Built-up roofing is the original commercial flat-roof system, and a large inventory of it still covers older Downtown Raleigh and mid-century industrial buildings across the Triangle.
We assess, repair, and plan the replacement of BUR with the same discipline we bring to any system: pull cores, read the moisture, and recommend from what the data shows.
Where Built-Up Roofing Still Lives in the Triangle
Built-up roofing layers asphalt and reinforcing felts into a thick, redundant membrane, often finished with gravel or a cap sheet. It was the dominant commercial roof from the 1950s through the 1980s, so Raleigh's older building stock carries a great deal of it. A BUR roof that was well built and maintained can outlast newer systems, but much of the Triangle's inventory is now decades past its design life and accumulating hidden saturation.
How BUR Ages in Raleigh's Climate
The region's heavy rainfall and humidity drive moisture into aging BUR at every compromised flashing and lap. Because the system is multi-ply, water often travels laterally between layers and saturates insulation well away from the visible stain inside the building. That same redundancy that makes BUR durable also makes its failures hard to locate from the surface, which is why visual inspection alone consistently misreads these roofs.
What We Document Before a Repair or Replacement Call
Our BUR assessment pulls cores to measure actual insulation moisture, maps saturation against a zoned roof diagram, and rates each component in writing. The output is a scope an owner can take to competitive bid, including the honest call between continued repair, a recover, and full replacement. We do not overstate deterioration to drive a larger project, and we do not understate saturation that an honest core pull would reveal.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth repairing an old built-up roof or should it be replaced?
It depends on the core data. If saturation is localized and the deck is sound, targeted repair buys real time. If moisture is widespread through the insulation, repair money is better redirected toward replacement planning.
Why can't a built-up roof be judged by looking at it?
Because its multi-ply construction lets water travel between layers and saturate insulation far from any visible sign. Only core sampling and moisture survey show the true condition.
Do you install new built-up roofs?
New commercial construction in the Triangle has largely moved to single-ply and modified systems. Our BUR work centers on honest assessment, repair, and replacement planning for the existing inventory.
