Commercial roofing is judged on a different measure from domestic work. The question is rarely which system looks best, it is how quickly the leak can be stopped, how much disruption the work causes and whether the building can keep trading while it happens. We work on units, offices, retail premises, schools, village halls and light industrial buildings across Oxfordshire.
Repairs, replacement and planned maintenance on units, offices, schools and retail across Oxfordshire.
The roof types we work on
Most commercial roofs on our patch fall into a small number of categories, and each fails in its own predictable way.
Built up felt: multi layer bitumen systems, typically failing at laps, upstands and around outlets
Single ply membrane: PVC or TPO sheets, where welds and detailing around penetrations are the weak points
Profiled metal sheeting: corroded fixings, split laps, failed sealant and perished rooflight sheets
Asphalt: blistering and cracking with age, particularly on parapets and around plant
Liquid applied coatings: often a repair overlay on a failed system, which works well when the substrate is prepared and badly when it is not
Leak tracing on a large roof
On a big flat or profiled roof the leak is almost never directly above the wet ceiling tile. Water travels along the deck, along purlins and down services before it appears inside.
We work back from the internal evidence to the likely entry points, then inspect outlets, laps, upstands, penetrations, rooflights and gutter lines in order. That is slower than guessing but it stops you paying twice for the same repair.
Gutter lining and valley gutters
Long internal valley gutters on industrial units are one of the most common sources of serious water ingress, because when they overflow the water goes inside the building rather than down the wall.
Where the gutter itself is sound but leaking at joints, a liquid applied lining system is usually the most cost effective repair. Where the gutter has corroded through, replacement sections are the honest answer and we will say so.
Working around a trading business
We plan commercial work around your operation, including early starts, evenings and weekends where a daytime repair would shut you down. Method statements and risk assessments are provided as standard, and we hold public liability cover.
For landlords and managing agents we can carry out planned inspections with written condition reports and photographs, which makes budgeting for a replacement far easier than reacting to the next leak.
Do you attend commercial leaks urgently?
Yes. For an active leak we prioritise a make safe visit to stop water entering, then quote the permanent repair separately.
Can you work outside trading hours?
Yes. Early starts, evenings and weekend work are routine on retail and hospitality premises where daytime work is not practical.
Do you provide RAMS and insurance details?
Yes, method statements, risk assessments and public liability details are supplied before we start on site.
Is a liquid coating a real fix or a patch?
It depends entirely on the substrate. Over a sound but ageing membrane, a properly prepared coating is a genuine life extension. Over a wet, delaminated deck it is money wasted, and we will tell you which yours is.
Can you report on a roof for a lease or purchase?
Yes. We provide condition reports with photographs and an indication of remaining life and likely costs.
We attend, inspect safely and identify what is actually failing rather than what is easiest to reach.
You get evidence of the defect, which matters for insurers, landlords and budget approval.
Where a repair will buy time we say so, and where replacement is the honest answer we say that too.
Scheduled around trading hours with RAMS supplied in advance.
Completion photographs and a written guarantee on the work carried out.
Evans Roofing & Maintenance Ltd, Witney, Oxfordshire. Call 07960 482233 for a free written quote.