Do we often think that any roofing materials may work best as it is used for different purposes whether it is for a residential home or a commercial building but are they really? Let’s differentiate first the different structures with regard to their design purpose. 

The residential building is designed, constructed, and intended for private occupancy whether it is permanent or temporary. It can be divided into lodging or boarding houses, dormitories, or even your home. 

Residential Roofing vs Commercial Roofing

Commercial buildings, on the other hand, are designed for tenants, but not limited to nonprofit purposes, to carry out their day-to-day business operations and catering or serving their customers or clients. These can be classified as retail and convenience stores, malls, hospitals, offices, etc. 

But nowadays, some commercial buildings also cater to residential purposes which are classified as mixed buildings or commercial-residential buildings where the lower floors are intended for commercial purposes and the higher floors are for dwelling or residential purposes. 

So, how do these buildings, residential and commercial, differ in their roofing? 

1. Materials

As both roofing should be durable and long-lasting, commercial roofs have higher material standards to be used. This is because it doesn’t just have to attract customers but also businesses to serve as their clients for their spaces. The commercial roof, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, should also be designed according to its function. It is evident that most residential roofs are made from tiles, shingles, wood shakes, and slate whereas commercial roofs are made from metal roofs or flat roofs from membranes or composite materials. 

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2. Design 

Commercial roof designs are more inclined to low slope or flat roofs compared to residential roofs because of the advantage of having an extra space on top for the HVAC equipment or solar panels in serving the commercial building. This is also for the purpose of easy accessibility during maintenance or routine inspection. 

Residential roofs are more designed to be sloped or pitched to fit the homeowner’s design standard. This will also give space for an attic or the roof can be installed with skylights, vents, or chimneys. 

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3. Installation 

Due to their complexity and larger area, commercial roofs are much harder to install and take longer compared with residential roofs. Commercial roofs are designed to be durable which needs to be provided with more and adequate protection to prevent any frequent damages. Commercial roofs also carry more load compared with residential roofs. Structural framing for commercial roofs is much bigger and heavier and needs to be transported using larger equipment. 

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4. Maintenance and Repair 

To maintain the longevity of the roofing material, routine check-ups should always be done. Commercial roofs are designed to be easily accessible for check-ups, maintenance, and repair if there are any damages. Because of how big the area of the commercial buildings is, it should be done more frequently to cover the whole area. 

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Repair for commercial roofs also is more difficult compared to residential roofs. Residential roofs, if damaged, can be repaired by just removing the roofing materials and reinstalling a new one but for commercial buildings, roofers should acquire more skills in the repair. Because commercial roofs are bigger, it is difficult and much more expensive to directly replace the roofing materials, therefore the roofer should be able to resolve the roofing problem with lesser cost and that the repair can last longer and should not re-occur.