As an Atlanta roofing contractor, we felt the responsibility to inform our customers about the differences of a residential roofing contractor and a commercial roofing contractor. Most homeowners think that all roofing companies are the same and are created equal. This could not be further from the truth for commercial roofing deals with buildings and structures such as a Wal-Mart store, Wendys, or a McDonald’s. As you can see your roof on your home is most likely nothing like any of these commercial buildings. The commercial roofing companies usually install a material called Duro-Last which is rolled out into very long rolls and it is heated up with heat gun for the adhesion to the underlying substrate. This type of roofing material is made to go around large air-conditioning units, big skylights, and is made for heavy traffic. The commercial roofing industry rarely deals with any type of roofs that have a steep slope. The workers that are employed by a commercial roofing contractor have rarely if ever installed any asphalt shingle product. For this reason it is clear to see when choosing a roofing contractor it is very important to know the difference between the residential company and the commercial company.

Residential roofing contractors on the other hand no very little if any about commercial roofs. The residential roofing companies mostly install asphalt shingles such as timberline or 25 year three tab composition. Now there are times when you’re residential roofing contractor has to install a commercial grade roofing material onto your flat porch or low sloped roof area. The residential roofing contractor will usually use a torch down system known as modified bitumen. The modified bitumen is a hybrid of the old built-up roof system from the late 70s and early 80s. The modified bitumen roof is composed of polymers, asphalt, and granules. The residential roofing contractor uses a propane torch to the the material so that it adheres to one another to create a seamless roof system. Once the system has been installed is imperative that the asphalt shingles such as your timberline shingles articulate with the modified bitumen roof so that the roof becomes one complete roof system. Horizontal ventilation and HVAC pipes all require different skills and materials to make them waterproof against the elements. The horizontal ventilation system requires a 12 inch square Ridge cap for it to be waterproof. The HVAC and other pipes that are exiting the roof structure will require what is known as a roof Jack. Each of these roof jacks will have to be sealed with a product called NP-1 Sealant. This will ensure that all articulations are watertight from heavy and blowing Rains. The next time you choose a roofing contractor be sure you choose the one that is appropriate for your project.