Last week, Boston was a host to hordes of roofing sales people, roof manufacturers’ reps and local roofing contractor from all aver Massachusetts and New England. It was the NERCA (North East Roofing Contractors Association) annual roofing convention, where most roofing materials, tools and equipment manufacturers were present, promoting their new products and services.

After being to a few of these shows already, the don’t get any more exciting, but it’s always nice that NERCA sets up up open bars with semi-decent wine, and cheese / crackers / fresh veggies & berries tables. I think for roof sales professionals, these roofing conventions have become a boring necessity as all they do is schmooze with each other and talk about competition. As for me and other roofing contractors, we can always find some new and exciting roofing materials and roofing tools, equipment and services, such as infra-red roof scanners, roof lifts, hydraulic-powered dumpster which can be lifted to the roof level to speed up roof tear-oof and clean up process.
As an Flat Roofs contractor we were there supporting IB Roofs which had a booth there, and I got to meet IB’s new Regional Manager Dana Spurgeon, as well as IB’s local reps in Massachusetts – Jerry Lang and Kevin Laprte (whom I already know of course).

Roofing Equipment presented at Boston Roofing Show:

Besides the obvious and now ritualistic visit to the IB Roofs stand, I wanted to find as many cool, interesting and innovative roofing products at this show, and quickly wondered off, to explore the unknown. My first find was an excellent new automatic hot-air welder by Leister – the new Varimat V2.

This new auto welder, unlike the original Varimat V, has increased and elongated nozzle, and much more powerful fan built into its heat gun, which allows siginificant increas in welding speed from 15 feet per minute for the Varimat V to a maximum 39 feet per minute and realistic 30 feet per minute for the new Varimat V2!

The new Varimat also has new computer controller which lets you save your setting into profiles of various welding speeds and temperature, which can be used for winter and summer roof installation and different roofing membranes, such as TPO roofs and IB single-ply PVC roofing. This new Leister automatic welder is the most advanced tool in its class, and can dramatically speed up roof installation time on large commercial roofing projects. However it comes at a premium price-tag of about $8000 before taxes, requires a more powerful, 6800 watts generator, and of course heavy gauge 240V extension cords, which can easily make the total price for this unit to be over $11000-12000.

Another interesting piece of equipment I found is the hydraulic-powered dumpster lift, which can be driven right up to the roof line and will let roofing contractor to dump old shingles or other roofing materials right off the roof, eliminating clean up, using tarps to cover the exterior walls of the hows and the grass, as well as roofing nails all over your yard, at the end of the day.

Another really interesting piece of roofing equipment is the automatic plates and fastener driver from OMG Roofing. Last year, at the roofing show held at Foxwoods in Connecticut, OMG Roofing demonstrated such unit for flat insulation plates, but did not have one that would quickly fasten the barbed plates used to hold down single ply roofing membranes.

Bellow you can see a video of this plates and fasteners driver in action, attaching a piece of PVC roofing membrane to an ISO insulation over wooden deck roof assembly: Once again, this unit uses barbed plates that are 2 3/8″ in diameter and are made to mechanically attach single ply roofing systems to the roof deck.

Solar Roofing products presented at Boston roofing convention:

Soprema Roofing also had a pretty nice stand where they displayed new Modified Bitumen roofing systems with cool roof reflective layer on the top and SopraSolar roof integrated solar systems. This solar systems, just like the IB’s Solar Wise solar roofing system, uses the UniSolar thing film Solar PV panels, adhered to the roofing membrane.

This new SopraSolar system is a much cleaner installation than Soprema’s original roof-integrated solar systems. The roof integrated solar PV systems are more expensive than regular solar systems, but they offer completely water-tight installation of the roof and solar panels and virtually eliminate roof leaks – calculate solar system cost using Solar Calculator – a free tool that allows you to estimate solar system size, number of kW and how many solar panels you will need as well as solar payback period.

Solar Roofing Tiles:

One more cool roofing product, also using UniSolar thin-film solar panels, which is made in Pennsylvania, is a Spanish roofing tile product, made to easily be installed with clay tiles and provide roof integrated solr panes without any roof penetration or solar mounting racks:

Other interesting roofing materials and products:

Soprema also had a demonstration stand showcasing its PVC roofing systems coated with natural copper, which would actually turn green and the patina process begins. This PVC roof systems also comes with PVC made ribs, so the complete roof system imitates Copper Standing Seam metal roof at a fraction of the cost.

Another interesting product, this time for the sloped roof is a roof vent, which can be installed along th roof eaves, when your roof does not have soffit vents, and improve ventilation of your roof, which will increase the time that your roof will last, make your roof deck last longer and help prevent Ice Dams on your roof.

Ultimate car for the roofing industry:

There was also a rather unconventional vendor present at this year’s roofing convention, who designed a vehicle specially for the roofing sales professionals. This new hybrid concept car features high gas mileage, wide wheel base and extra cargo space for all your roofing samples, brochures and equipment. Unfortunately there is no roof rack on this car, so you won’t be able to take a normal ladder with you, but you can always use a folding telescopic ladder, or as most roofing sales people do – measure the roof off the ground

This new hybrid car is rumored to be a replacement for Toyota Prius, which recently has had a lot of problems with it’s brakes systems and sudden acceleration. This new “bucket” car is supposed to eliminate most problems of a Prius and provide many additional benefits, together with great gas mileage.

Replacing old rubber roof with IB PVC roofing membrane in Lowell, MA.

In the beginning of Dec. 09 we installed a new IB PVC roof in Lowell, MA. This roof replaced an old EPDM rubber roof which was installed by a hack roofing contractor about two years ago, and was failing miserably, due to two factors: poor roofing system design on the part of EPDM roofing and horrible installation by the roofing contractor, who as I suspect had almost zero knowledge about flat roofing and rubber installation. Before I go into the IB roof installation, I wanted to talk a bit about the two above-mentioned factors contributing to rubber roof failure.

The roof actually consisted of two roof sections not connected to each other. One smaller roof in the front of this historic home, was about 100 sq. ft. in total, but its shape made using a rubber roof not feasible due to limitations / flaws of rubber roof system design. Another roof section was just over 300 sq. ft. and covered enclosed porch in the rear of the house. This section had a low slope to it (about 2 in 12 pitch) and a hip roof design. The failure of both front and rear roof sections was a result of bad installation by the roofing contractor and EPDM rubber roof shrinkage as well as seam adhesive failure.

Rubber roof failure due to EPDM flaws and limitations and faulty installation my roofing contractor:

When EPDM rubber roofing membrane is installed on a roof connected to a wall of a building, the membrane must be laid down with a flap going up the wall – in essence, the wall flashing and the roof covering must be done with one piece of material to eliminate leaks the the roof to wall connection. therefore the field sheet of roofing membrane is only held down by glue (which happens to break down after 5-7 years). While in some cases this work out fine, very often the rubber shrinks and pulls away from the wall-to-roof connection point. This results in ether detachment of wall flashing, membrane pulling away from the corner of roof to wall connection, or in some rare cases, when wall flashing is securely attached to the wall, the shrinking rubber roof may pull the wall with it – for example it can pull a brick parapet wall.

IB PVC roof is installed differently. All membrane is terminated at the roof to wall connection with heavy duty fasteners (screws r masonry anchors) and barbed plates, to hold the membrane down. A separate wall flashing is installed up the wall and 5-6″ away from the wall, covering the screws and plates, and is welded to the roof, making the wall flashing watertight. The wall flashing is attached to the wall using either an aluminum termination bar, or nailed to the wall in cases when it will later be covered by siding.

At the edges of the roof, a PVC coated drip edge is installed into pressure-treated (PT) wood nailer, using roofing screws to securely attach it to the roof deck, and to prevent wind uplift. Then the IB PVC roofing membrane sis welded to the drip edge. In case of rubber roof, the drip-edge is nailed down with smooth-shank roofing nails. This makes pull-out very easy – strong wing can pull the rubber roof off, or as in this case, the rubber shrinkage pulled the whole assembly away from the roof edge. In rare cases, rubber roofing contractor will use the roofing screws to attache the drip edge. Most of the time, roofing contractor will install drip edge right over soft insulation, with 2 or 3′ roofing nails. You can easily pull off this drip edge by hand, even if its nailed 6″ o.c., as we did on this roof.

IB flat roof installation:

Roof Insulation: The homeowners who just purchased their Lowell, MA home recently, wanted to improve insulation over the back porch, while the front roof was already insulated between the rafters. We used 24–r value, 4-inch Poly ISO insulation board on the back roof and 1/2 inch fan-fold insulation in the front. The design of the rear roof section and the short distance between the two rear windows and the roof, made us use tapered insulation to actually reduce the thickness of ISO board from 4″ to 2″ at roof to wall connection. This allowed us to properly flash the roof to the wall, though gradually reducing insulating value from 24-r down to 12-r at the wall.

