Where Exhaust Wears the Sheet
Grease-laden exhaust lands on the membrane near the fan. Over time it can soften the surface, stain it and, in poorly maintained units, run toward drains. Steam and heat add their own wear. Condensate from refrigeration units leaves streaks and, if it runs onto bare membrane, can wear a hole.
We check a ring of membrane around every exhaust fan, every makeup air intake and every condensing unit. We look for chalking, softening, blisters and pooled grease. A grease containment pan under a kitchen exhaust, emptied on a schedule, protects the sheet and costs little.
Walk paths matter as well. Technicians who service exhaust equipment cross the roof on a fixed route, and walkway pads along that route keep the membrane intact. We install them where wear shows.
Drain lines from kitchen and refrigeration equipment need a plan too. A line that ends in the middle of the field concentrates water and chemical residue in one spot. We extend lines to scuppers or add splash pads, which costs little compared with replacing a worn patch of sheet.
Walkway pads around exhaust equipment serve two purposes on a food roof: they spare the sheet from foot traffic and they give technicians a clean, grease-free route. We recommend pads along every route that crosses a drip zone and check them for grease buildup at each visit.
