Full Episode Transcript

Roofing Talks Episode 4: Commercial Roofing 101
Host: John May, General Manager, Petrali Roofing
Guest: Joseph O’Malley, Field Director & Commercial Manager, Petrali Roofing

 

Introduction

Hey there, this is John May, general manager here at Petrali Roofing with an exciting episode of Roofing Talks. The heart of these Roofing Talks is to educate our customers, to bring you knowledge and information about the roofing industry that helps you make better informed decisions about one of the most important parts of your home or your business’s home, the roof. So, I’m excited today. We have our Field Director, Joe O’Malley, joining us. Joe has immense roofing history and uh brings a lot of knowledge to Petrali Roofing.

He’s a guy you’ll regularly see out on jobs inspecting roofs, given direction on making decisions on different elements of a roof, whether it be a residential or commercial. So, today we’re going to be talking specifically about commercial roofing and the ins and outs of that and I’m excited to have Joe here. So, thanks for joining us, Joe. It’s going to be great.

Joe: Thank you so much, John. I appreciate you letting me sit down and share some knowledge. Like John said, my name is Joseph O’Malley. I’m the Field Director for Petrali Roofing. I’m also the Commercial Manager. I work hand in hand from the ownership all the way down to the crews who do the install. And I’m looking forward to sharing some time with you guys.

John: That’s awesome. So the first question I have for you, so tell us about your roofing experience, your journey in the roofing world. So we can start there. So you can share with our viewers about your knowledge there.

Getting to Know Joe

Joe: Yes, sir. So I actually started roofing in the mid ’90s. Um to all the young people out there, that’s the 1990s. Um I started as a laborer doing tear offs and then torch down hot mops on government facilities, correctional facilities. Um, then I got certified in TPO, EPDM, PVC, been a shingle applicator, done everything from being an owner of a roofing company to being a right-hand guy to being the lowest level in the company. So, I’ve got the experience with every aspect of the roofing industry.

John: Yep. Awesome. You said some things in there. We’ll get into TPO, EPDM, because we again, we want to educate you guys. Yeah. Uh, on what these different roofing types are, but we’ll get into that later. But that’s awesome to have somebody with Joe’s knowledge and information base here at Petrali Roofing. It really is a thing that sets us apart where we’re able to speak to pretty much anything, any type of roof that you might have or your business might have. We’re here to serve and help with any type of scenario that you have. So tell us a little bit from your experience the difference between a residential roof and a commercial roof like some of those main major components and main differences.

Commercial and Low-Slope Roofing Basics

Joe: So basically let’s start with um the type of install and system installed. Generally when people think commercial they think low slope membrane. That being said, low slope refers to the pitch and angle of your roof. So generally what we refer to as a low slope membrane is anything under a 2:12 pitch. Generally in that we install products like TPO which is a thermoplastic roof; It’s heat welded seams versus a fully adhered system like EPDM. Each one have their own benefits and durability and longevity issues. But that’s a next level conversation once we get into the the mundane aspects of it.

And then there’s just there’s different applications. Generally, the commercial aspect, project managers, company managers, real estate agents, they tend to take a more proactive approach. They’re speaking on behalf of somebody who’s trusted their building or their home. So they take a more proactive approach. So it’s generally more upfront maintenance, annual inspection, staying ahead of the game. Generally homeowners on the residential side, they’re not aware of an issue until there’s a significant issue.

John: Right!

Joe: Generally homeowners don’t think of maintenance on their home. But that’s part of the reason why we do these amazing roof talks to educate the community and let them know the importance of those programs.

A lot of the residential stuff, even though it’s a low slope membrane, it’s still going to be a cosmetic appearance. It’s still going to be visual. And homeowners tend to take the aesthetics of the roof more seriously than a commercial roof that’s hidden.

John: Correct.

