The first image that comes to mind when you think of a roof is probably the peaked roofing of a home. But when you look around any city, you’ll see that the majority of commercial buildings have flat or low-sloped roofs.
There are quite a few reasons flat roofs are the most common choice for commercial and medical buildings with wide roof spans; including the cost, energy efficiency, and more.
Easy & Quick Installation
Flat and low-sloped roofs are easier and faster to install than pitched roofs. They also require fewer materials and the structure of a flat roof is simpler—all of this in combination makes installing a flat roof quicker and easier.
This is especially important to business owners concerned with how long it will take to install a new roof so that they can either open their new business or return to their regular operations.
Durable and Long-Lasting
One of the greatest advantages of flat roofs is how long they last—especially Duro-Last roofing. When you have a Duro-Last roof installed by Duerson, it comes with a warranty of up to 20 years. Having a roof with a long lifespan will save you a lot of money over the years and a lot of stress knowing your roof is stable and covered by Duro-Last should anything happen.
Energy-Efficiency
Many of the most popular flat roof materials are highly reflective, and Duro-Last is no exception. The white membrane of Duro-Last has the highest reflectivity of any single-ply membrane rated by the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Roof Products Program. This will help your business save a significant amount of energy and money throughout the sweltering days of an Iowa summer.
Your flat roof can provide even more advantages when it comes to energy efficiency if you choose to install solar panels. It’s easy to orient solar panels on a flat roof for optimal energy production.
Cost-Effective
Not only are flat roofs a smart financial choice because of their durability and energy efficiency but also because the materials themselves are typically cheaper to install. Duro-Last roofs are manufactured to the exact size of your roof in a controlled factory environment to ensure an excellent fit, and thus eliminate excess materials that could cost you.
Additional Space
Flat roofs can offer valuable additional space for building owners. A patio or garden can be installed on the roof, or it can be used to store things like your HVAC unit so that you don’t have to place it on the ground.
Drainage Options
Since commercial buildings are so large, they collect a lot of rainwater on the roof. And while standard gutter systems work well for rainfall on a residential home, the higher volume collected by commercial buildings requires different drainage.
Flat roofs allow pipes across the top, internal pipes and other drainage system features that safely and efficiently divert water from the top of the roof and away from the building.
Easy to Access
Pitched roofs can be difficult to navigate, while flat roofs are much easier to access and don’t typically require any equipment to walk on them in order to stay safe. Without the riskiness of standing on a steep angle, flat roofs are much more practical and safe for those who need regular access to their roofs.
It’s still very important to practice safety protocols when you’re on a flat roof, but they tend to be easier to traverse.
Let the Experts In Commercial Roofing Help
Now that you know why you should install a flat roof on your commercial building, let Duerson help you get it done! We offer roof repair, maintenance, replacement, and new installations. Give us a call today to learn more about the Duro-Last flat roofing system and schedule your service with Duerson.