Commercial & Multi-Family Torch Down Roofing
Est. 1995
Family-Owned
BBB
Accredited Business
Licensed
& Fully Insured
James Hardie
Elite Preferred Contractor
300+
5-Star Reviews
Side-Pro Exteriors
Where Torch Down Earns Its Place on a Commercial Roof
Torch down is a modified bitumen system, and on commercial and multi-family work it earns its place on two kinds of roof.
The first is the smaller commercial building — the low-slope roof over a shop, an office suite, a clinic or a light industrial unit, where a full single-ply system is more roof than the building needs.
The second is the low-slope area on a larger property. Stair towers, entry canopies, breezeways, trash enclosures and the flat sections between pitched planes on an apartment complex are all too flat for shingles and too small to justify their own single-ply scope.
The argument owners and boards care about is repairability. Torch down patches in place. Damage from a dropped tool, a failed penetration or a contractor working on a rooftop unit is a repair rather than a section replacement, which is what makes it sit well against a maintenance budget over a hold period.
On larger flat roofs the honest alternative is single-ply membrane, which we also install. We will say which one the roof calls for before the bid rather than after.
Torch down is open-flame work, so it carries a fire risk the other roofing systems do not. Hot work is planned with extinguishers at the work area, combustibles cleared from the deck and the areas below, and a fire watch that stays on the roof after the torches go off.
Our safety program has been recognized nationally by the NAHB, and our record with L&I is clean — no safety inspections, no license violations, no claims against our bond. You can check that yourself under contractor license SIDEPI*008N1. More on how we work safely.
How We Re-Roof an Occupied Building
Open flame over an occupied building. That governs everything else. The deck is checked before any torch is lit, the crew is trained for it rather than handed a torch, and where the assembly or the occupancy does not suit open flame we specify a self-adhered system instead.
Tear-off, then a full deck inspection. Rot is documented at that point, with photographs, rather than appearing later as a change order.
Drainage engineered, not assumed. Flat roofs fail at ponding water, so slope-to-drain and the edge details are settled before the first roll goes down. A roof that ponds after every storm is a design fault, and re-covering it only buys a few years before the same puddle returns.
Seams torch-welded. Seam quality is what decides the roof. It is a trained-crew skill, not a handyman one.
Flashing at every transition. Curbs, vents, rooftop units, and the junction where a low-slope area meets a pitched plane above it.
Phased around your occupants. Dates issued in advance, access kept usable, and each area closed up before the next is opened.
Safety. On an occupied building it is not only our crews we are thinking about — it is the resident walking under the scaffolding to reach their own front door. Every crew lead is first aid and CPR certified. Crews meet weekly on safety. A superintendent checks each site daily against a written list. And twice a year we invite L&I onto our jobsites to find what we have missed. Our program carries national NAHB recognition and our L&I record is clean — check it yourself under contractor license SIDEPI*008N1. More on how we work safely.
Why Choose Side-Pro?
- Open-flame work is treated as open-flame work. Trained crew, deck checked first, and a self-adhered system specified where the building calls for one.
- Boards, managers and general contractors get a real schedule, with dates issued in advance and access kept usable throughout.
- Ponding is corrected rather than re-covered, so the roof does not fail early in the same low spot.
- Pitched, low-slope and the walls between them under one contractor, so the transitions are nobody else’s problem.
What Drives the Cost of a Commercial Torch Down Roof
A commercial torch down roof is priced by area, but the area is only the starting point. Five things move the number more than the square footage does.
On larger roof fields the honest alternative is single-ply — see TPO and PVC. For the wider scope, commercial roofing. Free walk-through, real number, no pressure.
Commercial & Multi-Family Torch Down Questions
Is torch application safe over an occupied building?
It is open-flame work and it is treated that way. The deck is checked before any torch is lit, the crew is trained for it, and a fire watch stays on after the torches go out. Where the assembly or the occupancy does not suit open flame, we specify a self-adhered modified bitumen system instead rather than pressing on.
Torch down or single-ply on a commercial roof?
Torch down suits smaller commercial roofs and the low-slope areas on larger properties, and it repairs in place. Single-ply usually wins across a large open field of roof. We will say which one the building calls for before the bid rather than after.
How long does it last?
Typically 15 to 20 years and beyond depending on the system and the drainage. It repairs well, which extends service life further, and that repairability is usually what makes it work against a maintenance budget.
Our roof ponds water. Can you fix that in the re-roof?
Yes, and it should be fixed rather than re-covered. Depending on the roof that means tapered insulation, an added drain or a new scupper. Fixing the fall costs once; leaving it costs every time the roof is replaced early in the same low spot.
Can the work be phased across a property?
Yes. Dates are issued in advance so managers can give notice, access stays usable, and each area is closed up before the next is opened.
What happens if a rooftop contractor damages the membrane later?
Modified bitumen patches in place. Damage from a dropped tool, a failed penetration or somebody servicing a rooftop unit is a repair rather than a section replacement, which is one of the main reasons owners choose it.
What Our Customers Are Saying...
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Please fill out our FREE ESTIMATE / INSPECTION form or call today to discuss your roofing or siding project with our friendly staff.
Office: 425-486-4777
Fax: 425-483-5727
Address:
17270 Woodinville-Redmond Road NE
Suite 700
Woodinville, WA 98072
Side Pro Exteriors is a locally owned and operated siding, roofing and exterior renovation company since 1995. We provide roofing and siding replacement to over half of Washington State including King Snohomish and Pierce counties.
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