Roof tear-off: To keep installation costs and land-fill waste down, while installing the roof in accordance with MA building code (which allows no more than two layers of roofing material, unless approved by structural engineer and building inspector), we removed one layer of rubber roof and the fiber board, leaving old tin roof on the front roof and rolled asphalt on the rear roof in place.

Day one – installation of smaller front roof.

First thing we had to do on the first day was to get a roofing permit from Lowell building department. Since homeowners just recently bought their house, the building department did not catch up with the assessor’s office on current owners of the property (and why would day do any extra work if they don’t get paid for it?),so it took us some time to square things out.After we got the building permit, it was placed in the appropriate spot – front window of the house. Now it was time to get to work.

The roof was installed between to snow-storm – one right after Thanksgiving and another one just a few days later. On the first day we had to shovel all the snow off the front and rear roof, and removed the rubber membrane off the front roof. We decided to leave the rubber on the rear roof until we actually had time to get to it, since it was supposed to snow and rain the day after.

Once the rubber roof was removed, we installed the perimeter wood nailer and laid down the insulation. We then installed the drip edge and sheets of IP PVC roofing membrane, which were pre-cut on the ground, to simplify installation on this already tight roof. IB membrane was welded to the PVC coated drip edge and mechanically fastened down to the roof deck with heavy duty screw and plate in-filed and along the roof to wall connection.

Roof to wall flashing: A separate roof to wall flashing was installed, and welded to the roof, and nailed to the wall and attached with aluminum termination bar along the exposed wall. Inside and outside corners were flashed with IB non-reinforced corner flashing material. which was welded to the roofing membrane.

At the end, an IB 5″ two-way air-vent was installed remove the condensation between the roofing membrane and insulation. In, installation of roof to wall flashing took as lone as the rest of roof installation. Since the roof to wall flashing was the main part of rubber roof failure and the most difficult part of this installation, we had to spend extra time, making sure this one will last a lifetime.

Day two – installation of the rear roof.

Rubber roof tear-off, insulation and IB membrane  installation all had to done in one day, so the roof would be watertight after we left job site for the night. We left all finish and detail work for last day – our main goal was to have the roof covered at the end of work day. Fortunately for us, the rubber roof came off very easily, as the glue barely held it, and drip edge was popping of like popcorn. We also removed the old fiber-board, to maximize the clearance between the window sills and the roof.

Once old rubber roof was removed, we started laying out our 4 inch high wood nailer along roof’s perimeter. We used double 2×6 PT boards with 1/2 inch strips of PT plywood in the middle – this gave us almost 4″ total thickness, to match the thickness of ISO insulation. When the wood nailer was installed, we laid down the double 2″ insulation boards along the outer perimeter of the roof. At this point we had to start the tapered insulation. We first laid down 1″ ISO board and then double sheets of 1/4″ per foot tapered ISO, to bring the total insulation thickness from 4″ to 2″ over 4 feet distance.

Once all insulation was laid out, and fastened down according to FM Global insulation fastening standards (8 fasteners per 4×8 sheet of insulation), we installed the pre-cut rolls of IB membrane, which was fastened down 12″ O.C.

First we installed a perimeter half-sheet roll, and then a full width roll, butting it against the wall. Now it was time for roof to wall flashing and termination. Our roof to wall flashing was made out of 3 pieces of 2 feet wide IB membrane to have appropriate up-the-wall flashing. After roof to wall flashing was installed and all seams welded, we installed two outside corner flashing. Now the roof was watertight, it was already dark, and time to go home.

Day three – installation of drip-edge, cover tape and cedar clapboard siding.

On the last day we installed the special order 5″ wide face drip edge which was installed over the IB membrane, and a 6″ IB cover tape was welded down to the drip edge and the roof. All joints between the 10 foot sections of the drip-edge sealed according to IB installation spec to prevent roof damage from expansion and contraction of the metal. A 2″ foil-tape was placed over the joint and a 5″ IB flashing material was welded on top. We also replaced the old cedar clapboard siding which was rotted and fell apart after we removed it to install the roof to wall flashing. Although it does not seem like a lot of work, it actually to us entire day to complete. As the last finishing touch, a 5″ two-way membrane vent was installed in the center of the roof.

Information for homeowners regarding flat roofs:

Words of caution  we strongly recommend home and building owners to avoid installing EPDM rubber roofing membrane. Besides the faulty design of this roof, there are too many shady contractors, with little or no experience, who can buy rubber roofing material at almost any roofing supply warehouse. You may be attracted to seemingly low price of EPDM rubber roofs, but be aware that low price comes with VERY low quality of workmanship, and to compensate for low prices, these contractors will use cheap rubber glue and accessories.

When you choose to go with a quality flat roofing product like IB Flat Roofs and a professional contractor, you will not be paying twice for a new flat roof and dealing wit roof leaks and finding your rubber roof installer to fix the leaks, like the one bellow:

Leaking rubber roof in Quincy, MA, installed directly over asphalt shingles:

Look at the picture above – it is a 1 year old EPDM rubber that was installed by a shady “rubber roofing specialist” contractor, who disappeared, and does not return home owner’s phone calls. They glued the rubber membrane straight to asphalt shingles roof, which you can see “telegraphing through the rubber. This roof has leaking ever since it was installed. Read more information about rubber roof materials, roofing contractors and their training in installation of rubber roofs (or lack of such training) in our rubber roofing guide for flat roof owners.

If you have a leaking rubber roof in Metro Boston area of Massachusetts, and can’t afford to replace it now with IB PVC roof, we can repair you EPDM rubber roof with high quality EPDM peel-and-stick flashing accessories - MA rubber roofing repair services start at $350 and include 2 hours of repair work, and necessary materials to complete the repair. Fill out the rubber roof repair request form to schedule a a professional roof mechanic to come and fix your commercial or residential EPDM rubber roof.

Getting IB roof installed on you flat roof in Massachusetts:

If you have a flat roof in Lowell, MA, or and other city in Massachusetts, we can install and IB PVC flat roofing membrane on the roof of your home or business – fill out our roofing estimate and price quote request form and don’t forget to use our roofing price calculator to estimate your roof replacement costs, and compare prices to EPDM rubber and Tar and Gravel roofing.

As you may know, we specialize in installation of IB roofs – premium grade PVC flat roofing membranes, with fusion hot-air welded seams which ensure permanent lap bond, and as a result, leaks-free performance. At the same time if you have a rubber roof, which is in fairly decent shape, but has developed some leaks due to lap sealant (epdm rubber glue) failure, we can repair your rubber roof fairly inexpensively, as compared to installing a new IB roof, and extend the service life of your rubber roof. Learn more about our rubber roof repair services in MA, CT and RI. We want you to know that although we repair rubber roofs, we will not install it, because for us it is an inferior roofing material with too many limitations and possibilities to develop roof leaks.

Here we will explain you how these repairs work and what you can expect, as well as show a few roof repairs in Massachusetts which have done recently. We also recommend that your read our Rubber Roofing guide, which explains the shortcomings of rubber roofs, and explains why we advise home owners to stay away from EPDM rubber roofing systems due to product limitations and overwhelming number of dishonest roofing contractors eager to install rubber roofs, without proper knowledge of this system. Instead we recommend installing IB Flat Roof – a PVC single ply flat roofing systems with hot-air welded seams which will not break down as rubber roof seams tend to do after 5-7 years.

We also want to let the flat rubber roof owners know that any rubber roof repair or installation must be performed in temperatures above 40 degrees F, as the primer / adhesives will otherwise freeze or be too cold to properly dry/tack and provide proper adhesion. Unless your roof repair is more of an emergency, we recommend postponing it until the warmer temperature sets in. If your roof repair is an emergency, special measures can be taken to keep the adhesive warm and on a sunny day the black rubber will be warmer then outside temperature, so repair can be done even on a colder day. We strongly advise you against installing a new rubber roof in general and in the winter especially. Read more info on pros and cons of winter roofing, and keep in mind that IB flat roofs can be installed in any tempereature, because they are not glued, but hot air welded.

EPDM rubber roof repair in Brookline, MA:

As  you drive on Newton St. in South Brookline, there is a big apartments complex, located right next to Exxon gas station. This apartment complex has a fairly recent Carlisle EPDM rubber roof which is about 7-10 years old (according tho property manager), but due to some ponding water, this roof has developed leaks in some spots, which the management had to repair, before small leaks escalate into bigger problems. Since EPDM rubber roofs are not warrantied for any type of ponding water (water that  stays on the flat roof for more than 48 hours after rain), I made an note for the complex management that their small leaks can turn into bigger problems if actions are not taken. However, thir ponding water problem was not as severe as in other cases, because the water was able to drain through the Roof Drains located  in different parts of the roof. Also, the skylights which are spread through-out the roof create additional potential leaks.

