Earlier this year, EverGuard crews completed a 33,600 square foot roof replacement on an administration building in Grants, New Mexico. The old roof leaked. And the insulation under it was out of date, so the building was paying to heat and cool air that went right out through the ceiling.
We removed the old roof layers, installed new insulation to current code, and put down a new white TPO membrane roof. After the roof replacement, the building is now dry and with new HVAC units installed at the same time, its summer electricity use is down about 24%.
The Problem: Leaks and Wasted Energy
Looking at this photo alone you can see the old roof had been patched multiple times. It’s clear from the lighter squares of coating laid over the dark surface, and more coating built up around the base of the rooftop units.
Though the patches can buy time, they can’t fix a roof that has reached the end of its life. And the leaks were only half of it. The other issue was their insulation was outdated, so heat moved through the roof too easily. In a desert area, that’s no small matter. Their bills showed how this was resulting in more heating in winter and more cooling in summer,
What we did:
- Tore off the existing roof layers.
- Installed new insulation that meets current energy code.
- Installed a new white TPO membrane roof across all 33,600 square feet and flashed every vent and curb.
We took the old layers off instead of roofing over them. Covering a worn roof can trap moisture and old damage underneath. We removed it to build the new system from a clean surface.
The Results
Now the building is watertight. From May through August, it used 139,300 kWh of electricity in 2026, down from 183,300 kWh in the same months in 2025. That’s about a 24% drop!
The building also got new HVAC units, so 24% reflects the new roof and the new equipment working together.
he color of the membrane does a big part of the work. A darker roof will absorb sun and pass that heat through into the building. White TPO will be reflecting most of it. Add in the effect of new insulation underneath, and your result is less heat getting in during summer and less escaping out in winter.
Does your building have the same problem?
You don’t see commercial roofs fail all at once. It starts with small leaks here and there, with repeated patching, compounding over time. Then consider outdated insulation is also a huge factor in the energy efficiency of the roof, costing money every month whether anyone notices or not.
If you manage a school, office, or other commercial building in New Mexico with a roof that’s been patched more than once, we’ll come look at it and tell you straight what it needs. Sometimes that’s a repair. Sometimes it’s a new roof. Contact EverGuard Roofing today to set up an inspection.