Commercial buildings abound in Las Vegas. From casinos, to theaters, to banks, stores and historical buildings, you’ll find no shortage of commercial buildings in the vacation capital of the US. With all of these buildings, it’s completely understandable that commercial roofing could be a category all on its own. It comes with its own set of problems and solutions; commercial roofs are not repaired as simply as houses or apartment buildings.

Wear and Tear for Commercial Roofing

Commercial roofing must endure much more than the roofing of a house. It suffers through substantial wiring, excess ventilation, and lighting and outside elements, like heat, rain and wind. Of course it’s going to go through a normal wear and tear period. Things may rot, break or chip. Leaks are not uncommon, and neither are animals like birds making their homes inside of small holes that could have been created by extreme conditions. Repairs and re-repairs (repairs done to a recent repair) do not usually require a one or two man job. Even the tools for commercial roofing are different than the tools used for residential roofing, though they are no less capable of getting the job done.

Commercial Roofing Materials

Take into consideration, also, the materials used on commercial roofing. If it’s made of something common, like metal, it may or may not be expensive to install or repair. However, if it’s made of something energy efficient, like white roofing, you may have to find someone who specializes in that sort of thing. Either way, make sure that your roofing company not only does the job, but does a successful job. You don’t want someone coming in with a stick of glue and some screws saying it’ll only take five minutes to fix your problem. You need someone who’s going to communicate with you effectively, both about the roof and the problem, as well as the solution and how they’re going to go about carrying it out for you.

Saving Energy with Commercial Roofing

Even Las Vegas isn’t being left behind when it comes to the current "go green" movement. It takes a lot of money to run the city of bright lights and flashing neon signs. Most buildings cut down on this by having a sky light installed, accompanied by dim lights that may brighten once the sun goes down. Since sky lights are a part of the roof, this would fall under lighting and roofing. Both lighting experts and roofers must work together to ensure that these sky lights are not only effective, but that none of the materials are compromised in the process.

In addition, since lighting is attached to the roof, roofs must provide a specific type of shelter for the wiring for the lights. Some materials for roofing are well insulated and allow for conservation of inside temperatures (heat and cold) so that industrial and commercial buildings can experience a reduction in their electrical expenses.

Another alternative is to have a white roof installed instead of a dark-colored or black one. White reflects light, while dark colors absorb it, adding to your building’s energy consumption.