We’ve inspected the roof with seam probe to find obvious separated seams, and to the owner’s relief, the seams were in more or less decent shape. However the corner flashing on the roof fire exit were worn out and developed holes in them which had to be repaired. We used the peel-and stick quick-applied rubber flashing, which is an uncured rubber material and can stretch to conform to the required shape (and inside or outside corner, pipe flashing, etc.). After installed, uncured flashing material will cure under the sun’s UV rays,, while keeping its new form. Peel and stick rubber flashings are applied with the EPDM primer which ensures better adhesion and longer lasting repair.

Once the uncured flashing is installed, it is already watertight and just need to cure, and take its new permanent shape. The the edges of all flashings are also caulked with EPDM lap sealant for additional water-tightness. The uncured EPDM flashing material is installed on odd-shaped roof penetrations. If you need to flash a straight line, such as lap seam, a special EPDM rubber cover tape is used. It is also a quick-applied peel and stick materials, but already cured, and will retain its existing shape. Read on to learn how EPDM cover tape is used to re-seam a commercial roof to dramatically extend its service life.

Rubber roof repair in Boston, MA:

This is a commercial office building in Boston, which has developed leaks in different parts of seam overlaps between separate sheets of rubber membrane. The roof is a 60-mil EPDM rubber, made by Firestone, with river rock ballast to hold the membrane down. We had to shovel off all the ballast away from the seams, so we could clean and repair them.

Once the loose gravel is broomed ad shoveled off the seam joints, the seams had to be wiped clean with the EPDM rubber cleaner. You should know that many “rubber roofers” will use gasoline to clean the seams, instead of the cleaner, which costs almost twenty dollars per gallon, instead of gasoline being under $3 right now. However, rubber should not be cleaned with gasoline, as oil based products will actually break down the EPDM membrane with time. Even though gas will evaporate before it will have a chance to do any real damage, it will certainly not be beneficial to you as a roof owner if your roofing contractor washes seams down with gas. Rubber roof manufacturers strongly object to roofers using gas to clean the seams. However they can do very little to enforce this, so it is often the responsibility of of an honest roofing contractor to not use gasoline to clean the membrane, and the roof owners should also inspect the roofer while the roof is being installed, to make sure the get quality installation.

Notice in the picture above, while one roofer is cleaning and soaking the seam area with membrane cleaner, the other roof uses rough push broom to clean off the tough dirt, so that there is proper adhesion between the rubber membrane and seam tape.

Once the area is cleaned with membrane cleaner, a rubber primer is applied to the are of contact, and the let to be dried to the point of being tacky. After primer is dry, the peel and stick seam tape can be applied. The special chemical on the peel and stick tape make use of rubber glue (splice adhesive) not necessary. The primer acts as a glue and actually creates a stronger bond than the splice adhesive.

In fact, the introduction of peel and stick seam tapes and other flashing materials for rubber roofs, made the entire system a lot better than it was when only option was the splice glue, which would often fail in 5-7 years after original roof installation. With peel-and-stick roof accessories the rubber roofs now can last 10-12 or even more years, before re-seaming is required.

Once the EPDM primer is applied and allowed to dry for a few minutes, the Peel and Stick cover tape is installed and carefully rolled in using a Silicone roller, to push out any air bubbles and ensure stronger, even adhesion between the roof and a cover tape. When all tape is installed, edges are caulked with EPDM lap sealant for additional protection. Now this roof should last at least 5 more years before additional repair or replacement is required.

On commercial re-seam repair work, we can offer a bi-annual roof inspection / service contract with three years water-tightness warranty, which VERY few roofing contractors can offer. Warranty and service contract can be discussed separately, when we give you a roof repair estimate. Neither is included by default into our standard rubber roof repair service.

Rubber roof repair in Lexington, MA – chimney cracks and copper counter flashing:

A more recent, residential rubber roof repair, that was done on the roof of a “newly historic home” in Lexington, Massachusetts in November, 2009. Homeowners had a new rubber roof installed in 2002 by a New Hampshire construction company which is now out of business, and could not provide roof repair. After about seven years roof began to leak around the chimney. Prior to this leak, the original roof installer was supposed to install a lead counter flashing around the chimney. They skipped this part of roof installation, and had to come back and do it, after homeowners confronted them with the issue.

As I came to inspect the roof I noticed that there were large soft spots around the chimney corners. The lead flashing was eaten by squirrels on all four corners of the chimney, and the chimney itself had multiple cracks in the brick, mortar, and old cracks which were sealed with some type of exterior caulking, which was now failing. Other then that, to my surprise I could not find any actual leaks in the rubber roof. The design of the house, which is a butterfly roof sloped down from the center, makes this roof virtually leaks-free unless the roof  installation is a complete hack job. It was also more or less properly installed with 3″ peel-and-stick seam tape, seams overlapping in the downward direction, and single-piece pipe boots.The only part that could leak was the chimney membrane  flashing, but it was also in a very decent shape and seam-probe test shown no separations between the roof and chimney flashing.

Only after the lead flashing was removed, I found a small separation in the chimney flashing at the corner, which was eaten by squirrels. This flashing separation could potentially leak, though would be a minor contributor. I concluded that most of the leaks come through the chimney cracks, which had to be thoroughly cleaned off old caulking and wire-brushed, to allow the new sealant to properly adhere to the brick. I also recommended to replace the damaged lead counter-flashing with new Copper flashing, which would last a lot longer and squirrels would not chew it.

I started out by removing old lead flashing and cutting a continuous 1″ deep grove into the chimney, in which new copper flashing would be permanently inserted. This grove was made in the brick itself, and not into mortar joints, which are much softer and do not provide sufficient strength for the counter-flashing. Once the cuts were made and all the brick dust was cleaned out of the grove and the roof, I began cleaning out the cracks in the brick and removing old caulking.

Once all prep-work was completed, it was time to flash the only rubber material separation found around the chimney. I thoroughly cleaned the rubber membrane with rubber cleaner, applied EPDM primer and installed the peel-and-stick, uncured flashing, which covered both sides of the corner, as well as base of the corner flashing and the seam separation that I found after lead counterflashing was removed.

After all cracks were thoroughly cleaned, wire-brushed and the corner flashing was installed, I began making the new copper counter flashing. We used a 16 oz. copper sheet to cut and field bend a 12 inch wide flashing which would be inserted into the groves. The 16 oz. copper is very thick, as compared to aluminum or steel – it is almost 1/16″ thick metal. This makes it a bit difficult to work with, even though it is softer than steel.

The new copper flashing pans were first cut and bent, to properly fit around the chimney, but wer not permanently put in until all four sides of the chimney were done. The first pan was installed at the bottom of the chimney. Then the side pans overlapped the bottom pan at the corners of the chimney and than the back pan overlapped the the side pans, making it an completely watertight chimney counter flashing.

As we were installing the copper pans, we had an unexpected visitor on the roof. The visitor snuck up behind our back, and quietly climbed onto the roof. This visitor was more than unexpected, as would never imagine seeing on go to the roof. It turned out to be a neighbor’s cat which was very pretty and absolutely not afraid of us, or the noise we were making. The cat climbed up the ladder, inspected the situation, made sure we were doing good job and disappeared for a while. It later came back for a final roof inspection.

Under strict supervision of the neighbor’s cat we carried on with installation of the copper counter flashing. Once all pan were, cut, bent and tightly fitted, we removed them from the chimney and installed premium roofing caulking sealant (Solar Seal 900) which would hold the pans in place as well as make them watertight. We also sealed all the cracks in the chimney, to make sure water was neot getting through those cracks.

Once all the caulking was applied, the pans went back in, and permanently sealed with additional bead of caulking. the pans were also locked into each other to prevent separation by strong wind. The chimney ar rubber roof repair was now complete with a new, long-lasting copper flashing reglet.

Rubber roof repair in Massachusetts:

This will be the last report about our rubber roof repair jobs. We now have a dedicated website about rubber roof repair in Mass. as well as Connecticut, Rhode Island and New Hampshire. There you will find all the information about our EPDM roof repair projects, services, warranties, as well as Do-it-yourself installation and repair guides specific to rubber roofs. At this time though, that site is still in development, so you can learn about our rubber flat roof repair service and schedule an appointment for us to fix your rubber roof.

Upon the completion of your roof repair or instead of, we can provide you with a quote to install a new IB Roof. You can calculate an approximate cost to install IB roof and compare prices with EPDM Rubber as well as Built-up and modified bitumen roofs, with our online roofing calculator. We can also provide you with a complete roof inspection and a roofing estimate which will include exact cost of new roof installation as well as our suggestions about insulation and roof repairs.

