat roof, that means deciding between a torch-on felt build-up, EPDM rubber membrane or single-ply, and confirming whether the existing deck is sound enough to roof over or needs replacement boards.
A clear written quote should break down the main cost elements: stripping and disposal of old material, deck repairs if needed, the new covering specification (number of layers, material grade), flashing replacement, drainage improvements and any associated scaffolding or access equipment costs. A single-line quote with a total figure and no breakdown makes it very difficult to understand what you are buying.
On commercial sites, the quotation stage should also cover working hours - whether the job will run during normal business hours or whether early starts, evening or weekend work are needed to minimise disruption to your operation.
Commercial roofing almost always requires scaffolding or a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP). Edge protection is a legal requirement on any flat roof where there is a drop to the perimeter. For pitched roofs, roof ladders and scaffold towers provide both safe access and a working platform.
On an occupied site, the access setup also involves agreeing where materials will be stored, how vehicles will enter and exit, and whether any areas below or adjacent to the roof need to be cleared or covered. Torch-on felt work requires a fire extinguisher on site and a hot-work agreement. Debris netting is used where the public or other workers are below.
This stage can take a day or more on larger commercial buildings and should not be rushed - the scaffolding and access arrangements directly affect site safety for the duration of the job.
On most commercial re-roofing jobs, the old covering comes off before the new one goes on. This is important because it allows the condition of the deck beneath to be confirmed properly. A deck that looks acceptable from above may have sections of rot or delamination that only become visible once the covering is stripped back.
Old felt, membrane and insulation boards must be removed and disposed of in accordance with waste regulations. If any existing insulation is wet, it has to come out - re-roofing over wet insulation traps moisture and accelerates failure of the new covering. Asbestos-cement sheeting on older agricultural buildings requires specialist removal and cannot be disposed of as general construction waste.
Where the deck is a timber sarking board or plywood, any rotten or soft sections are replaced at this stage before any new materials are laid. Skipping deck repairs and laying a new covering over a compromised base is one of the main reasons commercial roofs fail prematurely.
The installation method depends on the system specified. Torch-on felt is applied layer by layer, with each layer fully bonded using a gas torch. EPDM is rolled out in large sheets, trimmed to fit and bonded or ballasted to the deck, with seams sealed using specialist adhesive tape. Single-ply membrane is mechanically fixed or fully adhered, with seams heat-welded to form a continuous waterproof layer.
Insulation boards - typically polyisocyanurate (PIR) - are laid between the deck and the membrane to bring the roof up to a reasonable thermal standard. The building regulations requirement for flat roof U-values has tightened over the years, so a re-roofing project is usually the right time to upgrade the insulation if it was originally minimal.
Flashings at upstands, parapets and around any penetrations are dressed into the covering as the installation progresses, not added as an afterthought at the end. Lead or code-3 aluminium flashings are set into a chase in the wall, pointed with mortar or fixed with clips, and dressed down over the edge of the covering to produce a watertight seal.
Outlets are set at the lowest point of the roof to carry water off the surface. During a re-roof, each outlet is cleaned out, inspected and either refitted or replaced. The new covering is dressed carefully into the outlet collar to prevent water tracking beneath the membrane at the joint.
Where a roof has historically ponded because of inadequate falls, it may be possible to improve the situation by introducing tapered insulation - boards that are thicker at one edge and thinner at the other - to create falls where there were none. This is more cost-effective than altering the roof structure and is standard practice on commercial flat roof refurbishments.
Once the covering is laid and flashings are dressed, the roof should be walked and inspected before scaffolding comes down. This is the time to check for any areas where the membrane has not bonded fully, any flashings that need further dressing, and that all outlets are clear and flowing freely.
You should ask to be shown the completed roof - or at minimum to see photographs from the inspection - before the scaffolding is struck. Once it is down, getting back onto the roof to address a detail that was missed becomes a separate access job.
A commercial site should be left clean and clear of all off-cuts, old material, fixings and packaging. Skips or waste sacks used during the job should be removed. Any areas of the site that were protected during the work should be restored to their original condition.
Ask the roofer to leave you with a note of what was installed - the material type, specification and any reference numbers for the products used. This information is useful if work is needed on the roof in future, and it confirms that what was quoted is what was actually installed.
If you have a commercial property in Isleham or nearby and want to understand what the roofing work will involve, call Mildenhall Roofers to arrange a roof survey. We will walk through the building with you, explain what the roof needs, and give you a clear written quote before any work begins.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
