Advantages of flat roofing

MORE ABOUT FLAT ROOFING

Most roofs in the San Francisco bay area are flat or nearly flat with a slight pitch. Some that are completely flat and do not have a pitch due to settlement of the home, improper construction, or deflection of the rafters must have a roof system installed that will either correct the pitch or be able to withstand the effects of ponding water.

In order to correct a roof structure that has standing (or ponding) water, a tapered insulation system can be installed. Sometimes, though, this is not possible due to penetrations or other structures on the roof. When this is the case, a roof system that is not adversely effected by standing water should be used. The problem is that most flat roof systems are made from asphalt products, which do not hold up under these situations.

We normally suggest installing a single-ply membrane roof system. The next issue is to decide which type of single ply roof should be used. Most people have the impression that all single-ply membranes are alike and nothing can be further from the truth. Just because they are called single-ply membranes does not mean that they will perform the same. It’s like saying that just because you have a car, it will perform the same as any other car, just because they are both automobiles —which we all know is not the case.

Single-Ply roofing membranes have been installed on roofing projects for over 65 years. Some have performed well while others are doing poorly or are non-existent today, while others have recently come into the marketplace.

In designing performance characteristics in a single-ply membrane or single-ply system you have to keep in mind what elements the material is going to be subjected to. Roofing membranes need to perform 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without resting periods. Roofing membranes are exposed to UV Rays, rain, hail, standing water, micro organisms, chemical pollutants, vast temperature changes, wind and dynamic flexing, etc.