Building resilience: How roof systems adapt to growing foot traffic

By Jesse Sanchez. 

Understand the importance of roof durability as commercial rooftops evolve into multifunctional spaces. 

As the landscape of commercial roofing evolves, rooftops are no longer just about covering buildings — they’re becoming critical spaces for solar arrays, telecommunications, HVAC systems and even livable areas. In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Greg Hudson of Georgia-Pacific Building Products discusses the rising challenges brought by increased rooftop foot traffic and offers solutions for enhancing roof durability. 

According to Greg, the demand on commercial roofs has increased exponentially. Pointing to a mix of trades accessing rooftops for maintenance and installations, Greg notes, “When a commercial low-slope roofer goes onto a roof, they're very mindful, it almost is their baby. As they look at it, they're doing maintenance inspections, they're doing all these things... But when you get to the other trades, they're really focused on their trade, the HVAC, all the different things that go along with that.” 

A critical element in protecting roofs from wear and tear is the use of cover boards. Greg explains how these rigid layers, such as gypsum cover boards like Georgia-Pacific’s DensDeck®, can extend the life of a roof while also mitigating damage from increased traffic. 

“You increase the risk of cavitating, crushing, puncturing the membrane and then getting leaks into that insulation,” Greg explains. “You want to make sure that all parts of the system and that's where something as simple as a rigid cover board could add that added layer of protection, increase puncture resistance, increase compressive strength, so that insulation is staying intact, staying as designed on that roof.” 

Greg urges contractors to discuss long-term goals with building owners, especially as rooftop functions expand. “Even though that roof right now maybe only has HVAC on it, but in five years, 10 years, it could have solar, it could be a livable space, it could have more telecommunications. I mean, who knows what's going to be on the roof going forward? 

Read the transcript or Listen to the podcast to learn more about managing foot traffic and enhancing roof systems!