Tile

When you think of a tile roof, chances are, the image of classic orange clay tiles comes to mind.  With commericial roofing though, rubber or concrete are often used.

Benefits: The first thing to point out is the extremely durability offers.  This type of roof will last 50 to 100 years if installed properly.  Not to mention that they come in an assortment of colors and designs.

Drawbacks: The main drawback of tile roofing though is that it is very heavy, and the building may need to be designed with extra roof support.  If the building is already in place, support to the roof might need to be added, but this is costly and time consuming.

Metal

Metal is a very popular choice in commercial roofing, and some of the specific kinds include aluminum, copper and steel.

Benefits: Like tile, metal is a very durable commercial roofing option, with a life expectancy of about 30 to 50 years.

Drawbacks: Because metals tend to crack, fade, and peel, they require a great deal of maintenance.  Still, many modern metals are designed with new treatments to overcome this deficiency.

Slate

Some commercial structures are designed with slate roofs although they are more commonly found on residences.

Benefits: Slate is somewhat maintenance free, and can last up to 100 years if properly installed.  Additionally, it can have a very classy and elegant look to it, as well.

Drawbacks: Slate is one of the more expensive roofing materials.  Moreover, it tends to be very heavy and brittle, which can make installation very tedious.

Asphalt

Asphalt is probably the most commonly used roofing material for both residential and commercial structures.

Benefits: This type of roofing tends to be easy to install, and very cost effective.  Depending on the specific type of asphalt roofing system, they can last from about 20 to 50 years.

Drawbacks: Asphalt shingles are made with petroleum, which means that they contribute to the negative environmental impacts of recovering and processing petroleum.  Nevertheless, if you purchase high quality shingles that will last a long time, your contribution will be far from significant.  When your shingles fall off or have deteriorated, find a place that will recycle them.  They are out there!

Vinyl

More and more people are choosing vinyl roofing these days for it’s extreme versatility.

Benefits: prefabricated vinyl roofing membranes are resistant to fires, chemicals, grease, punctures, heavy wind, and severe temperatures.  Many popular vinyl roof brands are also ENERGY STAR efficient, which is obviously great for the environment, but also your wallet.

Drawbacks: Depending on the specific brand, it doesn’t always come in a wide assortment of styles and colors, but chances are, you’ll be able to find a vinyl roof that fits your functional and design needs.

If you need help deciding what type of commercial roofing is best for you, don’t hesitate to contact M. Walter Roofing, your premier Chicago roofing contractors!

“Niles firefighters responded to a partial roof collapse yesterday in a industrial building at 6319 Austin Avenue. A roughy 30-foot portion of the warehouse roof for the Georgia Nut Company dropped some 24 inches and came to rest on pipes near the ceiling for the sprinkler system and a gas line. There were no injuries and firefighters shut off the gas and drained the sprinkler pipes before a private company came in to support the damaged roof.”

If you’re interested in regular roofing maintenance from top quality Chicago roofers, don’t hesitate to contact M. Walter Roofing!

The following case study was found on the website of one of our main roofing manufacturers, Duro-Last Roofing. It’s just one specific example for the success of high quality roofing systems we currently use and support.

When the children at Summerville Baptist Church in Summerville, South Carolina heard the story about Noah and the Ark, they too wished that they had had a large ark in order to escape the leaky roof that covered their classrooms and gymnasium.

Ponding water on the gym’s existing modified bitumen roof and the built-up roof on several classrooms had created leak problems at the church.  With the buildings in constant use, officials at the church worried an accident would occur where there was a leak, endangering the approximately 175 children that attended the church’s preschool and Sunday school.  Dodging buckets or closing down the facility in order to make repairs on the roof were not options the church wished to consider.

Furthermore, the church facilities contained office and school equipment such as computers that needed to be protected from water damage as well as a brand new parquet floor in the gymnasium.

A long-term, leak-proof remedy was needed to keep the Summerville Baptist Church buildings high and dry.According to John Nettles, in charge of maintenance at Summerville, several types of roofing systems were reviewed during the initial phases of the re-roofing project.

“We looked at built-ups again, hypalons, spray-on coatings as well as thermoplastic single-ply,” recalled Nettles.

