What Your Restaurant Roof Needs

As a restaurant owner, you face unique challenges with your building, particularly the roof. While regular roof repair and replacement are necessary for any long-standing establishment, there are steps you can take today to protect and extend the life of your roof.

Grease

If you could sum up restaurant roof problems in one word, it would be GREASE!  A roof’s daily, yearlong exposure to this mess can take a toll if you let it get away from you for very long.

Problem: 

Kitchen grease can overflow traps, mix with heavy rain, and combine with other debris to cause clogs and backup, eventually contributing to the breakdown of roofing materials. A resulting leak can take out several months’ worth of ingredients, dinnerware, and other restaurant supplies within minutes. 

Solution:

1. Reduce build-up by using systems that catch grease, and always make sure your grease is disposed of properly so it doesn’t lie on the roof. Areas on the roof near grease hoods are particularly susceptible and can benefit from roof protection mats.

2. If power washing your hoods or roof, make sure you or your vendor use cleaning/degreasing products that are compatible with your roofing system. Be careful not to power wash too close to your membrane, which puts you at risk of cutting through it. 

3. If replacing your roof, choose a durable Duro-Last roofing system, which stands up to grease much better than other membranes. 

Remodeling

You need to keep your restaurant safe, comfortable, and in style. Remodeling is a necessity in your business but is not without its downsides in the roofing department.

Problem:

Poor craftsmanship or inattention that leads to debris left on the roof can contribute to damage to the membrane, particularly during wind events.

Solution:

Invest in reliable, quality contractors who won’t introduce new problems as they solve others. Check your roof thoroughly after a remodel to make sure it is clear of all debris. 

Vendors

HVAC, security, internet/TV techs: It gets busy up there! All this activity can put your restaurant roof at risk.

Problem:

A vendor may have dropped something when on the roof and conveniently forgotten to mention it. Or perhaps they cut a small hole for a new pipe, electrical line, or other conduit and never properly flashed it. 

Solution:

Keep a sign-in sheet at the bottom of the roof hatch to help keep track of who accesses the roof. This accountability tends to minimize roof damage. When records are being kept, people tend to take better care of the space they are in.

Even with the best prevention and maintenance strategies, your restaurant roof will eventually need to be replaced. Contact Technique Roofing, proud installers of premium Duro-Last roofing materials, for a roofing solution that will work as hard for your restaurant as you do.