Forewords: If you are a building inspector / official, please try to understand that this rant from contractors point of view… Or at least be objective and unbiased.

Pros and cons of building permits:

Why do we need building inspectors (and do we really need them)? Well, they are supposed to inspect – right? They are there to protect homeowners from shady contractors, and ensure that construction goes in accordance with state / national building codes. That’s why we also have specialty trade inspectors (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, etc). But do they really do their job? Another question – why do we need building permits? Yes, to pay the building inspector for doing his/her job – do the inspections. Yea, right!

I will purposely omit building inspectors in charge of large construction projects such as bridges, sky-scrapers, factories, etc. There is a lot more responsibility there and these inspectors are a lot more knowledgeable  than your average “Joe the building inspector”.

In my being a roofing contractor, I had to pull many permits in the last 6 years – for almost every job we did. In all this time, only once have I seen a building inspector at a job site, and he was there to harass the home-owner about the “illegal kitchen” that came with the house they just purchased. In the beginning of my construction life, I needed to get permits, but did not have sufficient / adequate insurance and in some cases did not have the Home Improvement Contractor registration in a state I was doing work. Luckily for me, I was able to get permits, and because I have dignity (I’d like to think so) I did decent work without code violations and nothing bad ever happened. I once had a “stop job” order posted at a job site, where we forgot to pull a permit. Ahh… the good old days.

When you get into serious contracting like the Metal Roofing and IB Roof installations, you can’t afford not to have proper insurances and licenses. Your clients by default expect everything to be current and you to be fully insured – both worker’s comp and general liability.  And besides, it is easier to show proof of insurance than to explain why you do not have it, or better yet to ask home owner to pull “owners permit”. It is also much easier to get a permit in 5 minutes instead of waiting 3 days and hoping that inspector is not a complete a$$ or is looking for a bribe – for some reason, I have a very strong suspicion that some building inspectors in Lynn, Revere, Malden and other surrounding towns in Massachusetts, purposely jerk contractors around, as if telling them – “give me $300 and you have your permit”. I really believe so. Or they just hate people in general. But let me get back to building inspectors.

My experience with building inspectors and permits:

I will try to be logical here, and present information in chronological order. Here is a work day of a building inspector as I see it:

In 85% of the times I walked into a building department of any city and town, building inspector is not there. Apparently they are out, doing inspections. But as I mentioned before, I had never seen and inspector on my job site, to inspect my roof. If inspector is in the office, he (I will use a “he” as all building inspectors I’ve met, were guys) will make you wait 2-5 minutes before asking you what you need. Apparently they need to feel as if they have power and are in control. After the initial coldness I did get permits, so there is nothing to complain about. But there is. And it is about how I got my permits and why do we actually need to pull them and pay for them. It is my honest belief that permits were instituted as means for towns to raise money, and biased on this assumption I’m more than happy to pay the fee. But any building inspector will tell you that permit is to pay for the inspection and enforcement on the building codes.

So I will tell you a few instances of how I got some of my permits, how horrendous the process can be for a contractor, and why so many contractors, including honest, illegal and shady ones, never pull permits. There is a provision in Mass. Building code that inspector has up to 30 days to issue the permit. We installed a Metal Roof on an IHOP restaurant in Hyannis, MA (down at the Cape Cod). When I vent to pull the permit (which was an hour drive one way) I almost got rejected, as my Worker’s Comp certificate was generic and not made out to Town of Barnstable. Fortunately, my insurance agent faxed in a copy 2 minutes before town hall closed.

As a side note, due to insurance fraud, in MA, your insurance agent cannot really give you an “all purpose” worker’s comp certificate, and the actual insurance company must print one out and mail it to you. This takes at least 3 days. Imagine a regular residential roofing company which installs a roof in one day and works 5 days a week. They have to get worker’s comp certificate for each roof, for every town they work in.

As my insurance certificate came out of fax machine, the office lady called over the building inspector to look at my paperwork (after being there for an hour and a half, he never looked a it). He asked me for HIC registration ONLY, although all commercial work required me having a CSL (construction supervisor license) and HIC implies that i do home improvement. When I offered the inspector my CSL, he said that he did not need it. Neither did he need my general liability insurance. Once he verified what he was looking for, he said: “You are all set – you can start in two weeks.” Why??? Why on earth do I have to wait two weeks??? I can loose a contract in two weeks. “Fortunately” half the roof on the restaurant was blown off by a storm wind, and it was more of an emergency roof work – this was the only reason he “allowed” us to start right away. So why do we need to wait two weeks I still don’t know. Time spent to get the permit – 4.5 hours.

Another time we did a roof in Grafton, MA. An IB low-slope roof on a residential home. Nothing fancy – a pretty straight forward roof. As I applied for the permit, I was told to firs fill out 7 different forms, pay three different departments for some ridiculous things (even the health department) and I also had to submit a SPEC for IB roof installation, including MSDS sheet (why?). They did not expect me to be back for a few days, but I was determined to either get a permit or permission to start work the same day as once again I drove pretty far to make sure every thing is ready for us to start when we planned to. I quickly ran to town library and printed about 20 pages of IB specifications describing exactly the parts of the roof we were going to do (I love IB online Quick Spec writer). When I brought back the whole package, the inspector was so surprised that he gave me an “ok” to start any time. Later, his secretary told me that he will actually read the spec. If I had know, I’d print out 200 pages, of exiting reading material.  Time spent to get the permit – 5 hours.

There are many other stories I can tell about pulling a building permit. I do want to say that not all inspectors are evil. One time we told a building inspector in Abington, MA that we did not have MA HIC – only the one from Rhode Island. He was cool enough to tell us: “get the homeowner to pull the permit”, which we did and all worked out well. I also absolutely love the Boston building department. The flow of contractors there is so heavy that they do not have time for stupid things like full spec for a small residential re-roof. They check your insurances and licenses, collect a fee and give you a permit.

Many towns in MA and CT will give you permission to start and mail you the permit. Some will make you run around as a squirrel. They will want 3 days before you can start a job. So I adopted and “evolved”.  Now I call the building department of any city or town where I’m going to work and tell them that I have a 3 hours drive to just get to their town, and if the could “please let me start the same day I apply for a permit”. This usually worked great. For example, when we installed an IB flat roof in Andover, CT – I never actually met the building inspector in person. I spoke to him on the phone – told him roof leaks and is covered with tarps (which was true) and we need to start ASAP. He gave an ok and all I had to do, was apply for the permit and provide proof of insurance and a construction license.

The second flat roof which we did in the Andover, CT – I still had to talk to him on the phone. This time he wasn’t as happy but since we already came to town, I “begged” him to let us start the job, without looking at it. Once again it was a complete tear-off and pretty straight forward, so he gave us a green light. But from now on, I have to apply for permit by mail and he wants to see my work. Next time I’m in Andover, I’ll give him a call ahead of time. Here you can see the pictures of our second roof in Andover, Connecticut and on of a roof in Westminster , MA: http://www.coolflatroof.com/flat-roofing-blog/low-slope-roofing-on-shed-dormers/

Why you should have a building permit for any construction work:

Bottom line – not all building inspectors are evil. Some are very nice, some are just bored and need things to do, and some need to feel powerful. All depends on your luck. I learned how to coexist with any building inspector, and no do everything in advance – even have my insurance agent fax over my certificates before I arrive at city hall.

Why did I write all this? Well – this is my blog and I can do it! Where else can I talk about it?

What is the point of all of this? I just had to get it out of my system after years of contractor – inspector interaction. Also my friend tried to pull a roofing permit for a VERY simple and straight forward roof – a measly 9 squares  on walkable gable roof in Malden, MA. And the inspector wants to inspect … maybe he had a bad day, but my buddy has to wait a few days until he can start. Really? So this was my inspiration.

Also, I want to make a point that many inspectors let shady contractors with fake certificates slide through or don’t even check for insurance and construction license, all-the-while they make other contractors chase their tails and waste time (and money) as if they have nothing to do. They also harass homeowners and issue stupid fines for stupid violations that should be grandfathered in. This creates situations where homeowners  and contractors knowingly do not pull permits. It also creates risk for homeowners to be left out if a shady contractor does bad job and screws them – without a permit they cannot use the Mass. Homeowner Protection Fund.

Can this be fixed? I don’t see a solution since there are too many hack inspectors and contractors out there and homeowners really need to do their due diligence – check references, call people, look at the jobs, licenses, insurance certificates, etc.

I encourage any homeowner to read my article on how to choose a roofing contractor. You should also know that it is pretty easy to “scam” the building permit process. For example, a roofing contractor must have a full roofing general liability insurance, which can easily cost $10,000+ per year, and worker’s come which runs at about 35-40% of payroll ($35-40 for every $100 you pay your guys). Many contractors will buy a siding insurance for $500-700 per year and use that certificate to pull permits.  The can also claim to be “sole proprietor” on the Worker’s Comp form when they apply for a permit and get away with not having the insurance at all – even if they have employees.

