Commercial Roofing in Vance, AL
On a very large industrial roof, the superintendent works from the plan: numbered sections, numbered curbs, numbered drains. Mercedes-Benz U.S. International is at Vance, on 1,000 acres about 19 miles east of downtown Tuscaloosa, with I-59 serving the town at Exit 89 next to the plant and US 11 running through. The plant employs about 6,000 people and began production in 1997.
Vance had 2,092 residents in 2020. Our work in Vance follows the pattern of industrial work anywhere in the county: a large roof walked section by section and written down, with nothing assumed about any building until it has been inspected.
A first walk on a large roof takes more than a day, and the written summary follows.
Every finding in the report is tied to a numbered section, so nothing floats free of the plan.
Working From the Roof Plan
On an industrial roof, the plan is the working document. We number every section, drain, curb and penetration, and the report refers to each by number. A facility manager can then say "section 12, curb 7" and everyone knows where to look.
We build the plan from the walk when drawings are missing or out of date. A walk with a laser measure, a tablet and a camera fills in sections, marks drain locations and records changes since the drawings were made. Differences between plan and roof are listed in the report.
Cores are taken at representative points in each section, not just where problems show. A few cores per section give a good picture of the layers, the insulation and the deck, and the results are charted by section.
Industrial roofs are large enough that conditions vary across them. An east section might be dry and sound while a west section near the exhaust is wet. A single score for the whole roof hides that difference, and a section-by-section list shows it.
For a building with phases, each phase is a roof area of its own, with its own age, system and warranty. The plan marks the lines between them and the report scores the transitions, since a joint between two systems is where water often finds a way in.
Section numbers stay the same from visit to visit, so a trend line for any one section is easy to draw: moisture readings, ponding depth, sealant condition and fastener pull results all carry the same label from year to year.
Curbs, Exhaust and Equipment Loads
A manufacturing plant roof carries exhaust stacks, make-up air units, fans and ductwork, and each is a place where the roof is cut. We score every curb, photograph the worst and mark those with failing sealant, loose counterflashing or separated base flashing.
Exhaust can attack the membrane, so the area around each vent gets its own score. Blistering, discoloration or softening is logged with a date, and where a pattern appears, we identify the likely cause and suggest a material that suits it.
Heavy equipment loads a roof differently from the field. Crushed insulation beneath a support, cracked cover board and ponds by the heavy gear are the signs we watch for, since they can signal a deflecting deck. A curb and support rebuild is scoped from those findings.
Roof access is another item that gets logged. Ladders, stairs, hatches and guardrails are inspected, and the safe route to each section is marked on the plan so that a visiting technician does not cross a weak area.
Where lightning protection, antennas or solar-related attachments are present, their roof penetrations are listed and scored like any other opening.
Edges, Wind and Securement
After the May 2025 storm a county survey found winds between 90 and 100 mph, and the April 2011 EF4 tornado crossed Tuscaloosa at an estimated 190 mph, which is why every section’s uplift rating and edge metal condition belong in the file.
Perimeters see the highest pressure. We check cleats, coping and fasteners by hand along each run and pull-test where the assembly allows. Results are charted by run, so the report shows which edges are tight and which need work.
Each unit is fastened to its curb, and each curb to the deck. Hold-downs, tie-downs and screens are checked on each unit.
Hatches and any skylights are included. A hatch that does not close squarely, or a skylight curb with failed sealant, opens a path for wind-driven rain and gives uplift a hold.
After a major wind event, a second walk covers corners and edges first, then the field. Open details get a temporary seal the same day, and photographs go in the dated file.
Results go into a one-page chart for the perimeter, one row per run, with the pull-test result, the edge-metal condition and the recommended action.
Rain and Heat on Big Roofs
With about 53.5 inches of rain in a Tuscaloosa year, a long industrial roof sends every drop to a limited number of drains. We clear each sump, test with water and measure standing depth after rain. Overflow openings are checked as carefully as primary drains, because they are the backup when a primary clogs.
With a record high of 107 degrees in Tuscaloosa, seams and sealants face heat every summer. We probe seams in late spring to catch laps that moved over winter, and we recheck in late summer.
If insulation is suspected wet, an infrared moisture survey maps the area and cores confirm it. The outline goes on the plan with a date.
Scuppers, gutters and downspouts on a large building move a great deal of water. We clear and photograph each, and measure how fast water leaves after a test pour.
Ponding that stays more than a day after rain is logged as a finding. The depth, the extent and the likely cause go in the report, so that a decision on tapered insulation, a new drain or a deck repair rests on evidence.
Records, Warranty and Next Steps
The file carries the plan, photographs, cores, moisture outlines, scores and recommendations. A roof warranty management record sits beside it with the manufacturer’s terms and the notice rules, and every repair follows the published method.
For owners of several plants and suppliers, a common format across Cedar Cove, Vance and Cottondale lets the asset manager compare roofs and rank spending.
Photos come from the same positions each time where possible, so the next report shows change plainly, and an open-items list with dates ends the report.
Open warranty items, such as required annual inspections, are put on the calendar with dates, so no notice period lapses unnoticed.
Commercial Roofing Questions
How are very large roofs inspected?
Section by section, working from a numbered plan, with cores in each section and a chart of results. The chart and the photographs make up the section file.
What is different about exhaust areas?
The membrane near vents can blister or soften, so each vent area is scored separately.
Why chart wind-edge results by run?
Because edges vary. The chart shows which runs are tight and which need securing.
Do overflow openings matter?
Yes. They protect the roof when a primary drain clogs, so they are tested like drains. We note the date and the readings for each one.
What do you need to begin?
Your building list, a recent roof report and a name for access and crane staging.