Industrial Roofing Near You
Serving in MS, AL, FL, & LA
Industrial roofing is a specialty trade and knowing when to replace your low slope roof can be difficult. Whether you need repair or replacement, our team of experienced professionals can help. We work with many different types of commercial roofs including TPO, PVC/KEE, EPDM, Modified Bitumen, Built-up-roofing (BUR), and standing seam metal. Our goal is to provide you with the best solution for your facilities’ specific needs while taking into consideration budgetary restrictions and regulatory compliance requirements.
Industrial Roofing VS. Commercial Roofing
What’s The Difference?
In the world of commercial roofing, Industrial roofing is a specialized field for only the highest quality and safest flat roofers. The standards, financial resources, bid bonding ability, and insurance requirements are higher than those of traditional commercial roofing. In addition to these factors, industrial roofers are usually required to be members of third-party organizations with strict qualifications and standards (i.e Avetta) in order to be considered for these types of specialty roofing projects.
Over the last 10+ years organizations such as ISNetWorld have helped Industrial manufacturers, food & beverage, chemical manufacturers, data centers, etc. to more efficiently review and certify workers and companies to perform work at their clients’ locations. This group ensures that all certified members have been properly trained to maintain the highest standards of quality workmanship, safety, quality control & oversight, as well as have the right experience and personnel to work around the unique challenges that are present when performing work at industrial and manufacturing customers’ locations. Between all of the barriers to entry and having to provide multiple credible references from other companies, a large company like Coca-Cola or Honda doesn’t have to worry about hiring the wrong contractor or having to worry about how the project will go because these industrial clients expect nothing less than perfection, meaning everything must go according to plan without fail!
Industrial Roofing Planning &
Installation Process
Planning for an industrial roofing project is much more involved than a typical commercial roofing project. Malone Roofing has the infrastructure and systems in place to properly maintain QC standards, safety oversight, and because of our company’s past experience performing large scale industrial roofing projects there’s not much that we haven’t seen or done.
Industrial projects typically require additional safety and quality control measures to ensure the protection of personnel and property: increased regulatory compliance, higher safety standards that exceed OSHA requirements, and reduced production. The lower production could be due to many factors however the most common we’ve seen are as follows: 1.) difficult access to the roof, 2.) Daily safety meetings before crews access the roof, 3.) generally very busy roofs with lots of RTU’s, pipe penetrations, etc. to work around and other physical constraints. This is mission critical because for example if you’re working on a chicken plant you don’t want a crew member accidentally cutting one of the ammonia lines. Because of these factors many of these industrial roofing projects require the need for full-time superintendents and safety managers to ensure the crews are able to effectively work within the project’s requirements in a safe manner. Navigating these challenges while maintaining high levels of quality during installation is what makes industrial roofers like Malone Roofing in a league of their own.
We have required resources and experience to handle all of these challenges with grace while still providing excellent customer service and keeping an open line of communication, which sets us apart from other commercial roofing contractors out there who don’t have the bandwidth needed to effectively manage an industrial roofing project.
Types of Industrial Roofing Systems
The most common roofing systems you’ll find in industrial environments are:- Built-up-roofing (BUR): This asphalt based roofing system consists of multiple layers (typically 4-5) of hot asphalt or cold process adhesive with rolls of fiberglass felt. These roofing systems typically last 30+ years and are well-known for being rugged and resistant to most membrane punctures because of the redundant layers of protection. It goes without being that this is not the most economical roofing option, but there’s a reason building owners have been installing these types of roofs for 100+ years. – Modified Bitumen: Also commonly known as “mod bit” or “rolled roofing” is an asphalt based roofing system that is usually only 2-layers. Because the asphalt in the roofing roll is “modified” with an additive the roofing membrane is more flexible to building movement and temperature changes (heat vs cold). One type is styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) which is modified with synthetic rubber and other is atactic polypropylene (APP) which is modified with a type of plastic. Because of the redundant layers of protection and multiple installation options these roofs are known for their greater waterproofing and weathering ability as well as resistance to punctures and foot traffic. – Single-Ply Roofing: There are multiple types of single-ply roofs available today which as the name implies it’s a single layer of roofing over the insulation. For industrial roofing we usually see high performing PVC and KEE membranes (i.e Fibertite or Sika Sarnafil) or specialty TPO roofing systems (i.e GAF Extreme TPO) on these types of projects. Majority of the time these facilities will opt for either adhered or rhinobond system applications for the benefit of higher wind uplift values.
Types of Industrial Roofing Customers
We have worked with a variety of customers. Some of the more well-known ones include:
– Food & Beverage
– Automobile manufacturing – Honda, Ford, and General Motors (GM) assembly plants
– Paper mills
– Chemical Manufacturing
– Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
– Data Centers
– Wood processing facilities, such as lumber mills and plywood manufacturers
– Utilities
– Energy refining & processing
You may have noticed that we have worked with multiple industrial types of customers including Kohler Engines which is the 2nd largest manufacturing plant in Hattiesburg, MS. Back in 2020 we re-roofed 5,700 SQ’s (570,000 SF) with a new 60 mil TPO roofing system over their manufacturing areas, office, and administrative spaces.
Additional Challenges – When Servicing An Industrial Roof
One of the most challenging aspects of servicing an industrial roof is that it can be very dangerous. The type of work and safety requirements vary from industry to industry, so you need to be prepared for anything that could happen on the job site.
Some things you should know before starting any work:
-Is there an IBS call-in map? Some companies require that all workers receive training before working on their roofs.
-What is the minimum on-site show time required? This will vary from customer to customer and job site to job site, but it’s important to know so you’re not stuck waiting around for a long period of time. Sometimes it helps if you plan ahead and call the on-site contact so all parties are on the same page.
Service Coverage Area for Industrial Roof Replacement & Repairs
If you’re looking for an industrial roofer and have a question about our service coverage area, feel free to give us a call at 800-716-0977. We would be happy to discuss your project specific needs in more detail.
We have 6 fully-staffed offices throughout the greater Southeast US in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida. In addition, we have the capabilities and personnel to perform out-of-state industrial roofing work throughout other states in the southeast. Our team of safety managers, estimators, project managers, superintendents, foreman, and roofing field technicians are experienced at installing and repairing all types of flat and pitched roofing systems made by all the major roof system manufacturers. No matter if it’s a TPO roof or a metal roof or modified bitumen we can handle it!
How to Choose the Right Contractor
When making the important decision about which industrial roofer is the right contractor for you, it’s important to consider a few things. First and foremost, who has the best reputation? What has their past track record on similar projects? What’s their safety record (EMR)? How responsive are they and do they do 24/7/365 emergency service? Do we have an open line of communication with their leadership team and are they known for completing projects on time?
Next, you might want to ask yourself what kind of specialized experience is required for our type of roofing project? Will this contractor be able to work around my manufacturing plant’s operations?
Another concern could be cost efficiency vs quality workmanship? What matters most to me in the industrial roofing contractor that I want to partner with?
Your Industrial Roofing Solution Serving in MS, AL, FL, & LA
Industrial roofing is a complex and detailed process that requires careful planning and consideration. Not all commercial roofers are built to handle the unique challenges that are standard with industrial roofing. Quality control, safety, ability to perform at a high level under pressure, good communication, and the ability to be flexible and work through unforeseen challenges are what working on industrial project opportunities so rewarding. These are important considerations when choosing your industrial roofer so hope you’ll consider us!