As for licenses – in Rhode Island there is no construction license at all – only a contractor registration. You can do everything with it, except for electrical, plumbing, etc. In Massachusetts, only recently have they implemented a mandatory requirement for CSL to perform roofing, siding and windows work. Before, any hack could get a roofing permit with just and HIC registration.

So once again, always do your due diligence when choosing a contractor.

As for the contractors – have your paperwork ready, do good work and, good luck guys!

PS. I’m not an angel and did not start my roofing business with $20,000 to buy all proper insurance. I did my share of getting around the permitting issue. Every one goes through it, but some remain in that stage forever. As for me – I prefer to do everything the right way or not do it at all.

It is October, and the cold weather is upon us. Now most homeowners who did not have a chance to replace their leaking roofs during spring and summer, want to get it done now – before he cold weather arrives. August, September and October are the busiest months of the year for a roofing contractor (for us at least) we get many calls and online estimate requests from homeowners looking to install a new IB Flat Roof or a Metal Roof on their home. At least 75 percent of these inquiries, mention that they would like to have a new roof installed before the winter.

While we do understand your concern about having a new roof before winter weather comes, I must point out a misconception among homeowners, assuming that a roof can only be installed during the warm months. While this is partially true, due to limitations of specific roof types (technologies), for us, installing our roof systems in the winter is the same as if it was summer – just a little colder.

Basically, it is the best time for homeowners to have their roof installed during winter, as you will get the best roof prices, as well as a choice of best roofing contractors, as work is limited and contractors compete for work and lower their prices to get the job. However, be aware that some roofs can’t or should not be installed in the winter – read bellow to find out what you should know about winter roofing and which roofing materials should not be installed in the cold weather.

Which roofs can be installed in the winter and which can’t:

As mentioned before, there are certain types of roofing systems that should not be installed in the winter, and also those that can, without any compromises in quality. Let’s look at them, but first I will divided them into two logical groups - flat roofs and sloped roofs. Also lets establish that by “winter” I mean temperatures bellow 40 degrees F.

Flat Roofs:

When it comes to flat roofing, there are virtually only two systems that can be safely installed in the winter – PVC and TPO. These two are thermoplastic single ply flat roofing products which are installed using the Hot Air Welded seams instead of various types of adhesives.

In the winter, glues and adhesives will freeze, which will distort it chemical composition in one way or another, which can and will cause premature failure. This is why most, if not all liquid roofing products (be it adhesives, or liquid-applied roofs such as acrylic or urethane coatings)  should not even be stored under 40 degree F temperatures – never mind being installed in cold weather.

PVC and TPO on the other hand are attached to the deck using mechanical assembly with heavy duty screws and plates, and all seams are sealed using Hot Air welding equipment which usually operates at 800-1100 degrees F. Such high temperatures ensure that even during cold winter months, all seam welds will not be affected by the outside temperature. I do have to mention though that PVC and TPO roofs are not equal or identical. They are only similar in how they look and installed. Besides that, PVC and TPO roofs are very much different and cannot be compared directly. I encourage you to read our PVC vs. TPO roof comparison.

Following flat roof systems should not (cannot) be installed in the winter:

- Rubber Roofs (EPDM)

- Modified Bitumen (cold applied or torch applied)

- Any type of Peal-n-Stick flat roofing products, such as GAF Liberty or similar.

The three roof types listed above represent some of the most common roofing systems available on the market today, with the exception of PVC and TPO single ply membrane flat roofs. The PVC and TPO did not not make the list above since the can easily be installed in the winter without and spec violations, or quality reductions. As for the rest of these systems, they are installed using adhesives (except torch applied Mod. Bit. roof) and therefore installing them in the winter will result in leaks and potential roof blow-off.

In example of Rubber roofs, entire system is usually installed with several different adhesives (one to glue rubber to the insulation, on for seams, special seam primers and cleaners, etc.) and EVERY rubber roof manufacturer explicitly points out that their roof should not be installed in temps bellow 40 degrees. I encourage you to read the following heated discussion on Roofing.com forums about flat roofing in frigid north where many contractors, including some from New England, will insist that Rubber can be installed in the winter, by pre-warming the glue and working when the sun is out, so it would warm up the black rubber membrane, for better adhesion. I also was talking to on of the sales reps for a big rubber roof “private label” distributor, who was telling me that winter months installation should be times perfectly – all glue applied between 10 am and 2 pm, only when the sun is out, and then the seams can be done between 2 and 5 pm, provided that all glues and primers are kept warm.  My take on it is following: Rubber roof manufacturers clearly state that such roofs should not be installed in less then 40 degree temperatures. Reps will encourage their contractors to install in the winter, because the make a sales commission and contractors will install because they need to stay busy, all the while violating installation specs. The only one at a disadvantage is you – the roof owner and here is why.

Because rubber roof installers have to go through so many additional hustles to install rubber in the winter, while they still have to charge their normal rates or even less, because competition is fierce and there is not enough work to go around, they will have to cut SO many corners to stay a bit profitable. Therefore, what you get is a roof that was installed outside of manufacturers specifications, frustrated roofers installing it, and and potentially frozen adhesives and glue which will most likely result in roof leaks, and warranty claims would likely be denied. Despite the fact that PVC is far superior to the above roof types, if you still choose to have a rubber roof installed (for financial reasons for example), do not do it in the winter.

Peal and Stick roofing systems and underlayment should not be installed in the winter for obvious reasons – they will not properly stick to the roof deck or base ply, making leaks or even blow-off almost certain. Such roofs should ONLY be installed during warmer months of the year.

Sloped Roofs:

When it comes to sloped roofs, the choices are many and very few at the same time. Basically you have asphalt shingles, metal roofing, and other very rare types of roofing material which usually cost at least as much as metal roofs or more. These are Slate roofs, Tile roofs, Synthetic slate, Cedar shingle or shakes and that is about it. Since asphalt shingle is the most used typo of roofing material (merely because it is the very cheapest roof you can find) rivaled by metal roofs on the premium side, I will only consider these two types for the comparison.

Asphalt shingles can be installed in the winter, but extreme care must be taken by roofers installing it, not to bend and crack the shingle as well as not to trap moisture under the shingles. Because of the reality of winter roofing, very often both of the above are ignored by roofers, causing premature roof failures. Also, because asphalt shingle roofs are highly dependent on the proper seal between the overlapping shingles, which requires the solar heat to melt the seal strip, such roofs installed in the winter, often do not seal properly until warm weather rolls around, causing them top leak, and as a result, wood rot often develops under a brand new roof.

Another major limitation of asphalt shingles is its weakness against Ice Dams. Ice and Water (I&W) shield is the most commonly used method to prevent ice dam leaks. First of all I&W fails about 25 percent the time, and because it  also requires sun’s heat to properly adhere to the roof deck, in the winter, moisture develops between roof sheeting and underside of ice & water underlayment potentially making it useless.

Metal Roofs on the other hand can easily be installed in the winter without any compromises in quality of installation. First of all, with metal roof it is actually absolutely not necessary, as metal roof sheds water and ice, minimizing ice build up on the roof. Also the interlocking design prevents water from traveling upward. All this renders the ice & water shield useless. At the same time it prevents the proper breathing (ventilation) of the roof deck which shortens its service life. And ultimate goal is that the roof deck lasts as long as the metal roof over it, which in the case of aluminum shingles is a very long time. Therefore, unless you or the building inspector want Ice & Water to be there, I think it is best not to put it on. We use a premium breathable synthetic underlayment – GAF DeckShiled which makes the roof watertight even without a metal roof over it, and helps the wood “breath”.

Cold weather also does not affect metal roofs as they won’t crack due to “improper handling” and metal roofs are designed to allow for expansion and contraction, so the outside temperatures won’t make a difference.

As you can see, IB PVC roofs and Metal roofing systems are the best system to have installed, year round!

If you are looking to replace your flat or sloped roof, we invite you to look at jobs we’ve done around New England. You can also fill out our Roof Estimate request form to get a free price quote for replacing your roof, or use our interactive roofing price calculator to estimate the cost of your new roof.

- Massachusetts Roofing

- Connecticut Roofing

We constantly update these pages, adding jobs we’ve done recently and those that were done some time ago. It is a slow process as we try to describe each job in as many details, and point out certain common roofing problems and how we overcome them. Soon we will add roofs that we have completed in Rhode Island and New Hampshire, as well as more MA and CT roofing jobs.

