Skyridge Ricky's Guide: The Best Commercial Flat Roofing Systems for Utah Businesses
By Skyridge Ricky • February 26, 2025 • 12 min read
I don't care if you own a small coffee shop in Provo or a massive warehouse in Salt Lake—if your flat roof is leaking, you're losing money! Commercial roofing is a different beast than residential. You don't have shingles to hide behind; you've got one giant membrane that has to handle standing water, heavy HVAC units, and that brutal Utah sun.
I've seen TPO roofs that looked like they were "melting" because they were installed with the wrong adhesive, and I've seen EPDM roofs that lasted forty years because the owner actually cared about the seams. Flat roofing is all about the details—the penetrations, the drains, and the welds. Let me show you how to pick a system that lets you focus on your business, not your buckets.
TPO: The White "Cool Roof" (Utah's Favorite)
TPO (Thermoplastic Polyolefin) is the king of the Wasatch Front. If you look down from a plane at Salt Lake, almost every white roof you see is TPO. Why? Because it's a "cool roof." It reflects the sun like a mirror, which keeps your building's AC bills way lower in July.
The magic of TPO is the seams. We don't use glue or tape to put them together; we use a hot-air welder. We literally melt the two sheets into one. When it's done right, that seam is actually stronger than the rest of the roof!
But here is a Skyridge Ricky Tip: TPO is only as good as the guy holding the welder. I've seen crews rush the welds when it's cold outside, and those seams pop open during the first big freeze. We do "pull tests" on every job to make sure those welds are bulletproof. If you're going with TPO, make sure your crew isn't just slapping it down—they need to be artists with that heat gun!
Professional Takeaways
- Skyridge Ricky's Rule: White TPO can lower cooling costs by 30%
- Seams are heat-welded, not glued, for maximum strength
- Excellent resistance to chemicals and grease (perfect for restaurants)
- Requires a pro who knows how to calibrate a welder for Utah altitude
Roof Coatings: The Replacement Killer
This is my favorite thing to talk to business owners about. If your flat roof is mostly in good shape but has a few leaks at the seams, you might not need a replacement! We can often do a "restoration coating."
We come in, clean the whole roof, reinforce every seam and pipe boot with mesh, and then spray or roll on a thick silicone or elastomeric coating. It turns your old, tired roof into one seamless, waterproof "monolithic" sheet. It's a great way to squeeze another 10 or 20 years out of an existing roof.
The best part? It's about half the cost of a full tear-off and replacement. Plus, you can write off the entire cost as a "maintenance expense" in one tax year, instead of depreciating a new roof over 39 years. Talk to your accountant about that one! I've seen silicone coatings save Utah business owners $50,000 while giving them a fresh 20-year warranty.
Professional Takeaways
- Skyridge Ricky's Tip: Silicone coatings stop leaks and add 20 years of life
- Tax Savings: Maintenance expenses are often 100% deductible in year one
- Monolithic design means zero seams for water to find
- Can be applied over most existing flat roof systems
Skyridge Ricky's Take on Commercial Maintenance
Here is a "Skyridge Ricky's Rule" for every building manager: stay off the roof, and keep your HVAC guys on a leash! Most of the leaks I fix on commercial roofs aren't caused by the weather—they're caused by people. HVAC techs drop panels, step on screws, and drag heavy tools across the membrane.
Every commercial roof should have "walk pads"—those are reinforced paths that lead to the equipment. If you don't have them, you're just asking for a puncture. In our commercial maintenance programs, I check the walk pads, clear the scuppers (drains), and look for "tenting" at the edges.
A flat roof is like a giant sink. If the drain is plugged, the sink overflows. If your scuppers are full of pigeon nests or trash, the water piles up until it finds a way into your building. A $500 annual cleaning can save you from a $50,000 catastrophic failure. It's the cheapest insurance you can buy!
Professional Takeaways
- Walk pads are non-negotiable for roofs with HVAC equipment
- Clogged scuppers cause "ponding" which stresses the structure
- HVAC techs cause 40% of all commercial roof punctures
- Annual inspections catch seam failures before they damage inventory
Wrapping it up
Commercial roofing is high-stakes work. One mistake at a drain or a pipe boot can shut down your entire operation. Whether you need a high-reflectivity TPO system, a durable rubber workhorse, or a cost-saving restoration coating, the Sky Ridge team has the expertise to do it right.
Reach out today, and let's get a pro look at your commercial building. I'll give you the honest truth on whether you need a patch, a coating, or a new lid! Take care of your building, and it'll take care of your business.
