Commercial Built-Up Roofing (BUR) Repair & Replacement
Classic multi-ply hot asphalt and reinforcing plies topped with protective flood coat and gravel ballast for maximum puncture protection.
25 to 35+ years
Long-term commercial system warranty + written repair coverage
30+ Years Commercial Experience
Engineered commercial performance for Built-Up Roofing.
Built-Up Roofing (BUR), colloquially known as tar and gravel roofing, is the historical benchmark of commercial low-slope roof engineering. Consisting of alternating layers of asphalt or coal-tar pitch and heavy asphalt-saturated reinforcing felts, topped with a heavy gravel ballast flood coat, BUR delivers unmatched resistance to foot traffic, fire, and catastrophic weather events. Datum Roofing maintains, repairs, and replaces legacy and modern BUR systems throughout the Philadelphia metro and South Jersey.
Why Property Owners Choose Built-Up Roofing
- Highest puncture and foot-traffic resistance of any commercial roofing system
- Redundant multiple waterproof plies — no single point of membrane failure
- Gravel surface protects the waterproofing layers from UV breakdown and hail
- Class A fire rating and exceptional wind-scour resistance
- Proven track record dating back over a century on commercial landmarks
Datum Installation Process
Applied via hot-applied asphalt or coal-tar pitch interply moppings alternating with type IV or VI fiberglass reinforcing felts, capped with a poured bitumen flood coat and clean pea gravel.
Coastal Wind & Weather Engineering
Heavy ballast weight provides substantial natural dead-weight resistance against wind uplift in non-parapet coastal zones.
Best Suited For
- Heavy industrial plants, manufacturing complexes, and refineries
- Institutional buildings, universities, and hospitals
- Commercial buildings with heavy rooftop chiller and maintenance traffic
- Properties needing extreme structural toughness and long asset life
Datum Built-Up Roofing Repair Capabilities
- Gravel spudding and clean-back to identify underlying felt tears
- Five-course asphalt mastic and glass fabric leak repairs
- Pitch pocket repouring and electrical conduit penetration sealing
- Parapet wall re-flashing and masonry counterflashing restoration
Our estimating process for Built-Up Roofing Projects: thorough by design, zero surprises.
With deep roots in engineering and structural restoration, Datum takes existing conditions seriously. In commercial roofing, change orders are often treated as business as usual — but to us, too many change orders are a black mark. Our estimating is always 100% free, but engineered to be exhaustive before work begins.
Only 6% of our roof replacements involve a change order.
That low rate is the direct result of core samples, deck verification, and moisture scans completed before we price the work.
Projects finish on time — and yes, we're proud of that .7%!
Detailed phasing, tenant coordination, and weather buffers keep condominium boards and owners on schedule.
Exhaustive existing condition analysis at no charge.
Full condition audit, core cuts, moisture maps, and written replacement vs. repair options for your board or management company.
1. Core sampling & deck verification
We take physical core cuts through the membrane to verify the exact assembly underneath — number of existing plies, insulation type and thickness, substrate condition, and deck type (concrete, metal, wood, gypsum). No guessing.
2. Thermal moisture scanning
Non-destructive electronic moisture meters and infrared thermal imaging map trapped moisture pockets across the roof deck so wet insulation is quantified before the proposal is written — not discovered during tear-off.
3. Ventilation & intake/exhaust analysis
We calculate intake, exhaust, and rooftop airflow dynamics to prevent condensation, pressure imbalance, and premature membrane failure. A low-slope roof without proper ventilation engineering traps moisture from below.
4. Structural condition & load review
Drawing on Lasher's 30+ years in structural restoration and engineering, we evaluate parapets, expansion joints, deck deflection, and drainage slopes so every structural constraint is solved in the upfront scope.
Explore our full commercial roofing portfolio
TPO
Thermoplastic polyolefin single-ply membranes — energy efficient, heat-welded seams, and eligible for our industry-leading 35-year warranty on new systems.
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EPDM
Time-tested thermoset synthetic rubber membrane with over 50 years of proven real-world durability and extreme temperature flexibility.
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Premium single-ply thermoplastic membrane with supreme resistance to rooftop animal fats, oils, jet fuels, and industrial chemicals.
Learn moreModified Bitumen
Multi-ply asphalt system reinforced with polymer modifiers (SBS or APP) providing redundant waterproofing layers and puncture resilience.
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Spray Polyurethane Foam
Monolithic, self-flashing closed-cell foam that insulates and waterproofs in a single seamless layer, finished with a protective elastomeric coating.
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Metal Roofing
Structural standing-seam and low-slope metal systems engineered for 50+ year lifespans, supreme coastal wind resistance, and modern architectural aesthetics.
Learn moreRoof Coatings
High-solids silicone and elastomeric fluid-applied coatings that restore an aging roof, eliminate leaks, and extend service life by 10-20 years without a tear-off.
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Architectural Shingles
Dimensional and architectural asphalt shingles for steep-slope commercial, multi-family, and mixed-use buildings — impact-resistant, wind-rated, and backed by manufacturer warranties.
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Slate Roofing
Precision repair, copper valley restoration, and replacement of natural quarry slate roofing on institutional, historical, and high-end condominium properties.
Learn moreBuilt-Up Roofing roofing across NJ, Philadelphia & the Mid-Atlantic
Datum Roofing installs and repairs Built-Up Roofing systems for condominiums, commercial, and industrial properties throughout our service area. Find your local commercial roofing page.
Schedule a Built-Up Roofing roof assessment.
Whether you need leak repair, seam maintenance, a condition audit for your condo reserve study, or a full replacement quote, our Linwood-based team responds promptly.
Request a Built-Up Roofing Roofing Quote.
Tell us about the property and roof condition. We'll follow up within one business day.