Some Massachusetts and Connecticut roofs we’ve installed in the winter:

Flat roof in Lowell, MA – one of the most recent roofs, installed in the beginning of Dec. 2009. Here we removed old epdm rubber roof, which shrunk and pulled away from the walls and roof edges. We replaced this roof with new IB PVC flat roofing membrane, and added 4″ of ISO insulation to improve weather-tightness and energy efficiency of this home.

Flat roof in Andover, CT – this roof was installed in January 2009, right in the middle of brutal cold storm which overtook New England for almost two weeks, and temperatures reached as low as -16 degrees F. There, the homeowner, with help of his buddies, removed the old roof, and fixed the roof deck, and covered the roof with a tarp. We had to quickly come in and install a new 50-mil IB roof, right before another snow storm hit.

Metal Roof in Brighton, MA – an new aluminum shingles metal roof was installed on a roof of a very busy IHOP restaurant, while it was open for business. This large roofing project involved complete removal and replacement of old metal shingles, all plywood decking, which was mostly rotted, replacement of some rafters and installation for new GAF Deck Armor underlayment and a new metal roof. Due to many major snow storms during that winter, this project took almost two month to complete. About same time 2 years ago we also installed another metal roof on an IHOP restaurant in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

This will be project profile of a flat roofing system installed over a sun-room roof in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The roof system was planned in such a way that a premium wooden deck would be installed over it, and the long-lasting water-tightness was most important aspect, and the the same time aesthetics were also important.

Waterproofing a flat roof deck:

Wellesley is know for its beautiful mansions and only the best building products (such as IB Flat roof) make their way into these homes. Having a backyard deck is a great addition to the coziness of any home, and very often such decks are built over a sun room, garage, or other living space. Therefore, having such deck completely watertight is of utmost importance. If this flat roof deck leaks, it would be very difficult to trace a leak as a wooden deck siting on slippers over the waterproofing layer is usually built as one piece and it would require a complete dis-assembly of the deck to find and fix the roof leak.

Railing systems on flat roof decks:

Each deck must have a railing system. For aesthetic and structural reasons, it is best to install the railing posts through the roof and tie them into roof rafters, rather than attach them to the outside perimeter of the deck. However to make these through the roof posts watertight using conventional flat roofing systems such as rubber roof, is nearly impossible in the long run.

Why IB Roof is perfect waterproofing system for flat roof decks:

Because of such high demands to the roofing material to be watertight and long lasting, IB Flat Roof was chosen as the product of choice for this high end residential home in a secluded neighborhood of Wellesley, MA. While this home was going through a complete renovation, a large addition was built in the rear of the House including a beautiful sun roof, and a beautiful premium wooden deck will be built on top of an 80-mil commercial grade PVC roofing membrane.

Installation:

When the general contractor was building this garage with plans to have a deck over flat roof, one of the major concerns was to drain water off the roof and avoid any ponding water. Having a through roof drain was not very practical as the roof would be divided into 16 sections by the deck slippers and most of the water would never get to the drain. Therefore, the roof framing was built with a slight slope away from the house.  Although this could be achieved with tapered insulation, it is always better to have the framing with a slight slope, especially if there is a rubber roof which can leak and saturated insulation would settle under the wight of the roof deck.

When planning the installation of this roof, we had to take into consideration such factors as deck slippers running across the roof every 16″ O.C., eight through roof railing posts around the perimeter, and a slider door leading onto the deck. Most flat roofs that we install are mechanically attached, using heavy duty roofing screws and barbed steel plates. During the roof installation we had to make sure that all our plates and fasteners holding down the insulation and the roofing membrane, would be place between the slippers laying directly on the roof, to prevent the fastener rubbing through the IB membrane and creating a leak.

We marked the spots where the slippers would run along the wall and the drip edge, and using a chalk line, place all fasteners between the slippers. Additionally, once the roof was complete, we installed 2″ wide strips of membrane, tap-welded in place. These strips will be additional separation layer to protect the membrane from the deck slippers rubbing against it.

To make sure there are as little welds (membrane seams put together using fusion hot-air welding process) we aligned the first 6′ wide sheet of the membrane with the rail posts, pre-cut the holes in the membrane and slid the membrane over the posts. Next two sheets were aligned the same way and attached to the roof. Once in place, the membrane was welded to the custom made 3″ wide PVC coated drip edge, that was made in Bronze color. All Seams were welded across the roof, and now it was time to install roof to wall and pre-manufactured one piece post flashings.

Post flashings for deck roofs:

A quick work about these post flashings - as any other penetration flashing that is a part of IB Roof system, the postflashings are made in the controlled environment to the installer’s specs, to fit tightly around the post and eliminate potential installation errors of in-field flashing using non-reinforced flashing membrane. All we have to do with theseflashings is slide them over the past and weld the flap to the roof. That is it – the post is completely watertight. Although the pre-made post flashing costs more than just non-reinforced material, the time saved during the installation and zero chance of a leak, after a proper installation, make it a much more economical way to permanent watertight roof deck with trough roof posts.

In conclusion, I would also mention that there is an alternative to having to build a deck over flat roof – it is IB Deck-Shield, which works just like any other IB roof, but is designed to be slip and puncture resistant and allows you to walk over it just like as if it was a wooden deck.

If you need to install or replace your flat roof or to build a deck over IB roof, fill out our roofing estimate for and we will also send you an online price quote.

Recently we finished installing an aluminum standing seam metal on a residential home in Wayland, Massachusetts. The roof is made of .032 Aluminum, coated with grey finish Kynar 500 coating. It is a 1.5″ snap-lock standing seam, attached with stainless steel clips and wood screws. Also, as you can see, there is a rail snow retention system which I will describe in detail bellow. It consists of cast-aluminum mounts attached to ribs of the standing seams roof and two rows stainless steel cross bars (rails) to hold snow and ice from sliding off the roof.

Originally, the homeowner was having bad problems with Ice dams and roof leaks. Originally roof had “ice belt” made of copper, but it only covered the bottom 2 feet of the roof and as we discovered later, during a roof tear-off, it was tucked under the shingles above it by only 2-3 inches. Needles to say, this copper ice-belt did not work as it was intended to and the ice dams were still creating leaks. After a while, to solve the Ice Dams, home owner installed large sheets of aluminum.

These were new and improved ice belt sheets, and Ice dams were no longer as bad of a problem. But now, after each winter storm, snow would accumulate on the roof, and as the heat from the attic (which was the original cause of Ice dams) heated and melded snow, which then re-froze, large pieces of Ice and Snow would avalanche off the roof, taking down the gutters with them. This was also a serious safety hazard for people living in the house and those visiting it in the winter. Home owner – Glenn – attempted to solve this problem by attaching improvised snow guards to the sheets of aluminum, but those came down after the next snow storm, together with Ice and Snow that accumulated on the roof.

After a few winters of cleaning snow off the roof, after each snow storm and fixing gutters after each winter season, Glenn was ready for a new roof. He was looking for a permanent, maintenance free roof that would be water tight, would not be affected by ice dams and a snow retention system that would prevent all the ice and snow from sliding off the upper portion of this gambler roof, and taking down the gutter system with it.

The roof:

As mentioned before, the new roof had to be maintenance free, resistance to ice dams, last a  very long time and to prevent snow and ice from falling off. Basically, functionality was the main concern for Glenn, yet a good curb appeal was also important. A standing seam metal roofing system system with energy efficient Cool Roof coating was chosen. Standing seam has no horizontal seams, thus a there would be no water back ups (which are a common problem related to ice dams on asphalt shingle roofs), and would would just run off the roof panels.

Stifening ribs were added to roof panels for additional rigidity and to minimize oil-canning that is common to to long standing seam panels.

Obstacles and challenges:

Although the roof is considered walkable and may seem easy from at first, there were numerous challenges we had to overcome during the installation and it is best to foresee these challenge beforehand, so they don’t pop-up unexpectedly during, and cause installation delays, and possible change orders (those unexpected charges that many contractors bring to the homeowner in the middle of the job). Despite predicting most of those obstacles during the initial roof inspection, I still missed a few minor things, which we took care of without having to have the uncomfortable “change order” conversation.

Main thing that came up during initial roof inspection was the fact that we could not install properly install roof to wall flashing around dormers, unless we pulled off the aluminum siding. At the same time we could not pull off the siding without damaging it, therefore it was decided to install new vinyl siding instead of old aluminum.

Another challenge would be the actual roof-to-wall flashing around dormers. Because of very steep slope on the lower part of the gambler roof, the angle bottom angle of roof to wall flashing was almost 140 degrees, and because of added height of 1.5″ ribs, these flashings would take a very long time to be done.

