Frequently Asked Questions

Residential Roofing

WHAT IS RESIDENTIAL LOW SLOPE ROOFING?

Residential low slope roofing can generally be divided up into two broad categories: larger flat roofed applications (low slope) such as residential condominium complexes, row homes, and town houses and smaller applications such as residential porch and garage transitions from the main home where the slope of the roof changes dramatically from steep slope to low slope on the same structure.

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF A RESIDENTIAL ROOF?

Residential Roofing Products include those products necessary to provide a quality roofing system typically for a consumer’s home, garage or other residential applications. Residential roofing products are usually designed for steep slope application. Products can include roofing shingles, underlayments and accessory products.

Commercial Roofing

What are the components of a commercial roofing system?

What are the components of a commercial roof system? Most low-slope commercial roofing systems have three principle components:

  1. Weatherproofing layer or layers — the weatherproofing component is the most important element because it keeps water from entering a roof assembly.
  2. Reinforcement — reinforcement adds strength, puncture resistance and dimensional stability to a membrane.
  3. Surfacing — surfacing is the component that protects the weatherproofing and reinforcement from sunlight and weather. Some surfacings provide other benefits such as increased fire resistance, improved traffic and hail resistance, and increased solar reflectivity.

WHat THINGS should I CONSIDER IN A COMMERCIAL ROOF?

Keep the following factors in mind when selecting or specifying a low slope roof:

  • Choose the highest possible quality materials from an established manufacturer with an excellent reputation for integrity. CertainTeed has been manufacturing roofing materials for over 100 years.
  • Compare similar products. Evaluate the technical data provided by the manufacturer. Compare the weights, thicknesses and ASTM test results.
  • Remember, the money saved today on a low cost roofing system can be more than offset by the need to reroof sooner as the result of poor performance leading to leakage or premature failure.
  • Consider the commercial roofing manufacturer’s warranty. The length of the warranty term (in years) helps gauge the superiority of the system selected. Generally, the longer the warranty, the better the system. Is a guarantee which covers not only the material but also the contractor’s workmanship available for the roof system selected?
  • Property value. Is the manufacturer’s warranty transferable to a new building owner?
  • How committed is the commercial roofing material manufacturer willing to be? Does the manufacturer, as an option to the owner, have an approved contractor program in place? If an enhanced warranty that includes workmanship is selected, will the manufacturer inspect the roof project? With CertainTeed, the answer to all of these questions is yes.
  • Consider energy costs. Keep in mind that white mineral surfaced cap sheets, light colored gravel surfacing or roofs coated with reflective roof coating will help reduce interior cooling costs. Consider a CertainTeed cap sheet with CoolStar® reflective coating.
  • Choose a system manufacturer. CertainTeed provides the key elements of the commercial roofing system — insulation, adhesives and coatings, membranes and fasteners
  • Consider building code requirements. Many local and state governments have specific guidelines for specifying roof systems.