Officials at Summerville weighed their options and the benefits of each type of system before determining that the Duro-Last roofing system would be the best choice.

As an authorized Duro-Last contractor, John Congdon, owner of Congdon Roofing, Inc. in Charleston, South Carolina, knew that Duro-Last would be the ideal solution to Summerville’s roofing dilemma.

“We knew that the mechanically-attached Duro-Last single-ply roofing system would be a perfect fit for the Summerville Baptist Church facilities,” said Congdon.  ”Both of these problem roofs had parapet walls to resolve leaking problems that normally occur in walls made of mortar.”

Another benefit of the Duro-last roofing system is its prefabrication.  With 80-85% of the seams being factory-welded at one of the Duro-Last manufacturing facilities, the Congdon Roofing crew had less rooftop field seaming to complete, thus making the roof easier and quicker to install.

“Our crew could work more efficiently because of Duro-Last’s prefabrication,” noted Congdon.  ”Plus, installing Duro-Last is clean and no hazardous materials are used.  That was very important to church officials because they did not want any messy tar kettles on the roofs or near the buildings that were occupied during the installation.”

Warranty protection was also a feature that sold Summerville Baptist Church on Duro-Last.  The Duro-Last warranty does not exclude ponding water or consequential damages.  So church officials did not have to worry about the minor ponds associated with low-sloped roofs.

Last but not least, the Duro-Last roofing system is virtually maintenance-free, which allows Nettles to work on other important maintenance projects at Summerville Baptist Church.

Because church officials at Summerville appreciated the benefits of Duro-Last and the professionalism of Congdon Roofing, Inc., they also ordered a new Duro-Last roofing system for the church’s educational center, administrative offices, and carport.

“They liked the Duro-Last roofing system and our quality workmanship and customer service so much, that when Northbridge Baptist Church in Charleston, South Carolina needed a roof for its nursery building, Summerville officials recommended using Duro-Last,” said Congdon.  ”It has really paid off for us.”

“Duro-Last really came through for us – now our buildings are leak-proof and worry-free.” And the preschool and Sunday school children, like Noah of long ago, are safe and dry!

If you’re interested in finding out more about the roofing systems we use, don’t hesitate to contact Mwalter Roofing, your premier Chicago roofers!

When the children at Summerville Baptist Church in Summerville, South Carolina heard the story about Noah and the Ark, they too wished that they had had a large ark in order to escape the leaky roof that covered their classrooms and gymnasium.

Ponding water on the gym’s existing modified bitumen roof and the built-up roof on several classrooms had created leak problems at the church.  With the buildings in constant use, officials at the church worried an accident would occur where there was a leak, endangering the approximately 175 children that attended the church’s preschool and Sunday school.  Dodging buckets or closing down the facility in order to make repairs on the roof were not options the church wished to consider.

Furthermore, the church facilities contained office and school equipment such as computers that needed to be protected from water damage as well as a brand new parquet floor in the gymnasium.

A long-term, leak-proof remedy was needed to keep the Summerville Baptist Church buildings high and dry.According to John Nettles, in charge of maintenance at Summerville, several types of roofing systems were reviewed during the initial phases of the re-roofing project.

“We looked at built-ups again, hypalons, spray-on coatings as well as thermoplastic single-ply,” recalled Nettles.

Officials at Summerville weighed their options and the benefits of each type of system before determining that the Duro-Last roofing system would be the best choice.

As an authorized Duro-Last contractor, John Congdon, owner of Congdon Roofing, Inc. in Charleston, South Carolina, knew that Duro-Last would be the ideal solution to Summerville’s roofing dilemma.

“We knew that the mechanically-attached Duro-Last single-ply roofing system would be a perfect fit for the Summerville Baptist Church facilities,” said Congdon.  ”Both of these problem roofs had parapet walls to resolve leaking problems that normally occur in walls made of mortar.”

Another benefit of the Duro-last roofing system is its prefabrication.  With 80-85% of the seams being factory-welded at one of the Duro-Last manufacturing facilities, the Congdon Roofing crew had less rooftop field seaming to complete, thus making the roof easier and quicker to install.