Installation of standing seam metal roof:

While we were waiting for the metal roof panels to be produced by our supplier, we had to remove old roofing shingles down to the deck. Installing a standing seam metal roof over asphalt shingles is just wrong, although some roofing contractors up in NH, ME and VT do it all the time and with steel panel too. Problem with doing that is such that shingles will punch horizontal lines in the metal roof panels, making it look ver unattractive. Second, and more serious problem is that granules in the asphalts shingles will rub against the underside of the metal panel, eventually scratching off the galvanic coating and causing the metal to rust in  multiple places. This would not be a problem for aluminum standing seam panels, but roofer that would install standing seam over shingles just don’t use aluminum as it is considerably more expensive for them and extra inventory would just sit unneeded.

Additionally, after removing the old roof down to the deck, we were able to replace any rotten wood that would otherwise be covered over with a lifetime metal roof.

Once the old asphalt shingles were removed and all rotten rood replaced, it was time for the underlayment. Underlayment is an essential part of a metal roof and also it will protect the roof, until metal roofng panels are installed. Because those are not always available to you right away – as was the case for us and we had to wait 2 weeks for panels to be made – the underlayment must keep the roof completely watertight until the metal roof installation is complete.

Because of such high requirements for the underlayment, we use exclusively and religiously the only underlayment that we find to work for us – GAF DeckArmor. It is a breathable synthetic underlayment ate is very strong, slip resistant, light-weight and make working with it a pleasure (unlike tar paper and other synthetic underlayments). Also, a very important factor for us is the breath-ability. It allows the moisture trapped between roof deck and underlayment to pass through and to run off the upper site of Deck-Armor, instead of creating rot and mold in the attic. This extends the life of wooden roof deck considerably, and is an integral component of the metal roofs we install.

Once all the prep war is done, the actual roof installation goes somewhat fast. There is a common confusion that I find among people contacting us about a metal roof. For some reason, most people thing standing seam roof is easy to install. This is actually very far from being true. Unless the roof is a straight run without any penetrations or obstacles, the standing seam roof take the longest to install with considerable waste if there are valleys and hips involved.

Because any penetration or flashing requires cutting the panel and using a z-bar, details take double the time that it would take if we were installing and aluminum metal shingles roof. Also, unless roof is relatively low pitch (3 or 4) it is nearly impossible to walk on panels and putting up staging such as roof jacks is out of the question. Fortunately this roof was low slope at the top, and bottom we were able to install off ladders – just like siding.

As I mentioned in the beginning, that falling snow and ice was on of the main issues we had to address and we had to get a heavy-duty snow retention system – the E-Rail for Berger Roofing Accessories.

Once the snow guards were in place, we could finish installing the chimney flashing, remove the fall protection systems and install ridge caps. Roof installation was complete and now the Ice Dams, rain and falling snow are not a problem any more for this residential home in the beautiful Wayland, Massachusetts.

If you need a metal or low slope roof installed anywhere in Massachusetts, Rhode Island or Connecticut, feel free to call us – 888-635-2876 or fill out the free roofing quote online form, to get schedule a roof inspection and estimate.

You can also use our interactive roofing calculator to estimate the cost of aluminum shingles ar standing seam metal roofing and compare it to asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, slate and tile roofs.

When a flat roof begins to leak, repairing it usually will get you about 3 months, after which it will leak again. This is especially true for roofs such as built-up tar and gravel, rolled asphalt or modified bitumen, because these roofs degrade with time, and start to leak because of material failure, seam adhesive breaking down, ponding water and in some cases, faulty roof installation. Hence, if possible, I recommend avoiding roof repair all together as it is in my opinion a waste of money in most cases.

Jump to:

• Our rubber roof repair services – overview of what we will do to professionally fix your roof
• Cost of rubber roof repair – learn what we charge to fix your roof.

Video example of a rubber roof repair in Cambridge, MA

This video shows about how much roof repair work we can do in 2 hours, and what’s involved i a rubber roof repair.

Rubber roofs are different, and although the whole EPDM rubber roofing system is inherently flawed (IMHO) because it relies solely on adhesive (seam glue, primers, peel-and-stick tapes, etc.), the membrane itself will not break down for many years, so even if it begins to leak you can often salvage the roof by doing a roof repair, fixing the seams, installing new flashing at skylights, chimneys and other protrusions. With the recent move of EPDM roofing industry to peel and stick accessories, you can expect the seams to last at least a couple of years longer than older black glue seams.

We now offer rubber roof repair service in Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut

We understand that money can be tight and you want to get as much out of your roof as you can or maybe you do not want a new roof at all or just waiting unlit finances allow for it. Although we will never install a new rubber roof because we consider it to be inferior, we can professionally repair your existing rubber roof, at a reasonable cost and highest workmanship standards.

If you need to stop roof leaks now, and have a repair that will last, or want to get a some more time out of your rubber roof, until you are ready to have a new IB PVC roof installed, or just need a quick and inexpensive fix, we will professionally repair your rubber roof using the best materials, and will pay special attention to details, to make sure you get the best repair that will last.

If your roof is located anywhere in southern New England – Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island, we will come to you, inspect your roof and perform repairs during the first visit.

Here is how it works:

Our initial roof inspection includes looking for all the sources of leaks, identifying wet insulation, ponding water problems, rotten roof decking and most economical ways to fix your roof related problems. We will also perform a roof repair during the first visit, using only the best (yes, most expensive) rubber roof accessories such as Peel-and-Stick flashing, seam tape, Peel and Stick cover tape and will use if necessary, reinforced rubber membrane. We will not use the cheap, and outdated rubber flashings that are installed using black rubber glue (Rubber Seam Adhesive) unless it is necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: We do not want there to be any confusion about Peel-n-Stick rubber roofing accessories. Peel and Stick is better, lasts longer and costs about 3 time more than regular, non peel and stick accessories, which are installed with black rubber glue.

What we will do during our rubber roof repair visit:

• We will look for all possible sources of roof leaks – seam adhesive failures, flashing failures, ponding water, etc.
• We will perform up-to 1.5 hours of repair work using ONLY Peel and Stick flashings and accessories.
• If after 1.5 hours of roof repair work, there is more repairs to be done, we will identify problem areas to you and will give you a price to perform those repair. If agreed upon, we will continue with repair work, or will come back at your discretion.
• During roof repair, we will thoroughly clean the the area of repair using water and brush to get heavy dirt off, and then with Rubber Membrane cleaner to remove any carbon settlement and other contaminants that will prevent a proper adhesion of slashing membrane to the roof. We will not use gasoline to clean the repair area, as it is against the manufacturers requirements (although membrane cleaner costs about 10 times more than gasoline).
• We will identify thing that in our professional opinion need to be done to extend the service life of your roof, and will think of the lease expensive ways to do it.

Cost of roof repair:

The cost of initial visit, roof inspection and TWO hours of repair work is $350 if roof is located within a 50 miles form North Attleboro, MA. If your roof is located further than 50 miles from our office, we will charge an additional $50 for added travel.

Cost of additional repairs will be determined on site and you will get either verbal or written quote. If agree, we can either perform repairs while there or come back at a later time.

Warranty:

Because of variety of rubber membrane manufacturers, different age of rubber roofs and as a general industry practice, we (nor do any legit and reputable roofing contractor) do not warranty a roof repair. However, we will perform the repair service to the best of our ability, not only because we want your potential future business and value our reputation, but also as a homeowner, I personally know what it’s like to hire a bad contractor, and do not want my customers to experience it when doing business with us.

Schedule rubber roof repair now, or call: 617-444-9020

Roof repair service: $350 flat fee for 2 hours of roof repair including peel-and-stick rubber flashing materials. Any work after initial 2 hours will be discussed and priced accordingly.

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Roof Details:

You can also request an estimate to replace your existing roof. Select one or more products. You can select multiple products by clicking on multiple boxes.

IB Standard Membrane: IB 50-mil White IB 80-mil White/Color IB 80-mil ChemGuard

IB Specialty Membrane: IB DeckShield IB Tradition Classics IB Solar PV Roof

Other Roofing products: Metal Roofing (Standing seam, Steel or Aluminum Metal shingles) Thermo White Spray-On Roofs (For steel standing seam)

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Additional roof repair information

How to request a rubber roof repair or IB roof installation:

You can either call us at our toll free number – 617-444-9020 or fill out our roof estimate request and specify that you need a rubber roof repair service performed.

You can also use our interactive roofing price calculator to estimate the cost of your roof replacement and compare the IB PVC roofing systems prices to Built-up roofing, Tar and gravel and EPDM rubber roof cost.

Other roof repair resources:

If you do  not live in MA, CT or RI, or want to try repairing your rubber roof yourself, we’ve created two detailed how-to guides:

1 – Our original Rubber roof repair guide that focuses on fixing a roof using rubber membrane adhesive (black glue).

2 – Our second EPDM rubber diy guide that is focused on using Peel-and-Stick flashing, seam tape and cover strip.

