The Highlands Service Area
Highlands commercial roofing for the restaurants, bars, storefronts, and offices along Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue, where kitchen exhaust is hard on roofs.
Highlands Roofs
The Highlands commercial roofing runs along restaurant rows. Kitchen exhaust is hard on membrane.
The Highlands stretch along Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue southeast of downtown, and the commercial roofs here sit over rows of restaurants, bars, shops, and offices in older storefront buildings. Many have kitchens below them.
Kitchen exhaust is the Highlands roof problem we see most. Grease from hood fans settles on the membrane, softens it, and opens seams and cracks around the fan curb. Add heavy service traffic to exhaust fans and units, and these roofs wear fast around the equipment.
Restaurants change hands often along the corridor, and each new kitchen may add or move a hood fan. We map every fan, old and new, so abandoned curbs get closed off properly.
Common Problems
These four problems come up again and again on Highlands roofs.
Grease from hood exhaust breaks down many membranes, which swell, soften, and split around the fan. Cutting out the softened membrane and adding a resistant zone stops the spread.
Usually Means: Grease is reaching the roof around the fan
Vibration and heat from exhaust fans loosen curb flashing, and grease keeps new sealant from bonding.
Hood cleaning crews and HVAC techs walk the same routes, wearing paths into the membrane.
Older storefront parapets along Bardstown Road open at coping joints and let water into the front walls.
Kitchen exhaust residue washes into roof drains and slow them until water ponds near the fans.
Why It Pays
Highlands restaurant owners get the most from roof work planned around their kitchens.
Grease-resistant zones and regular cleaning around fans keep the membrane from breaking down early.
Walk pads along routes to fans and units stop the wear that hood cleaners and techs leave behind.
Fixing fan curbs and seams keeps leaks out of kitchens and dining rooms during service.
Repairs coordinated with kitchen hours keep restaurants serving while crews work around the fans.
Photo reports by tenant show each restaurant's fan area, which helps owners assign upkeep.
A set schedule for cleaning around hood fans catches grease on the membrane before it softens seams and costs a section of roof.
Services Here
These four services cover most Highlands roof work.
Grease-softened membrane around hood fans is cut out and replaced, and the fan curb is reflashed to match the roof.
DetailsRestaurants get scheduled cleaning and checks around exhaust fans, catching new grease damage early.
DetailsNew roofs over restaurant rows include a grease-resistant membrane zone around each kitchen fan.
DetailsOwners of storefront rows get photo reports by tenant, so each restaurant's fan area is documented.
DetailsCall with the restaurant and its fan location. Grease damage spreads, so softened membrane around a Highlands kitchen fan should be repaired soon.
How a Job Runs
Four steps, scheduled around kitchens, dining hours, and street traffic.
We walk the roof, check each hood fan and its grease zone, probe the seams, and core areas that feel soft.
The written scope prices each fan area separately from the rest of the roof, with photos of the damage.
Kitchens are asked to shut down exhaust fans before crews work near them, and staging avoids Bardstown Road traffic. Grease around the fan is cleaned off the membrane before any repair begins.
Every fan curb and seam is checked on the last walk, and grease containment around the fans is reviewed with you.
Local Factors
The Highlands commercial strip has its own pattern of roof wear.
Many buildings house kitchens, so hood fans and grease zones show up on roof after roof.
Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue traffic shape when cranes and deliveries can reach a roof.
Storefront rows built decades ago often carry several old roof layers under the current one.
Nearby
Restaurant and storefront roofs in these areas are covered. Elsewhere in town? send us a message.
Schnitzelburg and Beechmont are in our service area too, along with the commercial stretches of Bardstown Road toward Bon Air.
Answers for Highlands restaurant, bar, and storefront owners on Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue.
Roof Condition
Yes. We repair and replace the low-slope roofs, parapets, and coping on Highlands storefront buildings, including the restaurants, shops, and offices along Bardstown Road and Baxter Avenue. Many have several old roofs on the deck, so cores and a layer count come first before any new roof is priced.
Yes. Grease from hood exhaust softens many roof membranes, especially asphalt-based and some single-ply roofs. Over time the membrane swells and splits around the fan, and seams open. Repairs use membrane that stands up to grease.
Membranes and Systems
Grease containment units at the fan catch much of the residue before it reaches the membrane. Pairing containment with a grease-resistant membrane zone and regular cleaning keeps the roof in good shape. We can install the containment unit when we repair the membrane, so the fan area is protected from the next round of grease.
If grease has softened the membrane across much of the roof, yes. Patches will not bond to swollen membrane, and leaks keep coming back. A new roof with a resistant zone around the fans lasts far longer.
Planning the Work
At least twice a year, and after each hood cleaning if possible. Checking the fan area regularly catches grease damage while it is still a small repair. Grease damage caught early is a small patch around the fan, while damage left for a season can soften a whole section of membrane.
Yes. When a kitchen closes or moves its fan, the old curb is removed, the deck opening is closed, and the roof is patched flush so it stops collecting grease and water.
Next Step
Send the address and the restaurants or shops below the roof. We walk it, check every fan area, and price each repair in writing.
Roof Leaking or Wearing Out? Have Us Call You
Leave a name and number to talk about your roof.
Thank You. Your Request Is In.
We have your name and number and will call you about the roof. To talk now, call (502) 293-5786.
Or call (502) 293-5786
