Hello. This is Greg Zimmerman, managing editor of Building Operating Management magazine.
Today’s topic is single-ply roofing, specifically, determining when a single-ply roof is appropriate. Though no roof is a one-size-fits-all solution, there are several situations where a single-ply roof is a good solution. For example, single-ply is a good choice when a building has wide-open expanses of roof. If facility executives want a light-colored roof, either for aesthetics or for energy savings, single-ply roofs offer many options. For reroofing projects, single-ply can be used to recover many types of existing membrane, as well as structural standing seam metal. Single-ply roofs can also be installed in cold weather.
There are some situations when single-ply may not be the best option as well. A few situations to look out for are if the building has a lightweight insulating concrete deck or if an existing roof is chemically incompatible with single-ply membrane proposed for recover. Additionally – and this is true for any roofing option - single-ply may not be a good idea if you can’t find a qualified contractor in your area that has experience with single-ply roofs.
