The Grease Problem and Grease-Resistant Roofing
Grease is the defining challenge of a restaurant roof, and choosing roofing that resists it is central to a roof that lasts. Understanding the grease problem explains a key restaurant roofing decision. Here is the grease problem and grease resistant roofing on a Greentown commercial building.
How Grease Damages a Roof
Grease damages a roof by degrading roofing materials not formulated to resist it, since the oils and fats in cooking grease can break down certain membranes over time. Grease that builds up around exhaust fans attacks vulnerable materials, shortening the roof's life in those areas. For a Greentown restaurant, understanding how grease damages a roof explains why material choice matters, since the wrong material degrades. The grease is corrosive to unsuitable membranes. This way grease damages a roof is the core of the grease problem, since the oils and fats in cooking grease can degrade roofing materials not formulated to resist them, breaking down vulnerable membranes over time and making grease resistance an essential quality for a restaurant roof on the building.
Why PVC Resists Grease
PVC roofing resists grease, which is why it is a common choice for restaurants, since PVC membranes are formulated to withstand the oils and fats that degrade other materials. PVC holds up to grease exposure where vulnerable membranes fail, making it well suited to the areas around exhaust fans. For a Greentown restaurant, PVC's grease resistance is a key reason it is recommended, since it stands up to the conditions. The material is suited to the grease. This grease resistance is why PVC is a common restaurant roofing choice, since PVC membranes are formulated to withstand the oils and fats that degrade other materials, holding up to the grease exposure that a restaurant roof faces and making PVC well suited to the demands of a food service building on the property.
Why EPDM Struggles With Grease
EPDM roofing struggles with grease, since the oils and fats in cooking grease can degrade EPDM membranes, making EPDM a poor choice where grease exposure occurs. EPDM has many strengths, but grease resistance is not among them, so it is generally not recommended for the grease exposed areas of a restaurant roof. For a Greentown restaurant, understanding why EPDM struggles with grease explains why it is not the default choice, since it degrades. The material is vulnerable to the grease. This struggle with grease is why EPDM is generally not recommended for restaurant roofs, since the oils and fats in cooking grease can degrade EPDM membranes, making a material with many other strengths a poor fit for the grease exposed conditions of a food service building on the property.
Choosing a Grease-Resistant Membrane
Choosing a grease resistant membrane is central to a restaurant roof that lasts, with PVC being a common choice for its grease resistance, while the right material depends on the roof and the situation. A knowledgeable contractor recommends a membrane suited to the grease exposure. For a Greentown restaurant, choosing a grease resistant membrane is an important decision, since the material must withstand the conditions. Greentown Commercial Roofing recommends the right membrane for restaurant conditions. This choosing of a grease resistant membrane is central to a lasting restaurant roof, since the material must withstand the grease exposure, with PVC being a common choice for its grease resistance, and a knowledgeable contractor recommending the membrane that fits the roof and the restaurant's conditions on the property.
Protecting an Existing Roof From Grease
An existing restaurant roof can be protected from grease through grease management and maintenance, even if the membrane is not the most grease resistant. Keeping grease cleaned off, using containment around exhaust fans, and maintaining the roof help limit grease damage. For a Greentown restaurant, protecting an existing roof from grease extends its life, since managing the grease reduces the harm. The protection comes from management and upkeep. This protecting of an existing roof from grease is part of restaurant roof care, since grease management and maintenance, including keeping grease cleaned off and using containment, can limit grease damage to an existing roof, extending its life even when the membrane is not the most grease resistant on the property.
The Right Choice for the Conditions
The right roofing choice for a restaurant is one made with the grease conditions in mind, whether selecting a grease resistant membrane for a new roof or managing grease on an existing one. The choice should fit the restaurant's actual conditions. For a Greentown restaurant, the right choice for the conditions is what produces a lasting roof, since the grease must be accounted for. The conditions guide the decision. This right choice for the conditions is what a lasting restaurant roof requires, since the grease exposure must be accounted for, whether by selecting a grease resistant membrane for a new roof or managing grease on an existing one, with the choice made to fit the restaurant's actual conditions on the property.
Handling the Grease Problem
Grease degrades roofing materials not formulated to resist it, which is why PVC, with its grease resistance, is a common restaurant choice while EPDM struggles with grease. Choosing a grease resistant membrane or managing grease on an existing roof is central to a lasting restaurant roof on a Greentown commercial building.
It helps to understand that drainage is especially important on a restaurant roof. Restaurant roof drains face a challenge that ordinary commercial drains do not, since grease combines with debris to clog them more readily, and clogged drains cause water to pool. Ponding water stresses the roof, accelerates membrane aging, and can lead to leaks, so keeping the drains clear is a priority on a restaurant roof. For a Greentown restaurant, this means drain maintenance deserves regular attention, more than it might on a building without grease. Greentown Commercial Roofing treats drainage as a key part of restaurant roof maintenance, keeping the drains clear of the grease and debris that clog them so water flows off the roof rather than pooling and stressing the membrane on the commercial building.
Get a Roof Built for Grease
Is your restaurant roof suited to the grease it faces? Call Greentown Commercial Roofing at (765) 676-3491 for a free inspection of your Greentown restaurant. We recommend grease resistant roofing for new roofs and grease management for existing ones, protecting your roof from the conditions a kitchen creates.