The main difference between normal residential roofing and Commercial Roofing is that the latter uses a flatter slope while the former uses a much steeper slope for the roof.
People who need Roofing, usually approach companies which are specialised in dealing specifically with commercialised aspects of the same, called Commercial Roofing Companies.
They professionally analyse the requirements of the customer and then accordingly take the best course of action.
The decision which makes all the difference to how effective the Roofing shall be is the building material chosen.
If a material has high thermal absorption, then it does not allow the building to heat up thus mitigating the need for cooling.
If not completely negating the need, it does save on cooling costs.
Cost however, is just one criterion and cannot be used to judge the efficiency of the material.
Important factors that determine the kind of roofing material chosen are dependent on the requirements of the space within the building.
Ease of maintenance and durability rank very highly in the list of qualities desired in a Commercial Roofing material.
Commercial Roofing Companies usually start by using small tiles known as shingles as the basic building block for the entire roof.
These tiles are placed in interlocked position on the roof to form a shield which then protects the building.
The tiles are usually made of wood, clay, slate or asphalt.
Asphalt which is covered with a layer of bitumen costs less but loses out in terms of longevity and maintenance issues.
Wood is used very rarely for Roofing but looks quite attractive, while clay and slate are often popular choices considering their heat absorption properties.
However, using clay and slate tiles works out very expensive as far as Roofing goes.
They are also brittle and chip easily causing a lot of damage.
Wood is very high maintenance and gets damaged due to constant exposure to water.
It is also very vulnerable to attacks by insects such as termites.
There is one more category of Commercial Roofing, which may also be deemed as being more efficient than the others, called the membrane roofing system.
These roofs often weigh less than conventional Roofing since PVC and rubber sheets are used as a building material.
PVC has the ability to reflect sunlight and has the additional advantage of low costs as well.
PVC also lasts long and is easy to maintain making Membrane roofing one of the most preferred methods of Roofing.
Thus Commercial Roofing Companies have to take all of the above factors into consideration, along with the specific needs and requirements of the building in order to decide which roofing material to select.