Restaurant Roofing
Restaurant Roofing in Hoover, AL
A restaurant loses money by the hour when a ceiling drips. A leak over the dining room on a Friday night means closed tables and a refund line. For a restaurant in Hoover, AL, the roof is also the exhaust path for the kitchen, and the grease that comes out of it settles on the membrane.
So the plan is simple. Walk the roof in winter. Price the work in February. Do it on a Monday morning, not a Saturday afternoon. The deliverable is a number, a date and a photo of the hood curb.
The issue: grease, heat and the hood curb
A restaurant roof takes what the kitchen throws out. Exhaust fans spit grease and steam. The membrane downwind turns soft, dark and slick. Walk pads wear to nothing where the cooks service the fan. Staff also hose down the roof around the hood, which pushes grease into seams and drains. We tell you where not to wash, and we give the crew a simple cleaning routine that protects the membrane. A grease trap overflow can run down a seam.
We start at the hood curb. We check the flashing, the fan base and the grease containment. We look for soft, stained or blistered membrane downwind. We probe seams within ten feet of each fan. Then we check the rooftop units, the drains and the wall tie-ins.
Some membranes handle grease better than others. A sample taken downwind of the worst fan tells us how much the surface has changed, and the result shapes the replacement spec. When oils reach the roof, PVC roofing often wears better. We look at what your kitchen puts out, then match the system.
What it costs: closed tables and grease damage
A roof repair is a short visit, usually a morning. A closed dining room on a busy night costs more than the repair. Grease damage is a slow bill: the membrane softens, leaks start at the fan and the repair grows each year.
A restaurant roof's price follows area, layers, wet insulation, penetrations and access. A restaurant roof is small, but it carries many details per square foot. A curb and equipment support repair at the hood often stops the leak and protects the membrane for years.
The estimate lines up repair, restoration and replacement, then adds what one more season costs.
Storm season: March, April and November
The Birmingham area sits in Dixie Alley. Business buildings in Inverness, Pelham, Helena and Indian Springs took an F2 tornado on March 27, 1994, and the larger F5 and EF4 storms of 1977, 1998 and 2011 are the other markers for Birmingham. Thunderstorms peak in spring and return from November into early December.
Restaurant roofs lose coping, edge metal and fan covers in strong wind. Hail bruises membrane, and on April 25, 2003 it reached softball size across central Alabama. A severe report sends us out for a storm walk and hail check, with dated photos of each item. Claims bunch up in March, April and November.
When to do it: US 280, Riverchase and dinner service
The US 280 corridor through Inverness is lined with restaurants and shopping centers, and the Riverchase Galleria on US 31, open since 1986, puts shopping, a hotel and offices in Riverchase. Each location has its own rush, and the roof window sits between them.
Do roof work early in the day and early in the week. Keep the patio and the front entry clear. Dry in before service, every day. An occupied building reroof plan lists the work zones, the hours and the person to call, so the manager can run service without surprises.
Patio season changes the mix. Outdoor dining brings the kitchen's exhaust and refrigeration loads to a peak in warm months, so inspections of fans and drains belong in early spring, before heavy use begins, and large repairs land in the quiet days of late winter.
Budget year: the multi-unit view
A multi-location operator needs a single view, so each roof is ranked by condition and grease exposure. The worst go first. Each location gets a page with photos, readings and a price.
Heat softens grease-soaked membrane faster. We add a spring and fall check, and we clean the roof around the fans each time. A one-page log of dates, findings and fixes stays with the roof file, so a new manager or a new owner can see the history in a minute. A retail and restaurant chains plan uses the same format across locations.
More on Restaurant Roofing
Recommendation: fix the fan, then the field
Start at the hood. Reflash the curb. Add a grease tray. Add walk pads. A core through the field shows moisture: dry insulation can be restored, and wet insulation means a section replaced. The dividing line goes in writing.
A replacement is reviewed against the state building code and the ASHRAE 90.1-2013 energy rule. A restaurant in a strip follows shopping center roofing, a hotel restaurant follows hotel roofing, and a grocery deli follows grocery store roofing.
What to ask us: five questions for an owner or manager
Call with the address and the last roof report. Then ask these.
- Is the membrane near the hood soft, stained or split?
- Which curbs, vents and drains are open?
- How can you tell the insulation is dry?
- What can be done on a Monday morning?
- What does the repair cost, and what is the price of waiting?
The response is photos, readings and a price. Meanwhile we want your service hours, your busiest nights and the day your grease hauler comes. Those facts set the schedule. A restaurant that closes on Mondays can have a bigger job done that day, and a restaurant that never closes gets the work split into small pieces.
If a drip lands on a table, put out a sign, move the guests and call. A crew dries in the spot and follows the water to its source from the roof side. The written report follows, and it fits the landlord's budget cycle if you rent the building.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Can the roof be worked while the restaurant is open?
Yes. We work early in the day and early in the week, keep the front entry and patio clear and dry in daily. We recommend a one-page schedule for the manager. Noisy work over the dining room moves to the hours before lunch, when the room is empty.
Why does grease ruin a roof?
It softens many membranes, then the surface swells and splits. Exhaust fans spread grease across the roof, and it sits all summer. We recommend a grease tray under every fan, a monthly cleaning and a membrane suited to the exposure.
How often should a restaurant roof be checked?
Twice a year, with a quick look at the hood curb each month. Walk in late winter and again in early fall. We recommend adding a hail check after any severe report. A short log kept with the roof file shows what changed and when.
What does a hood curb repair involve?
We clean the area, check the fan base, reflash the curb, add a grease tray and install walk pads. It is often a one-day job. We recommend doing it before the spring storm season, so the curb is tight when the first heavy rain arrives.
Do I need a new roof or a coating?
Core it first. If the insulation is dry and seams are tight, a coating can add years. If the insulation is wet or the membrane is soaked with grease, replace that section. We recommend both prices on one page.
Related Roofing Work
PVC Roofing
Rooftop Equipment Curbs and Supports
Inverness
Riverchase
Emergency Leak Calls
Call for a storm walk or budget review
Call before spring, or after the next severe report. The visit pins down the hood curb, the drains and the units that go first, and what the fix costs. You get it in writing, with a price on each.