Top Threats for Commercial Roofs

Is Your Business Safe from These Operational Threats?

Commercial facilities house important operations that, if interrupted, could cause significant negative impacts, ranging from loss of revenue to—in a worst-case scenario—loss of life.

Indeed, disruptions of any kind can be devastating to any business and should be a primary concern for building owners and operators. And one common areas for these sorts of disruptions to occur is the building’s roof. Commercial roofs are responsible for protecting the equipment, products and people inside the building. They must comply with strict codes and standards, and can influence maintenance costs. That’s why your choice of roof system matters

High-performance materials can better defend your operations from threats, helping to lower your risk and protect your business. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the top threats that commercial roof systems face, and how they can contribute to and complement your operational security:

Threat #1: Fire
129,500 fires. 140 deaths. 1,300 injuries. Nearly $4 billion lost to damages. Those are the 2022 estimated statistics for nonresidential building fires in the United States, according to the United States Fire Administration (USFA).

The costs are staggering. In light of them, building owners should be doing everything within their power to minimize the risk of fire in their facilities. Every second counts when a commercial roof fire breaks out, and your roof system may fail to limit and could even contribute to the spread of flames. Choosing a roof system that prevents or limits the spread of flames gives you more time when a fire threatens your facility.

Your roof system may fail to limit and could even contribute to the spread of flames.

For example: FiberTite^® membranes self-extinguish, minimizing property damage and resisting rooftop flame spread. Comparatively, unless manually extinguished, a TPO roof system can burn and consume an entire roof, according to ASTM E108 testing; the membrane does not self-extinguish or prevent the spread of fire.

Threat #2: Chemicals
All roofs are exposed to chemicals, byproducts and pollutants—some you will see, and some you won’t. And exposure can lead to eventual changes to the integrity of the roof system over time.

Your membrane should demonstrate little change in the chemistry and mass of the materials over time when exposed to chemicals, fats, oils and pollutants.

When evaluating roof membranes, you should consider one that demonstrates little change in the chemistry and mass of the materials over time when exposed to chemicals, fats, oils and pollutants. FiberTite membranes have demonstrated little change after long-term exposure to common chemicals, and maintain their structure in terms of mass and flexibility.

Threat #3: Puncture
An obvious cause of roof leaks involves punctures which could occur from a major weather event, but seemingly smaller, everyday tasks can cause punctures as well.

Consider a technician performing maintenance on your facility’s HVAC system, part of which is often located on the roof. Your membrane must contend with foot traffic, or perhaps the errant dropping of a tool. It might sound small, but your roof must still resist puncture damage from these routine hazards.

Small cracks and punctures, whether from microscopic damage or everyday maintenance activities, can compromise a roof's integrity.

Most typically, punctures can lead to leaks—and left unchecked, leaks can have negative impacts on your business. So, when evaluating your roof options, consider puncture resistance. Many membranes are designed with a reinforcing fabric that intentionally has holes in it, and therefore contributes minimally to puncture resistance. This can become problematic in high-traffic areas. Comparatively, FiberTite membranes have reinforcing fabric that is densely packed with fiber, maintaining excellent puncture resistance over the long term.

Threat #4: Hail
High-performance roof systems must be able to stand up to extreme weather—and some weather events can be more damaging than others.

Very Severe Hail (VSH)—classified as greater than 2 inches in diameter—is among the most catastrophic and costly weather events that can occur for commercial properties. Choosing the right roof system could be the difference between shutting your business down or weathering the storm. It’s part of why FM Global, one of the largest commercial property insurers, requires roof systems to meet stringent hail requirements in certain geographic locations.

Very Severe Hail can be extremely destructive when it impacts glass, plastic, siding and metal, as well as just about any type of roofing.

History has shown that VSH can be extremely destructive when it impacts glass, plastic, siding and metal, as well as roofing. Hail damage to roof systems can include:

• Dents
• Cracking
• Crazing (a circular spiderwebbing of microfractures)
• Mineral loss on modified bitumen sheets (removing the primary UV inhibitor)
• Compound delamination, exposing membrane reinforcement

FiberTite membranes are proven to withstand the impacts of VSH, with the thinnest single-ply roof membrane, at just 36 mils thick, meeting VSH requirements from FM Global. Other choices like PVC, EPDM or TPO materials that deliver the protection you need from VSH are 60 mils or greater.

Now that you’re familiar with some of the most common threats faced by commercial roof systems, you’ll be more equipped to select and specify a high-performance roof system that can best protect your business.

Interested in learning more? Find out why FiberTite Roof Systems are one of the best options to help you combat common roof threats and enhance your operational security.

Learn more about high-performance roof systems: https://www.fibertite.com/the-fibertite-advantage