Joe: So, it does limit the options that they have cuz generally we’re trying to color match with the steep sections of the roof as well as the color match of the paint and that kind of thing. But the actual membrane and the installation is very similar to a commercial project. But at the same time in this specific market, we are under the jurisdiction of Pikes Peak Regional and we have to be code compliant with every choice we make. So not only doing the job correctly, but making sure that the homeowners and business owners are aware of the current and up-to-date code changes to give them the best product possible, that’s what we pride ourselves on.

John: Yep. Absolutely. One of the things that we do really well is detailed inspections for those low slope commercial type projects. Uh what what are those steps that we take in the field from an inspection type approach to make sure that we are making sure we’re documenting everything we possibly can and not missing any details for a roof a commercial roof repair or full replacement?

The Two T’s

Joe: So the first two things that come to mind when I think inspection process is the two T’s: thoroughness and transparency. We want to be very thorough and identify every aspect of the roof, assess the whole overall condition of the roof, but then also pinpoint any ongoing issues, potential issues, and then we want to be transparent in how we present it to the project manager, the facilities manager, or the owner of the building itself, let them know these items need addressed immediately, otherwise it’s going to be catastrophic failure. These are issues to be aware of that could be solved with some mitigation or some minor repairs and maintenance. And then we try to give them an upfront worst scenario cost so they can budget accordingly for when it comes time to do the full re- roof process.

But I guess a concise answer to your question is just being very thorough and transparent in what they have. We don’t want to sell a customer a roof they don’t need. We want to provide them the best service for where they’re at on the longevity span of their roof.

John: Right. And what are some, just from an education standpoint uh when it comes to like a low slope roof versus like a steep slope shingle, that’s what most people are familiar with; So what are some of those longevity differences and just you know maintenance repair type aspects to those different types of roofs?

Joe: Generally when I step onto a low slope inspection the first thing my brain is trained to do is look at watershed. Generally on a low slope area, we want to make sure that the water is moving in the directions we want it to be moved to. Then once we identify where the water’s traveling, then we’ll start our inspection, probe seams, penetrations, overlaps, flashing components; anywhere there’s a hole or a penetration in the roof, whether it’s for ventilation, um fasteners, anything of that nature. We want to have redundant areas of protections there. So, we want to go ahead and vet all those areas. look for potentials in failures as well as current failures. And then with the steep slope and shingle application, we want to make sure that all the weak points are sealed up, whether it’s valleys, flashing components, penetrations, once again, HVAC stack components. Um there’s lots of areas that can fail on the roof, but it’s all isolated to the same basic components.

Generally, you won’t find a failure in the field itself unless it’s susceptible to windshear. Normally, it’s at the weak point. So, we generally start our um inspections in those areas and then branch out.

John: Right. Absolutely. Water is a killer. Water just wants to ruin your day!

Joe: Yes, sir!

John: And whether it’s a steep asphalt shingle or a flat roof, water just wants to find the problem spots. And that’s what requires the most attention and detail work.

Our Inspection Approach

Joe: Yeah. So here at Petrali Roofing in particular, we have such an in-depth vetting process of who we send, especially for leak diagnosis. On low slope areas, the water will do what’s called um pooling and ponding. And if you have a leak on the right side of the building, that doesn’t mean it’s penetrating there. Um so generally we’ll identify where the water’s coming in and then we’ll branch out accordingly. But steep slope versus low slope, it’s a lot easier to identify a leak on a steep slope because the velocity of the water travel, it’s not necessarily going to pool and pond. So, it’s a lot easier to identify it. That’s why when we assign certain jobs to certain technicians, we make sure that they have the expertise, experience, and knowledge to solve that.

The one great thing about Petrali Roofing is that we try to solve the issue on the first try. And that’s what helps build trust and relationships with our partners is not having to go out there multiple times and rework. So generally our inspection process and our scope of work dictates that.

John: Yeah. Joe, you’ve seen a lot. You’ve had lots of experience, you know, going back to the 1900s, you know, back to the olden times. But what are some common issues that you’ve experienced with commercial low slope roofs?

