For more than 30 years, the Bill Ragan Roofing team has been helping homeowners choose the right roofing material for their next roofing project.
Now, I'll help you find the one that best fits your low-pitched roof.
PVC roofing membrane (polyvinyl chloride) is a single-layer white membrane used in commercial and residential roofing. The advantage of this roofing membrane being white means that it reflects heat rather than absorbing it. The white membrane gets dirty over time and is very noticeable if you can see it from a window.“Dirt” will not affect the functionality of the PVC roofing membrane. As long as the PVC roofing membrane is properly installed, you should use it for around 25 years. The TPO (thermoplastic polyolefin) roofing membrane is also a single-layer white membrane that is used both in commercial as well as residential roofs. Like PVC, it has the advantage of a white membrane that reflects heat.
The only major difference is that a PVC roofing membrane is more flexible than a TPO membrane. Like PVC, a TPO roof membrane is an excellent choice for a low slope over a living space. But remember to keep in mind how white gets dirty as it ages and what it looks like when you see it from the window. Like PVC, you can expect a TPO roof membrane to last around 25 years, provided it's properly installed.
The EPDM roofing membrane (ethylene propylene diene monomer) is a black synthetic rubber membrane that is primarily installed in commercial and medical facilities. However, EPDM is becoming increasingly popular in residential roofs. While I recommend placing an EPDM membrane for low-pitched roofs rather than in a garage or in a non-living space, you can still install it on the roof of a bedroom or a living room. Just be sure to consider heat absorption when making your final decision.
The great advantage of an EPDM roofing membrane is that it's extremely durable, and I like to say that it's like having a bulletproof rubber roof. This durability means you can wait 25 to 30 years using a fully bonded 0.060-thick EPDM roofing membrane. A metal roof with vertical joints is an excellent option for a roof low inclination. It offers better aesthetics with more color options and lasts longer than membranes.
There's no reason why you shouldn't put up with your flat metal roof with erect joints for at least 30 years, as long as it's properly installed. Since 1990, the Bill Ragan Roofing team has replaced flat, low-slope roofs for homeowners in Nashville and surrounding areas of Central Tennessee. We take pride in our workmanship and back it up with an artisanal guarantee of for life. Frank Lloyd Wright's ceilings can be especially challenging because it wasn't uncommon for their roofs to be built as close to flat as possible.
While this may have been the intent of Wright's design, it has the potential to cause a multitude of problems. An important consideration when installing a new roof on a roof designed by Wright with a low slope is to allow for some slope, while respecting Wright's design objectives. This article will focus on the options available for specifying roofing materials. A modified bituminous roof installation at Tonkens House A metal roof installation with flat joints at Westcott House It is important to note that a roofing material is only as effective as its details and installation.
Leaks occur more often at joints between materials and surfaces than in the center of a surface. A future article will analyze the design and installation of flat roofs, focusing on elements such as discrete ways to increase the slope, the design of joint covers, and the provision of adequate ventilation to a roofing system. Ethylene-propylenediene monomer roofs are known by the acronym EPDM, which is less twisted. This synthetic rubber laminate product works well on all low-sloped (often incorrectly referred to as “flat”) roofs. EPDM can withstand higher temperatures than other roofing materials (TPO, for example).
EPDM is only available in black and white colors, and white provides good energy efficiency thanks to reflectivity. Made from synthetic rubber, single-layer membrane roofing materials are often the best choice for consumers when it comes to of replacement technology. EPDM rubber, a leading choice for commercial roofing systems, is a quality material with a good reputation for affordability. Homeowners looking for a complete roof replacement also consider EPDM roofs to be the best option for single-layer roofs.
Modified bitumen roofs contain reinforcement modifiers that give bitumen plastic qualities, allowing it to form a roll. Atactic polypropylene (APP) and styrene butadiene styrene (SBS)) are the most common modifiers. Modified bitumen sheets are applied to the roof using a torch, mechanical adhesion or with an adhesive. Now you know what the best materials are for a low-pitched roof, how long they'll last, and why you shouldn't use asphalt shingles on a low-pitched roof.
However, you will see how flat roofs are used in adobe-style houses, which are mainly found in the southwestern United States and which are inspired by the missions of Pueblo and Spain. While the name suggests that a roof with a coated roof roof would be made of plastic, it's actually made of polypropylene and ethylene-propylene rubber, a different type of rubber than what you see in an EPDM rubber or rubber roof modified bituminous. One of the ways I've been able to get a better product at no extra cost is to ask the roofer in advance what he needs to see when presented with locks, nailers, curbs, crickets, and even access details and material storage areas. Anything that makes your life easier will also make life easier for me.
In windy areas, I have increased the thickness of the roof covering to ensure better anchoring. In addition to choosing the right roofing material for a low slope, you should also make sure that you use the correct roof subfloor. Metallic roofs are complemented by architectural pieces made of sheet metal, such as aesthetic designs, wall panels and canopies. Constructed roofs are comprised of asphalt coated roofing felt that is applied to the roof in accumulated layers.
Once upon a time there was a good roof, but considering the advances in the industry, I don't know why I would use it now. If you have noticed a crack or leak in the roof affecting the integrity of the roof structure and materials, it may be time to change it completely. In the case of roofs, it is modified with the addition of plasticizers and chemical stabilizers that improve flexibility and durability. Roof coatings applied in the field are liquid polymer-based coatings that are applied directly to a roof substrate in the field.
