Restaurant Roofs & Kitchen Exhaust
A restaurant roof has a problem no warehouse has: hot grease-laden air discharging onto the membrane, every service, for years. Specify it like an ordinary roof and it will fail early.
What grease does
Animal fats and cooking oils plasticise and degrade TPO, softening the membrane and breaking down seams in the discharge zone. The failure is localised and predictable — a stained, tacky halo downwind of the exhaust fan.
PVC resists this far better, which is why it is the usual specification around kitchen exhaust.
How we build it
- PVC membrane in the exhaust zone, or across the whole roof where there are several fans
- Grease containment at the fan so discharge is collected rather than shed onto the roof
- Sacrificial protection pads in the discharge area, replaceable without touching the membrane
- Walk pads to every fan and unit, because hood cleaning crews visit monthly
- Curb flashings built for frequent service traffic
Leaks in an operating kitchen
Water over a kitchen is a health-department problem, not just a maintenance one. Repairs get scheduled around service, and the area is stabilised the same day rather than left open.
Most restaurant roof leaks we find are at the exhaust curb, not in the field of the membrane.
Common questions
Why did my TPO roof fail near the kitchen exhaust?
Grease. TPO degrades on contact with animal fats and cooking oils, so the discharge zone around an exhaust fan breaks down years ahead of the rest of the roof. PVC with grease containment is the fix.
Can you repair a restaurant roof without closing?
Usually yes, by working around service hours and stabilising the affected area the same visit. It needs scheduling into the job rather than being handled as a surprise.