Commercial Roofing in Ferndale, MI
Dining, shopping and service businesses share Ferndale's downtown, which the Downtown Development Authority describes as a mixed-use district serving residents, visitors and businesses. That mix puts different demands on neighboring roofs: a kitchen exhaust fan on one building, a heating unit on the next, a skylight over a retail floor, and a drain that must keep working through a Michigan winter. When a business opens or grows, the roof can pick up small changes, a new vent here and a new curb there, and each change is a place where water can enter.
The first step is a roof inspection that records those additions and the condition of the membrane around them, followed by written findings that say what is sound and what needs work.
Restaurants, Shops and Services on Shared Roofs
The use below the roof tells us where to look. A restaurant roof carries grease from exhaust, which can soften some membranes and clog drains nearby, so we check the area around each kitchen fan and the containment tray beneath it. A retail unit has a heating and cooling unit, a skylight or a vent stack. A service business such as a salon or an office has plumbing vents and exhaust. Each type of penetration needs its own flashing detail.
Where a single roof covers several tenants, the question of who maintains what must be answered before a leak occurs. We record the equipment on the roof by tenant, so the landlord and each tenant know where their responsibility begins.
The roof plan also notes shared drainage. When two buildings send water to one scupper or one set of drains, a blockage on one side can flood the other, and the record shows which owner maintains the shared piece.
New Penetrations and the Water Path
Business growth can add rooftop equipment, and a penetration cut by a mechanical contractor is not always flashed by a roofer. A pipe boot with a split collar, a curb with a gap at one corner or a vent whose flange lifts after a few seasons will let water in along the pipe or conduit. The stain may show far from the penetration, since water travels along the deck and the underside of the insulation before it drips.
We trace the path by checking each equipment curb and support, then compare the stain pattern inside with the roof plan. Where the source is not clear, an infrared survey narrows it before any sealant is applied.
Skylights, Vents and Small Penetrations
Small penetrations account for a large share of the details on a downtown roof. A skylight curb needs counterflashing that overlaps the base flashing, and its glazing needs a sealed perimeter. Plumbing vents need boots that fit tightly, and conduit needs sealed pitch pockets or clamps. The skylight and penetration flashing check takes time but finds the leaks that open most often.
During the walk we lift suspect flashings, probe sealant and look for the hairline cracks that show where metal and membrane have separated. Photographs and a marked plan record each item, and the written findings rank them by urgency so a manager can schedule repairs in a sensible order.
Where a skylight shows condensation, staining at the curb or a fogged seal, the glazing and the flashing are checked separately, since a glazing problem and a flashing problem look alike from below. We also record the age and condition of any roof hatch and its curb, because a hatch is a penetration that is opened often.
Repair Sequence for Occupied Storefronts
Repairs on an occupied building are sequenced by risk. The active leak comes first, then the details that are close to failing, then the cosmetic and planned items. Each repair is photographed before and after, and the plan marks the repair boundary, which lets a later leak be traced to a known detail.
If the membrane has aged beyond repair, the owner weighs a recover against a tear-off. A PVC membrane is often considered over kitchens because it tolerates grease better than some other single-ply sheets. The choice also depends on insulation condition, deck soundness and what the local authority requires, including the 2021 Michigan Building Code, effective April 9, 2025.
A section replacement works well on a roof with one failing area, such as the zone around a kitchen exhaust, where grease has aged the sheet faster than elsewhere. The new section ties into the sound field with a detailed seam, and the plan marks where the old and new roof meet. This keeps the cost in proportion to the damage.
Keeping Doors Open During Roof Work
A downtown business cannot close for a roof job, so the plan follows its hours. Tear-off and noisy tasks are scheduled for slow periods, hoisting is timed away from deliveries, and the work area is fenced on the sidewalk side. Kitchens are told in advance when the exhaust will be shut off for curb work, and ductwork is protected from debris.
When a storm or a failed detail opens the roof, emergency response is available at any hour, including holidays. Crews secure the opening with temporary protection and photograph it for the owner and the insurer, and permanent work follows once the weather allows. Damage from snow and ice is documented the same way.
A Visit Schedule That Matches the Seasons
A small downtown roof benefits from a visit in spring and another in fall. We clear drain bowls, check sealant at each penetration, probe seams and look at the grease buildup near exhaust fans. Each visit adds a dated note to the roof record. An owner with buildings in Royal Oak or Detroit can use the same schedule for all of them, which keeps records consistent across properties.
Between visits, the property manager can watch for the early signs: a new stain, a smell of damp, a drain that is slow after rain. Reporting those early gives a repair crew a small job in place of a large one.
Commercial Roofing Questions
Who is responsible for a roof leak when a tenant has added equipment?
The lease governs, but the roof record helps. We document who installed each unit and what the roof looked like before and after the work. That lets the landlord and the tenant settle the cost of a repair based on dated evidence.
How does grease from a kitchen fan affect a membrane?
Grease can soften some single-ply and bitumen membranes and collect in drains. The effect appears first around the fan, so we check that area, clean what can be cleaned and recommend a more resistant surface or a containment tray when the exposure is heavy.
Will a roofing project interrupt a restaurant's service?
It can be planned so that it does not. Noisy work is timed for slow hours, kitchen exhaust shutdowns are scheduled with the manager, and the work area is closed to customers. Temporary protection covers the opening at the end of each day.
What is worth fixing before winter?
Drains, sealant at penetrations and any open seam. The Dearborn station records 4,027 heating degree days in a normal year, and the cold months bring repeated freeze and thaw, and a small gap that lets in water in November becomes a larger one by February. A written list of those items lets the owner act before the snow.
How can a new tenant check the roof before signing?
Ask for the roof record. If none exists, request an inspection that includes photographs of the membrane, flashing and penetrations, plus moisture readings where useful. The result shows what the landlord should repair and what the tenant can reasonably expect to maintain.
Schedule a Ferndale roof inspection
Tell us what the building is used for, which tenants share the roof and where water has shown up. We will document the roof in writing with photographs, and that record will support your decision on repair, recover or replacement. Emergency response is available at any hour.
