Service for Columbus commercial properties
Modified bitumen is the right membrane for Columbus commercial buildings with frequent rooftop foot traffic, dense equipment service zones, or owners who need a membrane that facility maintenance staff can repair with standard materials. We install APP torch-applied and SBS cold-applied systems with full manufacturer warranty enrollment.
Modified bitumen roofing — the evolved successor to traditional built-up roofing (BUR) — remains the appropriate choice for a defined set of Columbus commercial building applications. Where TPO and EPDM are single-ply membranes that require specialized welding equipment or solvent-based adhesives for field repairs, a properly installed modified bitumen cap sheet can be patched in the field with torch or cold adhesive by facility maintenance personnel who have received basic training. That maintainability is a genuine operational advantage for Columbus building owners and facility managers who run large inventories with in-house maintenance staff.
Modified bitumen is the right membrane for Columbus commercial buildings with frequent rooftop foot traffic, dense equipment service zones, or owners who need a membrane that facility maintenance staff can repair with standard materials. We install APP torch-applied and SBS cold-applied systems with full manufacturer warranty enrollment.
Modified bitumen roofing — the evolved successor to traditional built-up roofing (BUR) — remains the appropriate choice for a defined set of Columbus commercial building applications. Where TPO and EPDM are single-ply membranes that require specialized welding equipment or solvent-based adhesives for field repairs, a properly installed modified bitumen cap sheet can be patched in the field with torch or cold adhesive by facility maintenance personnel who have received basic training. That maintainability is a genuine operational advantage for Columbus building owners and facility managers who run large inventories with in-house maintenance staff.
Service decisions are tied to leak history, roof age, membrane condition, drainage, tenant sensitivity, access, and the capital plan behind the property.
The next step is a repair scope, replacement budget, coating review, maintenance schedule, bid package, moisture survey, or immediate leak response plan.
Questions
A properly installed two-ply modified bitumen system in Columbus — SBS or APP with peel-and-stick or torch-applied base ply and granule-surfaced cap sheet — typically achieves 20 to 25 years of service life. Modified bitumen systems on Columbus buildings that were improperly installed, particularly those with mastic-only flashings from the 1990s, fail much earlier. The freeze-thaw cycling in central Ohio accelerates flashing failure when termination details are inadequate. We install peel-and-stick base flashing at all penetrations and parapets, which is the critical quality detail for Columbus climate performance.
Yes, subject to core sample results. If the existing BUR system has dry felts and the deck is sound, a modified bitumen recover over BUR is viable and avoids the cost of BUR tear-off, which is expensive due to the weight and asphalt content of the existing assembly. If core samples show wet felts or structural deck deterioration, tear-off is required. Columbus BUR systems from the 1970s and 1980s on low-slope roofs frequently show water infiltration when we pull cores — we find wet conditions on roughly 50% of the BUR buildings we assess in the Columbus market.
Torch-applied APP can be safely installed on most occupied Columbus commercial buildings when proper hot-work permits are obtained, fire watch protocols are in place, and the work is sequenced to avoid occupied areas below the torching zone during installation. For buildings where open flame is not acceptable — healthcare facilities, certain institutional buildings, older wood-deck structures — we specify SBS cold-applied systems that achieve equivalent performance without open flame. We assess each project's fire code and occupancy requirements before specifying system type.
Share the building address, roof history, current concern, timing, and access constraints. We will give you a practical next step for inspection, repair, maintenance, coating, or replacement planning.
Contact Commercial Roofers of Columbus