Mildenhall Roofers provides flat and pitched commercial roofing repairs and replacements for businesses, farms and industrial units in and around Waterbeach.
Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
Commercial roofing covers a broad range of building types: retail units, offices, workshops, agricultural buildings and light industrial units. The work ranges from targeted repairs on a leaking flat roof through to full membrane replacements on large warehouse spans. Getting the job right means choosing the correct material for the building type, the roof size, the loading and the budget - and understanding the honest trade-offs between each option.
On every job we plan the work around your operating hours. A warehouse does not need to close for a roof replacement, and a farm building can usually be worked on in sections so storage or livestock are not disrupted throughout.
Flat roofs are the dominant roof type on commercial premises. The material choice matters because it affects how long the roof will last before it needs attention again, how easy it is to repair in future, and what it costs up front. The main options used on commercial buildings today are built-up felt systems, torch-on felt, EPDM rubber membrane and single-ply membranes (such as TPO and PVC-based products). Each has genuine strengths and real limitations.
Built-up felt has been used on commercial flat roofs for decades. It consists of multiple layers of bitumen-impregnated felt bonded together, usually finished with a mineral-surfaced cap sheet. It is a known, well-understood system and can be laid by most roofing contractors.
Built-up felt is a reasonable choice for repairs and for smaller or lower-value buildings where a lower upfront cost is the priority, and where access for future maintenance is straightforward.
Torch-on felt uses a modified bitumen membrane that is heat-welded to the substrate using an LPG torch. The SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene) modification makes the membrane more flexible and more resistant to cracking in cold weather than standard built-up felt.
Torch-on felt is a solid mid-range choice for commercial flat roofs, particularly where cost is a factor and the building materials are non-combustible. Always confirm that the contractor is competent with heat application near any combustible elements on the building.
EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a synthetic rubber membrane available in large rolls that can cover substantial roof areas with very few seams. It has become increasingly popular on commercial buildings over the past fifteen years.
EPDM is well suited to larger commercial, agricultural and industrial roofs where longevity and low long-term maintenance costs matter more than the lowest possible upfront price. On a 500 square metre warehouse roof, the saving from choosing felt over EPDM can be eroded quickly if the felt needs attention within ten years.
Single-ply systems use a single layer of a reinforced thermoplastic membrane - typically TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) or a PVC-based product. They are the specification of choice on many new commercial builds and large refurbishments.
Single-ply is the right choice when the roof area is large, when weight loading is a concern, or when a long interval between major interventions is a priority. On a straightforward barn or small workshop, the additional cost is harder to justify.
Not all commercial roofing is flat. Many farm buildings, older industrial premises and some retail units have pitched roofs covered in profiled steel sheeting, fibre cement sheets, clay or concrete tiles, or slates. The material choices here are more constrained by the existing structure and the pitch angle, but the same principle applies: understand what you are replacing and why before committing to a product.
Profiled steel sheets are the standard replacement for agricultural buildings and many light industrial units. They are lightweight, fast to install and available with various coatings and insulation backings. Fibre cement sheets are an alternative where a non-metallic roof is preferred, but they are heavier and more brittle. For lower-pitched roofs on older commercial premises, a modern interlocking concrete tile or a through-coloured fibre cement slate can give a longer service life than the original material.
Before agreeing to any material, it is worth asking these questions of any contractor you speak to:
A written scope of works describing the materials, the system and the edge detailing gives you a clear basis for comparing quotes and understanding what you are buying.
Commercial flat roof replacement costs in this part of the country typically range from around £40-£60 per square metre for a torch-on felt system up to £80-£120 per square metre for a single-ply or EPDM system, depending on the condition of the existing deck, the insulation specification and the complexity of the detailing. These are guide figures - the actual cost will depend on a proper survey. A larger roof area generally brings the per-metre cost down; a roof with many penetrations, skylights or parapet walls brings it up.
Call us to arrange a survey and we will give you a clear assessment of your options and costs before any work is agreed.
The best way to get an accurate picture of which material is right for your building is to have the existing roof properly inspected first. Call Mildenhall Roofers to arrange a commercial roof survey for your Waterbeach premises. We will assess the existing structure and deck, advise on the material options that suit your building and your budget, and give you a written scope of works before any decision is made.
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Call any time. Calls are answered day and night and passed straight to our roofers.
