Big Lake, Minnesota
Experienced PVC Roofing in Big Lake, MN
A four inch hailstone came down just after midnight on July 14, 2024 over Big Lake, which is well past the size that fractures a shingle and hard enough to bruise a flat roof through the membrane. On the commercial buildings here, mostly small storefronts, bars and contractor shops, that changes what we put under a PVC membrane as much as which membrane goes on.
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Hail decides what goes under the membrane
The real question after hail here is what it did to an aging membrane. PVC stiffens as it ages and loses plasticizer, so an older thin sheet can split where a newer, thicker one only marks. That is why we spec a heavier membrane and a hard cover board over the insulation, so a stone lands against something solid instead of soft foam. Grease is still the reason to pick PVC, and the bar and restaurant roofs near the lakes get extra attention at the exhaust curbs. The other constraint is room. The whole city covers under three square miles and the lots are small, so there is nowhere to leave a dumpster and a pallet of insulation. We stage the tear off in sections. On an unheated shed with no kitchen we would point you at EPDM roofing instead and save the welded sheet for roofs that see fryer exhaust.
PVC Roofing in Big Lake
The parts of the assembly that matter
Cover board under the sheet
A hard cover board over the insulation gives a hailstone something solid to hit. Without it the stone drives the membrane down into soft foam and leaves a bruise you will not see until it splits.
Heavier membrane where hail lands
Thin sheet goes on fast and fractures just as fast. After the four inch stone this town saw in July 2024, we spec a heavier PVC and reinforce it at the corners and along the walk paths.
Staging that fits a small lot
There is no back forty here. On a platted lot with parking on three sides we phase the tear off, keep the dumpster tight to the building, and sweep the pavement before anyone drives on it.
Wet insulation pulled, not buried
Once a stone punctures the membrane, water tracks sideways underneath and soaks the boards. Covering that up traps it. We pull the wet insulation out and dry the deck before the new sheet goes down.
Skylights and hatches checked for cracks
Hail that size splits acrylic domes and dents hatch lids. Those go on the list with the membrane, because a cracked dome will drip through a brand new roof and everyone blames the roof.
Grease held at the fan base
The bar and restaurant roofs by Big Lake and Lake Mitchell run exhaust all evening. Containment at the fan and a welded target sheet under it keep the discharge off the rest of the membrane.
Why building owners here call us
Every roof photo explained in person
We do not email a pile of pictures and a number. We sit down with the owner of the lakeside bar or Highway 10 shop, go through each photo from the roof and explain what it means for the membrane.
Licensed, with our name on the permit
Orange Exteriors is licensed, so the permit for a Big Lake restaurant or shop reroof carries our name and the inspection is ours to pass. You are not left chasing an unlicensed crew when the inspector calls.
We cut a core before quoting
One small cut tells us how many roofs are up there, whether the insulation is wet, and what the deck is made of. We patch it the same day and quote from what we saw.
Straight talk about the queue
After a big hail night every roofer in the county is booked. We will tell you honestly where your building sits on the list rather than promising a date we cannot hold.
We keep your lot open
Customers still need to park. We stage the trucks on one side, sweep with a magnet at the end of each day, and keep the entrance clear the whole time.
What people near Big Lake say
Orange Exteriors fixed a minor leak that involved replacing flashing and a few shingles blown off our roof. Timely, quality work. Great ideas to keep our roof going long term.
Jim ThomasRoof leak repair From sales to construction crew to upper management, they helped make an insurance battle a breeze. This is the best contractor interaction I have ever had.
Jim NormanRoof replacement Orange Exteriors did an excellent job with my new roofing install. Very professional, on time and hard working crew. Completed the job in one day.
Dick JohnsonRoof installation
Hail and PVC questions from Big Lake
What people in Big Lake ask us about this work. If yours is not covered, call and ask.
Can hail the size Big Lake saw in 2024 break a PVC roof?
It can. The National Weather Service measured a four inch stone here just after midnight on July 14, 2024. A stone that size will not always puncture new membrane, but it drives the sheet into the insulation and fractures older material that has gone stiff with age. What sits under the membrane decides the outcome.
Our Big Lake restaurant closes for the winter and the heat goes down. Is that hard on a PVC roof?
Not on the membrane itself, but a cold building changes a few things. Snow stays on longer because no heat escapes to melt it, so drains and scuppers must be clear before freeze up. A roof no one is under also means a slow leak goes unnoticed for months, so we suggest a walk in late fall and again after the thaw.
Where will your crew stage on our small Big Lake lot?
That gets planned before the first truck arrives. The city covers under three square miles and most commercial lots here are tight, so we usually work in sections, keep one dumpster close to the building, and bring material in the morning it goes down instead of stacking it on your pavement for a week.
Get your Big Lake roof looked at
If a storm went over your building and nobody has been up there since, we will walk the roof, cut a core where it is warranted, and put the findings and a quote on paper.
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Tell us what is going on with your roof, siding, windows, or gutters. We will take a look and give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you can wait.
- Phone(612) 600-8529
- Emailadmin@orange-exteriors.com
- Office6600 City West Pkwy Suite 375, Eden Prairie, MN 55344
- HoursOpen 24 hours, Sunday to Saturday
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