Mildenhall Roofers carries out flat and pitched commercial roofing repairs and replacements for businesses, farms and industrial properties in and around Littleport.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Commercial roofing on business premises, agricultural buildings and light industrial units covers a wide range of work - from patching a split in a flat felt membrane to fully replacing a large warehouse roof with a new single-ply EPDM system, re-sheeting an agricultural building, or repairing lead and aluminium flashings on a retail unit. The materials differ from domestic roofing, the access challenges are often greater, and the consequences of a prolonged leak can be severe for a working business.
When something goes wrong with a commercial roof, the period between noticing the problem and getting a contractor on site can stretch to days or longer. Knowing what to do - and what not to do - in that window makes a real difference to how much damage results.
The most important thing during a commercial roof leak is to protect what is inside the building. That means moving stock, machinery or equipment away from the affected area immediately, not waiting to see whether the leak gets worse. Water on a warehouse floor is a slip hazard; water on electrical equipment or a switchboard is a safety emergency that needs the power isolating before anything else happens.
Place containers under any active drips and lay down absorbent sheeting or matting to stop water spreading across the floor. Mark off the area if other people are working in or around the building. Take photographs of the wet areas, any staining on ceilings or walls, and the location of any visible entry points from inside - these help the roofer identify where the problem originates and are useful documentation if the leak has caused significant damage.
When you call a roofer, be as specific as you can about what you have seen. Note the location of the leak inside the building in relation to fixed points - a wall, a column, a rooflight. Note when you first saw signs of it and whether it is getting worse in heavy rain or present even in light drizzle. Describe the roof type if you know it: flat felt, single-ply membrane, corrugated steel sheet, fibre cement. This information helps a contractor assess urgency, bring the right materials for a temporary fix, and plan the access they will need.
Knowing which type you have speeds up the conversation.
In some situations a temporary cover is appropriate while a permanent repair is arranged. Heavy-duty roofing membrane laid loosely over an exposed area and weighted at the edges, or a tarpaulin properly secured so it cannot move in wind, can stop further water entry for a short period. The key word is "properly secured" - a loose tarpaulin on a commercial roof in any kind of wind becomes a hazard both to the roof and to people below. Do not use a tarpaulin unless it can be fixed down safely, and do not attempt to fix it yourself unless you have appropriate access equipment.
Foam fillers, expanding sealant from a can, or self-adhesive tape are not substitutes for a proper temporary repair on a commercial roof and can actually make the permanent repair more difficult by contaminating the area around the leak. A good roofer would rather arrive at a clean, wet area than one where someone has already applied materials that need stripping off.
This is the most important section on this page, and it is worth being direct about it.
If you need to look at your roof before a contractor arrives, do it from a safe position - from a window above, from an adjacent structure you are already safely on, or from ground level with binoculars if the building is low enough. Do not lean over a parapet wall or lean a ladder against a gutterline to look over the edge. If you cannot safely see the problem area from a position you are confident in, leave it for the roofer.
Good roofers will photograph everything they find before they start work and show you the images. If a contractor carries out work without showing you what they found beforehand and what the finished result looks like, that is worth asking about.
Once a contractor has assessed the roof, you may be offered a choice between a temporary repair to stop the leak now and a proper repair or replacement to be scheduled. The right answer depends on the age and overall condition of the roof. If the covering is in generally good condition and the failure is isolated, a permanent repair is the better use of money. If the covering is old and the failure is symptomatic of widespread breakdown, a temporary fix may be all that is worth spending until a full replacement can be budgeted for and planned.
Commercial flat roof replacement on a typical light industrial or retail unit costs roughly £80 to £130 per square metre for a standard felt or EPDM system, depending on specification and access. Targeted repairs on a sound membrane typically cost £300 to £1,000 depending on the area affected and the access required. These figures give a starting point for budgeting - the actual cost depends on your specific building.
Most commercial roofing work can be planned around your operating hours. Roof access for inspection, temporary work or a scheduled repair can often be arranged before or after business hours, or at weekends, to avoid disruption to staff or customers. Discuss this with the contractor at the point of quoting, not after you have agreed the work - it is a reasonable thing to ask for and most experienced commercial roofers will accommodate it where the job allows.
Mildenhall Roofers carries out commercial roofing work in Littleport and nearby areas including Barton Mills, Culford, Herringswell, Lackford, Kentford, Icklingham, Cavenham, Elveden, West Row, Holywell Row, Risby and Mildenhall. If your commercial building has a roof problem right now or you want a survey before a problem develops, call us to arrange an inspection and a written quote.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