Common Issues

Joe: All right, so I’m going to break this down in two different time frames. Generally, after one year of installation, it’s very important to get even new construction checked. Generally, that’s when you’ll see initial failures in sealants, components, and then fasteners that didn’t fully seat will start to work their way up. So generally after 1 year we want to inspect all our seams, penetrations, flashing components, and sealant to make sure that they fully bonded to whatever application we’re trying to install. And then generally as the lifespan increases, if you haven’t done maintenance, that’s what’s going to lead to catastrophic failure and increased uh repair and re-roof cost, not only on the internal side of the building, but on the rooftop itself.

So generally I would say it’s everywhere two membranes or two facets meet to be as simple as possible. Anytime we have an overlap of two membranes or a specialty component or a water drainage system, those are the areas that are going to fail first. The main field or the majority of square footage on a roof, that’s going to be great. It’s going to last the full time frame of your manufacturer’s warranty. be completely covered if you chose to go with an NDL or no dollar-limit warranty which we provide. The cost of an NDL is upgraded to our standard rates because you’re getting that full component protection and warranty from the roof deck all the way up to the coping metal.

John: Yep. Awesome. So, you mentioned there maintenance costs, so that difference between what it would cost to maintain a roof versus a full replacement of a roof, it’s substantial. We’ve been looking at that quite a bit when we’ve been talking about with our commercial customers. So what do you see when it comes from the that difference between maintenance versus replacement?

Maintenance vs. Replacement

Joe: Yeah. So I’m going to break the rules of being an interviewee here and I’m going to answer your question with a rhetorical question! Would you prefer to spend 10 cents a year or a dollar every 10 years? It’s going to add up. So, if you’re going to invest small amounts in maintenance, you’re going to increase the longevity of whatever system you have installed by 50%. Even a 20-year product, you can get 30 years out of with proper maintenance and care. With a new car, John, if you don’t change your oil, right, and you don’t do maintenance on your vehicle, you’re not going to get the length of time out of that vehicle that you could.

John: That’s right!

Joe: So, you can either spend $300 on an oil change or replace a motor every seven years, five years at the cost of thousands of dollars.

John: That’s right!

Joe: And that’s not even getting into the idea of what it costs for an interior repair. It’s just not a roof issue when it bleeds into the house. Then we have insulation, mold remediation, painting, drywall, carpeting, all kinds of things can be affected.

John: Shut down of the business for if for dealing with an issue, especially if it’s something like mold or something like that.

Joe: So, there’s a lot of hidden costs that homeowners don’t expect when they’re thinking maintenance. They’re they think, I can’t see it from the ground. It’s not leaking inside the building. It’s got to be fine, right? But nine out of ten times, it’s not fine. And a repair that would cost $5,000 could have cost $500 spread throughout a 5year window with proper maintenance.

In-House Maintenance vs. An Expert

John: Yeah. Lots of businesses, commercial properties, they’ll have a maintenance guy that’s on staff. Who’s there to handle little things here and there, but what have you seen the difference between having a maintenance person handle the maintenance on a roof between and the difference between that and an actual roofer with experience helping maintain a roof?

Joe: Sure. So, maintenance men are an incredible part of your business. They do a lot on the inside and exterior of your roof. They’re an asset to what you have. But there are certain liability issues and experience where one small wrong choice, one small product that is corrosive to what membrane you have on your roof can cause catastrophic failure. So even though their heart might be in the right place, having a certified roofer with the knowledge and expertise to actually do the repairs, it can save you an infinite amount of money in the long term.

But one thing I will say is that we do offer training for maintenance departments. We’ll come on site, we’ll identify what type of roofing product you have, and we’ll just show you basic repairs, emergency mitigations to limit that cost as a business owner. We want to be there to provide you not only with the best solution, but at the best price point for them as well. If it’s something a maintenance man who we’ve trained can handle, then we encourage you to do that. But at the same time, if they haven’t been trained and don’t have the knowledge to provide the right repair for the right membrane, it can be counterproductive to say the least.

