Commercial kitchens endure a lot of abuse, activity, and scrutiny. If you manage or own a restaurant or commercial kitchen, you’ve likely invested thousands of dollars in cooking equipment, from grills and fryers to rotisseries and woks.

Inevitably, that equipment will produce airborne grease. You rely on hood systems, kitchen exhaust fans, and ductwork to move it up and out of the kitchen. Regular roof inspection and maintenance should also be a part of a rooftop grease remediation plan.

Hazards of Rooftop Grease Buildup

Fats, oils, and grease from cooking eventually solidify. OSHA guidelines state that restaurants and commercial kitchens maintain safe working environments. Grease buildup poses a big risk and if you don’t have an internal and external system to remediate it, you’ll likely put your employees’ safety at risk.

Some of the dangers from grease buildup include:

• Risk of Fire – grease is highly flammable. Restaurants are required to have systems in place that safely remove fats, oil, and grease. The National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA) developed the 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations.
• Risk of Injury – as we stated already, there are OSHA guidelines on employee safety and a slippery floor from grease buildup doesn’t meet them.
• Stormwater Violations – grease buildup in your storm drain system means grease in the runoff water and that’s a violation of EPA. Grease is considered a pollutant.
• Pest Infestation – rodents will eat nearly anything and grease, especially if it smells of food. Grease buildup is highly attractive to rodents.

Rooftop Grease Contamination

Your kitchen equipment, vents, hood cleaning, etc. play a vital role in remediating rooftop grease contamination. Regular cleaning and maintenance of your commercial kitchen equipment, filters, fans, and other parts is your main line of defense.

The next layer of defense: Systems. There are various methods to catch grease as it reaches your restaurant’s rooftop. Catch pans and catch containers at rooftop vent and exhaust fan drain spouts can collect grease and keep it in one area for easy disposal. An installed grease containment system like Omni Supply’s Grease Gutter Sidekick can help prevent damage from grease discharge.

We can help with the final layer defense: A roof system that holds up to grease.

Roof Systems for Grease Resistance

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is the most popular choice in the roofing material for grease resistance.

We recommend a Flexion XL roof for its durability, flexibility, and animal-fat resistance. This thermoplastic membrane roofing system has a Class A fire rating and UV stable.  The Flexion XL roofing system is installed in a series of overlapping layers, providing superior protection and decades of leak-proof protection, too.

Maintain Your Restaurant Roof

Having proper grease containment systems installed and routinely maintaining your roof system can help you avoid the cost of an entire roof replacement for years to come. Whatever roof system you choose for your restaurant, determine the conditions of its warranty and how grease contamination may impact it.

Our commercial roof professionals can routinely inspect your roof to look for weak spots and help you avoid potential OSHA violations.

Call today for a free consultation to learn more. Keystone Commercial Roofing provides Flexion XL to restaurants in northwestern Pennsylvania, northeastern Ohio, and southwestern New York.