Cromer Roofers carries out commercial roofing repairs, inspections and full replacements for businesses and property owners in and around North Walsham.
We work on retail units, industrial and agricultural buildings, and holiday accommodation across North Norfolk. Commercial roofs need a different level of attention to domestic ones - more surface area, more drainage complexity, and more scope for serious damage if a problem is left unaddressed.
Commercial roofing work includes flat roof replacement and repair, single-ply and felt membrane systems, EPDM rubber roofing, box gutter lining and re-lining, roof light installation and replacement, pitched roof repair and re-covering in slate or profiled steel, and parapet and flashing work. On larger commercial properties, all of these elements may be present on a single building.
Flat roof replacement using built-up torch-on felt typically costs from around £70 to £120 per square metre, depending on the roof area, access and how many existing layers need stripping. Natural slate on a pitched commercial or farm roof typically runs from £80 to £150 per square metre installed. EPDM rubber and single-ply membranes sit in a broadly similar cost range to felt, with slight variation depending on specification and detailing requirements.
Finding an active leak on a commercial roof - whether through a ceiling, around a roof light or from a box gutter overflowing - is stressful, and the instinct to deal with it immediately is understandable. There are practical steps you can take that genuinely help, and some actions that tend to make things worse.
Before anything else, move stock, equipment and documents away from the affected area. Place buckets or trays to catch drips, and lay down sheeting to protect floor surfaces. If water is affecting electrical fittings or distribution boards, switch off the relevant circuits and do not switch them back on until the area has been inspected by a qualified electrician. Water finding its way to electrics is the most serious short-term risk in a commercial leak situation.
Take photographs and short video clips of the leak point, the ceiling or wall damage, any pooling water, and the general condition of the area. Do this before any cleaning or temporary covering is put in place. That documentation is useful when you come to discuss the work with a roofing contractor, and it matters if you need to make an insurance claim or dispute liability for consequential damage.
A temporary tarpaulin or heavy-duty polythene sheet weighted or fixed at the edges can reduce further water ingress while you wait for a contractor. This is reasonable and can prevent a manageable problem from becoming a serious one. What you should not do is attempt to apply roofing compound, mastic, silicone sealant or any kind of patch directly to a flat roof membrane unless you have roofing experience. Poorly applied products can make the membrane harder to repair correctly, and in some cases they can trap water below them and accelerate the damage they were meant to stop.
Do not walk across a wet flat roof surface unless you have a safe, fixed route to follow. A wet felt or single-ply surface is slippery, and the edges of a commercial flat roof are rarely guarded in the same way as a domestic one. Do not lean ladders against parapet walls without checking they are stable first.
These are the actions that tend to cause additional problems:
A roofing contractor will be able to help you faster if you can describe the following before they arrive:
This information helps the contractor bring the right materials and equipment at the first visit, which saves time and reduces the period the building is exposed.
Once the leak is under control and the contractor has carried out a proper inspection, the next decision is whether the roof needs repair or full replacement. A single failure in an otherwise sound membrane is usually repairable. Widespread cracking, saturated insulation or a failing deck beneath the membrane are signs that replacement is the only sound long-term option. Ask for a written assessment of what was found and why the recommended approach has been chosen - a good contractor will be able to explain this clearly.
The most preventable commercial roof failures are caused by blocked drainage, neglected flashings and undetected foot traffic damage. Regular gutter and outlet clearance (at least twice a year), annual checks of every upstand and flashing, and a professional inspection every two to three years will catch the majority of problems before they become emergencies. A small repair budget spent consistently is far cheaper than the cost of emergency callouts and consequential damage.
If you have an active or suspected leak on a commercial property in North Walsham or the surrounding North Norfolk area, call us to arrange an inspection. We will assess the roof properly and give you a straight account of what needs doing and why.
No obligation · We usually respond within 2 hours
Storm damage, active leak, damaged ridge - we aim to be on-site within 24 hours.