The WHY of it All

John: It’s the same heart, you know, that we have here of sharing this information and doing these Roofing Talks. Uh, it’s the same thing that Joe brings to wanting to educate and bring your staff or your maintenance team or whoever, up another level with their skill set. We give and receive freely with these things. We have knowledge. We want to share that knowledge. We’re local here in the Pikes Peak region. We care about this community. We’re not going anywhere. And so, because of that, we have no problem sharing this information and sharing this knowledge to make this community a better place.

Joe: Yeah, we don’t celebrate contracts signed at Petrali. We celebrate relationships. We celebrate impact. We celebrate providing services to customers with their benefit in mind. Us being a family-owned, veteran-owned, faith-based company, our outlook is different from 99% of our competitors. We think customer, we think liability, we think logistics and time frame, and then we think profitability. Our mission statement isn’t, “go out and sell roofs”. Our mission statement is to provide an impact in the community that’s aligned with our morals and the integrity we share as a company.

John: Right! And I hope you guys are seeing too having somebody with Joe’s knowledge, obviously; his extensive roofing knowledge, like I mean it’s 2026 right now which is crazy, so that’s you’re like looking at 30 years of roofing experience which is just wild. But also the heart to serve. Like that’s those are the types of people we bring into Petrali. We don’t just want people that can hawk roofs, and close contracts, and kind of do the bare minimum work to get by. We care about the roofs that we’re on. We care about the buildings that we’re on. We’re caring about the people that we’re interacting with every day. And I hope you guys can see that with Joe and his heart here.

How do you approach, from a commercial side; a lot of times we’re not necessarily talking or communicating with owners, maybe we’re dealing we’re communicating with a management company who’s kind of an in-between between the owners; How do you approach that to serve the management company but also the owner ultimately of that that property?

Working with Property Owners & Property Managers

Joe: That’s a great question, John. The only way I can be fully transparent with this answer is to say that we are very selective with who we choose to partner with. We choose management companies, property management, and realtors that have the same approach as we do. We partner with companies who treat that rental property or that property they’re in charge of as it was their own home. That homeowner is entrusting that building to that property management company. So generally they take a more proactive approach. They want to be ahead of the game. We schedule regular um inspections, maintenance programs. We have an incredible no cost upfront maintenance program where you get inspections of all your properties. You have a full digital scorecard letting you know the condition of each property. And that’s just something we do to help project managers and property management companies stay ahead of the game.

It’s the most important thing with management companies is communication. We want to be transparent in the issues. We don’t want to sell them products they don’t need, which aligns perfectly with what we do. But really, it’s showing up when you say you’re going to show up. It’s doing what you say you’re going to do. And in order to be as transparent as we can with that process, we have on-site trained and certified project managers, site supervisors. We provide full photo catalogs showing that everything that they paid for, they got. It’s hard to play Chinese telephone between a management company and a homeowner verifying that everything was done that you said you were going to do, right? So, we don’t want anybody to second question what we offer. So, we provide everything as transparent as possible. There are some project management companies that don’t align with our morals. So, we are selective with who we work with. But it’s a great benefit not only to the community, the project management company, and us when we do form that relationship.

Final Thoughts

John: Very good! Excellent! Anything else that you like to share before we…

Joe: I appreciate the opportunity to sit down with you. I’m looking forward to having more of these. And if you guys got any questions or anything you’d like me and John to talk about in the future, feel free to reach out and we’ll get it scheduled.

John: Give us a call for a free inspection. If you have a commercial property, if you have a flat roof, 719-375-8773. We will get that inspection scheduled. We’re here to serve. We’re here to serve the community. So, choose a local roofing company who’s committed to the community and making it as good as it can possibly be. That’s what we do here at Petrali Roofing. Joe, Excellent job!

Joe: Thanks so much, Boss, I appreciate your time today.

John: Thanks. We’ll see you next time.