Fire Season Reminds of Importance of Roofing Materials

We’ve hit that point in the year when there seems to be more structure fires in the news, so that’s a good reminder of how important your roofing system is when it comes to fire resistance.

A recent restaurant fire in Tacoma, Washington, was so bad that firefighters had to run for their lives to get out of the building – to avoid a collapsing roof.

In that situation, firefighters had entered the restaurant to make sure it had been evacuated safely. That’s when they noticed that the roof was looking unstable. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the roof did collapse right after they got out. And because restaurants tend to have a lot of cooking oils and grease, they then spent hours trying to put out the stubborn flames. It does make you wonder how differently that could have turned out if the restaurant had had a PVC roofing membrane, instead of more flammable construction materials.

PVC Roofing Membranes: Highly Fire Resistant

PVC – polyvinyl chloride – roofs like the ones we install have a lot of benefits over other types of roofing materials. One of the biggest benefits is that PVC is a naturally fire-resistant material. It’s really tough to set a PVC roofing membrane on fire because PVC simply does not support combustion. Plus, if you take away the source of the flame, a PVC roofing membrane will self-extinguish, rather than smoldering for hours and presenting a risk of flaring up again.

It’s important to note that PVC roofing does not prevent fires – like grease, electrical or from other sources – from starting. However, PVC does inhibit the spread of flames, and can help prevent the roof from collapsing, potentially allowing firefighters to extinguish the fire before it can totally destroy a structure.

Element Resistant, Too

Fire resistance is not the only benefit of a flat commercial PVC roof. PVC membranes are highly resistant to other elements of nature that can damage commercial roofs. Wind, rain, snow and summertime heat. Plus, they’re highly reflective, which can save money on your energy costs. A PVC roofing membrane is simply a superior product for a flat commercial roof, and it’s an investment that is likely to last your commercial business for many years to come with minimal servicing. No matter what your commercial roofing requirements are, give us a call today so we can get the process started!