We install IKO Commercial modified bitumen, built-up asphalt, and polyiso on Houston low-slope roofs. Multi-ply redundancy for Gulf Coast rain, heat, and hail.

IKO Commercial systems we install in Houston
We install IKO Commercial roofing systems on low-slope buildings across Greater Houston. IKO's commercial line centers on asphalt-based membranes — SBS and APP modified bitumen, built-up roofing felts and base sheets, and the polyiso insulation and cover boards that go under them. These are multi-ply systems, and on a lot of Houston roofs that redundancy is exactly the point: water has to get through more than one layer before it reaches the deck, which is a meaningful margin in a market that takes the rain we do.
A modified bitumen or built-up roof is a different animal from a single-ply sheet, and it earns its place on specific roofs rather than every roof. We specify IKO Commercial asphalt systems where the building benefits from layered redundancy, heavy foot traffic, or a granulated surface that shrugs off impact, and we are straight about when a reflective single-ply or a coating would serve the owner better. The decision follows the roof, the exposure, and how the building is used — not a default.
Modified bitumen: SBS and APP for Gulf Coast roofs
Modified bitumen is asphalt reinforced with polymer and a fiberglass or polyester mat, manufactured into rolls and installed in plies. There are two families, and the difference matters here.
SBS (styrene-butadiene-styrene). Rubberized asphalt that stays flexible and tolerates movement and thermal cycling well. SBS membranes are commonly installed in cold adhesive or by self-adhered methods, which keeps open flame off the roof — a real advantage on occupied buildings and near sensitive operations.
APP (atactic polypropylene). Plasticized asphalt typically torch-applied, forming a tough, weather-resistant surface. APP holds up to UV and heat well, which suits the year-round solar load on a Houston roof.
A common build is a two-ply system: a base sheet for the underlying waterproofing layer and a cap sheet for the wearing surface. The cap is usually surfaced with mineral granules that take UV and hail impact before the asphalt below is exposed. On roofs that see crew traffic, rooftop equipment service, and the occasional pounding of large Harris County hail, that granulated wearing layer is the part that buys service life.
Reflectivity on an asphalt roof

Roof planning guidance

Standard asphalt surfaces are dark and absorb heat, which on a large flat roof drives cooling load and ages the membrane faster under Houston sun. Where a building's priority is energy performance, IKO offers light-colored and reflective cap-sheet options, and an asphalt roof can also be finished with a reflective coating once it has cured. We weigh that against the owner's goals: if cutting cooling cost on a big footprint is the driver, we will say so and steer the surfacing decision accordingly rather than installing a dark roof and calling it done. Built-up roofing where layered redundancy leads Built-up roofing — alternating layers of asphalt and reinforcing felts, finished with a surfacing layer — is one of the oldest commercial roof systems and still a sound choice on the right building. Its strength is redundancy: multiple plies mean multiple lines of defense against water, which suits roofs where a leak above the space below is unacceptable and the owner values a thick, robust assembly. We install built-up systems where that profile fits and pair them with the right insulation and drainage rather than treating the membrane as the whole roof.

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IKO Commercial Modified Bitumen & Built-Up Roofing in Houston, TX

Insulation, cover board, and the deck beneath

An asphalt roof is a system, and the layers under the membrane decide how it performs in Houston rain and wind. We install rigid polyiso insulation to the specified R-value, then a cover board to give the membrane a firm, uniform substrate and to add impact, fire, and wind performance. Skipping the cover board to trim cost is a poor trade on a roof that has to survive hail and storm wind.

Tear-off, recover, and trapped moisture

Houston Energy Corridor commercial buildings

Before new material goes down we determine whether the existing roof can be recovered or must come off. Years of small leaks — or a major rain event like Harvey in 2017 — can leave moisture trapped in the insulation, and building over wet insulation only seals the water in and shortens the new roof's life. We base that call on infrared or core-sample moisture results, not a hunch. When we tear off, we inspect the structural deck for corrosion and deterioration first, because the best membrane in the world fails over a deck that is no longer sound.

Wind attachment for hurricane country

Greater Houston sits in hurricane country, and a roof here has to resist uplift during named storms and the strong straight-line winds off Gulf squall lines. We attach IKO Commercial assemblies to meet the uplift demand for the building's height, exposure, and location, with enhanced attachment at perimeter and corner zones where uplift concentrates. Storm damage on flat roofs almost always begins at an edge before it works inward, so the edges and corners get detailed accordingly.

Roof planning notes

Drainage that respects Houston rainfall

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Where IKO Commercial fits in Houston

Few markets test a roof's drainage like ours. Tropical systems and heavy thunderstorms drop large rain totals in hours, and the regional flood-control districts manage stormwater across Harris County. On the roof itself, standing water adds load, accelerates aging, and finds any weak lap. We confirm drains, scuppers, and overflow provisions can clear water during a real downpour, add tapered insulation to move flow toward drains on dead-flat decks, and detail every drain and scupper so the heaviest flow is handled at the most vulnerable points. A multi-ply asphalt roof tolerates incidental ponding reasonably well, but the goal is always to get water off the roof, not to let it sit. Industrial and Ship Channel-area buildings. Facilities along the Port of Houston petrochemical belt where layered redundancy and self-adhered or cold-applied SBS keep open flame off occupied or sensitive roofs.

Older buildings being re-roofed. Roofs in the Energy Corridor and inner-loop commercial stock where owners want a thick, robust assembly with proven longevity.

Warehouse and distribution. Large low-slope roofs in the Beltway 8 corridor where a granulated cap sheet survives hail and crew traffic. Talk with a Houston commercial roofing team