“Our crew could work more efficiently because of Duro-Last’s prefabrication,” noted Congdon.  ”Plus, installing Duro-Last is clean and no hazardous materials are used.  That was very important to church officials because they did not want any messy tar kettles on the roofs or near the buildings that were occupied during the installation.”

Warranty protection was also a feature that sold Summerville Baptist Church on Duro-Last.  The Duro-Last warranty does not exclude ponding water or consequential damages.  So church officials did not have to worry about the minor ponds associated with low-sloped roofs.

Last but not least, the Duro-Last roofing system is virtually maintenance-free, which allows Nettles to work on other important maintenance projects at Summerville Baptist Church.

Because church officials at Summerville appreciated the benefits of Duro-Last and the professionalism of Congdon Roofing, Inc., they also ordered a new Duro-Last roofing system for the church’s educational center, administrative offices, and carport.

“They liked the Duro-Last roofing system and our quality workmanship and customer service so much, that when Northbridge Baptist Church in Charleston, South Carolina needed a roof for its nursery building, Summerville officials recommended using Duro-Last,” said Congdon.  ”It has really paid off for us.”

“Duro-Last really came through for us – now our buildings are leak-proof and worry-free.” And the preschool and Sunday school children, like Noah of long ago, are safe and dry!

If you’re interested in finding out more about the roofing systems we use, don’t hesitate to contact Mwalter Roofing, your premier Chicago roofers!

The following article first appeared on the CBS News website on 12/22/10.  Despite the fact that this building was abandon, it still shows that even if you have a flat roof, it can still be subject to collapse if it’s not properly maintained. It also shows that, if you have a truss roof ( the roofs that are the most “collapse prone”), you ought to have it regularly checked for routine roof maintenance. If a fire breaks out in your home, will your roof be strong enough?

“As fires go, the one that broke out Wednesday in a small vacant building on the city’s South Side was likely to be pretty routine for the Chicago Fire Department.

Instead, it caused the deaths of two firefighters, trapped under debris with two others when a wall and roof collapsed, and injured 17.

In an eerie coincidence, it happened on the 100th anniversary of the Union Stock Yards fire, which killed 21 Chicago firefighters when a wall collapsed and stood as one of America’s worst tragedies for firefighter deaths until the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The call about the trapped firefighters interrupted a memorial service Wednesday honoring the Stock Yards fire victims.

“We were ringing the bell and calling out the names. We heard a mayday on the radio that a wall had fallen in,” said retired fireman Bill Cosgrove.

Most of the firemen broke down in tears when they found out about the collapse, he said.

“It was beyond disbelief,” Cosgrove said. “It was a matter of a few hours and a hundred years later we have the same type of incident.”

He said two firemen at the memorial left to help rescue the trapped firefighters. Other off-duty firefighters rushed there as well to help dig out their colleagues, said Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

They joined more than 170 other firefighters on duty who responded to an emergency call about the burning building just before dawn Wednesday, Langford said.

He said no one expected the call to be anything more than a routine winter-time fire.

Although the one-story building had been vacant for years and the utilities had been turned off, there was some concern that homeless people might be inside trying to stay warm. Firefighters were searching for any squatters when the building’s heavy-timbered roof collapsed. There weren’t any there, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds. Langford said a wall also collapsed.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, Authorities speculated that squatters might have been burning debris to keep warm.

“The fire had no other way of starting,” Langford said.

He said the only people injured were firefighters.

Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff identified the firefighters who died as Corey Ankum, who had been on the job less than two years and was assigned to Tower Ladder 34, and Edward Stringer, who had been in on the job 12 years and was assigned to Engine Company 63, detailed to Truck 16.

Hoff said six firefighters were taken to the hospital in critical condition, 10 in stable condition.

A witness told CBS 2 that three firefighters were on a ladder fighting a fire at a vacant cleaners, and when the roof caved in, they were sucked in.

The most seriously injured were inside the burning building when the roof and a wall collapsed. Others were injured while searching for them.

It was unclear why the building’s roof and wall collapsed. Hoff said snow, ice, and the building’s age could have contributed.

The fire broke out about 7 a.m., fire Media Affairs spokesman Will Knight said.

