On a commercial building, the leak is rarely the biggest cost. The bigger cost is stock, equipment, downtime and the disruption of getting anyone onto the roof during working hours. That changes how the job should be approached: diagnose accurately, repair what is actually failing, and plan the access around the business rather than the other way round.
Gutters first, sheets second
On profiled metal and asbestos-cement roofs the internal box and valley gutters carry enormous volumes of water and are frequently the source. They corrode at the joints, they silt up, and the outlets block. Water then backs up over the gutter edge and appears inside the building metres away from where the fault is.
Gutter lining, a seamless liner installed inside the existing gutter, is often far cheaper and less disruptive than replacement, provided the gutter still has structural integrity.
Sheets, fixings and rooflights
Where the roof covering itself is failing, the pattern is usually predictable.
- Corroded fixings with perished washers letting water down the shank
- End laps opening as sheets move thermally
- Rooflights that have gone brittle, crazed and cracked
- Flashings at parapets, upstands and plant penetrations
- Later additions, cable trays, ductwork, condenser units, fixed straight through the covering
Repair, overlay or replace
Targeted repairs make sense where the covering has life left in it. An over-sheet or overlay system can extend the life of a tired industrial roof considerably without stripping it, and it can usually be installed while the building stays in use. Full replacement is the answer where the sheets or the deck have gone, and it needs planning around the occupier.
We price these honestly against each other, including the disruption cost, so you can make a commercial decision rather than a purely technical one.
Working around a live business
Access arrangements, working hours, fragile-roof precautions and keeping walkways clear are part of the job on an occupied building, not an afterthought. Where an asbestos-cement covering is involved, that has to be identified and handled through the correct route before anyone goes near it, and we will say so at survey stage.
Common questions
Can you work outside our opening hours?
Where the works and safe access allow, yes. We will agree the programme at quote stage so there are no surprises for your staff or customers.
Is gutter lining a permanent fix?
It is a long-term solution where the existing gutter is structurally sound and correctly falls to the outlets. Where the gutter itself has failed structurally, lining it just hides the problem.
Our roof has asbestos cement sheets. Can you work on it?
Asbestos-containing materials have to be identified and managed under the correct procedures. We will flag it at survey and set out the right route rather than disturbing it.
Do you carry out planned maintenance for commercial sites?
Yes, scheduled gutter clearing and inspections with written reports are usually far cheaper than reactive call-outs, particularly across several buildings.