By 7:24 a.m., the alarm had been elevated to a 3-11 and an EMS Plan 2, which automatically sends about ten ambulances to the scene, was in effect, Knight said.

The building had a flat roof in the front and a bow-string truss roof in the back. While truss roofs often pose a danger of collapsing during fires, Hoff said fire crews decided to enter the building for a precautionary search because the fire was in an office area well below the ceiling.

“When you find an open door in the rear of the building, again, in this weather, we can go into any building somehwere and find someone inside taking refuge,” Hoff said.

A “mayday” call was issued during the blaze, as four firefighters were reportedly missing for a period of time. All were eventually accounted for, officials said.

Firefighters were reportedly hampered by frozen hydrants as they battled the blaze.

The flames were out by 8:35 a.m.”

If you’re interested in roofing maintenance in Chicago, don’t hesitate to contact M. Walter Roofing, you’re premier Chicago roofers!

“As fires go, the one that broke out Wednesday in a small vacant building on the city’s South Side was likely to be pretty routine for the Chicago Fire Department.

Instead, it caused the deaths of two firefighters, trapped under debris with two others when a wall and roof collapsed, and injured 17.

In an eerie coincidence, it happened on the 100th anniversary of the Union Stock Yards fire, which killed 21 Chicago firefighters when a wall collapsed and stood as one of America’s worst tragedies for firefighter deaths until the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

The call about the trapped firefighters interrupted a memorial service Wednesday honoring the Stock Yards fire victims.

“We were ringing the bell and calling out the names. We heard a mayday on the radio that a wall had fallen in,” said retired fireman Bill Cosgrove.

Most of the firemen broke down in tears when they found out about the collapse, he said.

“It was beyond disbelief,” Cosgrove said. “It was a matter of a few hours and a hundred years later we have the same type of incident.”

He said two firemen at the memorial left to help rescue the trapped firefighters. Other off-duty firefighters rushed there as well to help dig out their colleagues, said Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford.

They joined more than 170 other firefighters on duty who responded to an emergency call about the burning building just before dawn Wednesday, Langford said.

He said no one expected the call to be anything more than a routine winter-time fire.

Although the one-story building had been vacant for years and the utilities had been turned off, there was some concern that homeless people might be inside trying to stay warm. Firefighters were searching for any squatters when the building’s heavy-timbered roof collapsed. There weren’t any there, reports CBS News correspondent Dean Reynolds. Langford said a wall also collapsed.

The cause of the fire was under investigation, Authorities speculated that squatters might have been burning debris to keep warm.

“The fire had no other way of starting,” Langford said.

He said the only people injured were firefighters.

Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff identified the firefighters who died as Corey Ankum, who had been on the job less than two years and was assigned to Tower Ladder 34, and Edward Stringer, who had been in on the job 12 years and was assigned to Engine Company 63, detailed to Truck 16.

Hoff said six firefighters were taken to the hospital in critical condition, 10 in stable condition.

A witness told CBS 2 that three firefighters were on a ladder fighting a fire at a vacant cleaners, and when the roof caved in, they were sucked in.

The most seriously injured were inside the burning building when the roof and a wall collapsed. Others were injured while searching for them.

It was unclear why the building’s roof and wall collapsed. Hoff said snow, ice, and the building’s age could have contributed.

The fire broke out about 7 a.m., fire Media Affairs spokesman Will Knight said.

By 7:24 a.m., the alarm had been elevated to a 3-11 and an EMS Plan 2, which automatically sends about ten ambulances to the scene, was in effect, Knight said.

The building had a flat roof in the front and a bow-string truss roof in the back. While truss roofs often pose a danger of collapsing during fires, Hoff said fire crews decided to enter the building for a precautionary search because the fire was in an office area well below the ceiling.

“When you find an open door in the rear of the building, again, in this weather, we can go into any building somehwere and find someone inside taking refuge,” Hoff said.

A “mayday” call was issued during the blaze, as four firefighters were reportedly missing for a period of time. All were eventually accounted for, officials said.

Firefighters were reportedly hampered by frozen hydrants as they battled the blaze.

The flames were out by 8:35 a.m.”

If you’re interested in roofing maintenance in Chicago, don’t hesitate to contact M. Walter Roofing, you’re premier Chicago roofers!