Additional information if you’re considering to fix the roof yourself:

While fixing the roof yourself may be a good choice if you are handy and want to save some money, the “save some money” part is what you need to consider.

All rubber roof accessories such as flashing tape, patches, seam tape, adhesive, membrane cleaner, rubber primer, etc., are sold in contractor quantities – usually 100 feet rolls, or 1 gallon cans, so if you need to just patch a skylight, you can easily spend 250-350 between all the tools (membrane roller, seam probe, etc.), shipping costs and so on. In the end you will be left with 95 feet of flashing material and nearly full cans of cleaner, primer and adhesive, which you won’t be able to return and probably will not need any time soon. At the same time, your firs repair has a high chance of leaking fairly soon because of lack of experience in fixing rubber roofs.

You may also purchase something that you will actually not need, or the wrong type of flashing as there so many choices. This happened to me a few time even considering that I am a roofer.

We now have a new, dedicated website that covers EPDM rubber roof repair ONLY – Massachusetts Rubber Roofing – there you will learn more about EPDM rubber roofing material, detailed DIY rubber roof repair guide, and complete EPDM roof installation how-to guide.

If you are a building owner, facility mananger or even a home owner with a flat roof that leaks, and you are interested in or got a bid from a roofing contractor to install a new flat roofing system called TPO (Thermo-plastic olefin), this is a must-read article for you, because you will not find this information anywhere else.

Forewords: TPO is a hot-air welded thermo-plastic single-ply roofing membrane produced by numerous manufacturers. TPO was created to be better than EPDM Rubber roofing and cheaper than PVC roofs, while it would still provide all the benefits of hot-air welded seams. It was a good plan, and now TPO membrane covers billions of square feet of roofs and represents an multi-billion dollars roofing market, but there are some problems…

In it’s fairly short life (about 15-16 years) TPO went through at least 2 generations. 1st generation of TPO roofs began to fail in late 1990′s and early 2000′s. Now, some manufacturers are on their 3rd generation (or major reformulation) of their TPO products. At the same time, TPO’s main rival – PVC roofing membrane such as IB Flat Roof, has not changed its formula in over 30 years. To get more insight into which thermoplastic roofing system to choose, I recommend you read our PVC vs. TPO roofing article.

Why you should not get a TPO roof – TPO roof on fire video.

The video clip above shows a brand new TPO roof burning on a roof of a new office building, being built in Salt Lake City, and filmed by the Fireman crew.

Whether you are a customer looking for a new flat roof or a roofing contractor, I recommend that you to do some serious research on TPO before investing in it. This will serve your own benefit.

To start, you may want to check out the WSRCA (Western States Roofing Contractors Association)  ”TPO roof study” – http://www.wsrca.com/bookstore/index.htm.

WSRCA’s test roofs in Las Vegas, NV, Anchorage, AK, San Antonio, TX, and Seattle, WA demonstrate the product service life in diverse climates throughout the western United States. All have weathered past the four year mark, and the results are now published.

Problem is that for some reason they pulled off 2007, there is still no 2008 edition and only a 2 year old report from 2006 is available. But here is the “rumor” from trusted sources:

TPO roofs in the above study loose minimum of 1 mil of thickness per year and some TPO’s loose as much as two mil per year (in 10 years that will be 20 mil – imagine that on a 45 mil membrane). Average top ply thickness is 15 mil – some are 12. Once you are down to the scrim, the roof is gone, and the UV will eat the scrim and bottom ply.





Also there are problems with seam failures, premature curing, cracks along the seams, etc. These are TPO’s made in 2001-2002 (second generation) Supposedly there is no 3rd gen. going into production, and I suspect that the reason for the 2007/2008 edition of this book not being available is because manufacturers pressured WSRCA to pull those off. I could swear that I saw an ’07 edition available on sale in January ’09, and now its not even listed.

Aside from the above, most TPO’s and maybe some PVC’s (to cut costs) come with a wicking scrim, so you need to do something about the edge of the weld – that is like welding twice, and there is still lots of roof for error, and once the water get to the scrim, it will delaminate the membrane… I don’t need to explain the consequences.

So, bottom line – do you want your customers to have a 2nd/3rd gen. of repeatedly failing roof technology and put your reputation on the line for a gimmick created by greedy roofing manufacturers who are looking for ways to reduce costs at the expense of quality (putting cheap fillers into membrane to create nominal thickness)? What is the difference between 45 and 60 mil TPO if weathering surface is 12-15 mil? Just thicker bottom play that is made of junk in a first place.

Another thing that amazes me about TPO is the peel-n-stick seams. WHY?… The whole point of thermoplastic roofs (PVC & TPO) is the hot-air welded seam… EPDM rubber roof can be peel and stick… but TPO? All it does, is attracting hacks into thermoplastic roofing market. Those who do not care about quality install, fly-by-night dudes, etc. I mean, if you as a roofing contractor go and spend 10-20 thousand on the hot-air welding equipment you probably won’t disappear tomorrow, as you need to pay that equipment and make some money on top of that. You as a roofing contractor are probably in it for a long run…

Instead of conclusion:

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, the idea of a TPO roof is great. A cheap, naturally cool, long lasting flat roof systems featuring hat-air welded seams is something of an ideal an mark for the roofing industry to strive for. However the “cheap” part in TPO is why all these roof failures occurred and will be happening on a wide scale in near future. TPO’s problem is not the faulty design. In Europe, TPO has been around for decades and is considered to be a very good flat roofing systems.

However, here in the US, roofing manufacturers put the bottom line in their accounting books above product quality and interest of the clients by making their TPO membrane using primarily cheap fillers and low quality wicking scrim, and without proper testing or acquiring UL certifications. In the end, roof owners and to some degree roofing contractors become victims of corporate greed and irresponsible business practices.[PSGallery=1ondfvgxk]

Rubber roofing is a popular choice for low slope and flat roof construction, because relatively inexpensive, and “does not require any special training” on the part of roofing contractor, to be able to offer it to the customer and install. Do understand  that actual installation of rubber roofs is somewhat complicated and requires experience with flat roofing to install it correctly. However anyone can buy rubber roof form a roofing supplier and install it, without being certified by the manufacturer. Discover how many residential roofing contractors “learn” to install a rubber roof, nature and limitations of EPDM roofing membrane and why we recommend that you avoid putting rubber roof on your house. Since manufacturer’s certification is not required, many roofing contractors with little or zero experience in flat roofing, can and do install rubber roofs. However, without contractor’s proper installation training training and experience, such roofs begin to leak very soon after being installed. Discover the secrets of residential flat roofing market and contractors installing EPDM membrane or simply rubber roofing.

See what’s involved in doing rubber roof repair your self:

Repair rubber roof yourself or hire a professional?

As a home or small business owner you should understand that to perform a repair of your rubber roof you will need to buy special supplies needed for the repair and allocate at least 3-4 hours on a sunny or at least dry day, with no rain in the next 12 hours, to allow the repaired patch or seam to cure and become watertight. Here is a list of supplies and approximate prices you can expect to pay to acquire these supplies form a commercial roofing supplier such as ABC Supply, Beacon Supply, Bradco or Harvey Building Products. Your local Home Depot or Lowe’s will not have rubber roofing so don’t waste your time there.

Rubber roof material prices

• Black Glue – $35-40 / Gallon
• Membrane Cleaner – $25 / Gallon
• Rubber Primer – $29 / Gallon
• 50′ x 6″ roll of peel & stick  FLASHING tape (uncured)  - $109
• 100′ x 6″ roll of  peel & stick cover tape – $179
• 100′ x 3″ roll of seam tape – $79
• 2″ silicon or steel roller – $25-45
• Tube of seam caulking (30 ln. ft. coverage) – $9.50

These supplies are ONLY sold in “contractor” quantities, and you cannot buy 10 feet of tape or 1 quart of Rubber primer. The list above is a minimum quantity you can purchase. As you can see, you will easily spend $200-300 just on supplies and you will also need a ladder and of course your time (usually a weekend). Hire us to fix your rubber roof in MA, CT and RI: If you do not feel confident that you can fix your rubber roof or lack certain equipment, or do not want to purchase supplies that you will never use again, you can call us 1-888-6-Flat-Roof (888-635-2876) or fill out our online rubber roof repair request form. Here is how we charge for rubber roof repair. The service call fee is $350 and includes up-to 50-mile drive (one way) and an hour of repair work. We provide the supplies such as peel-n-stick tape and cleaners and adhesives, etc. Each additional hour is $95. Usually a small to medium repair is done in one or two hours. So for $445 (two hour of on-the roof repair work) you will have your roof professionally repaired, won’t waste your entire weekend and will not end-up with unused, unusable, non-returnable materials and supplies, while still wandering if your did the repair correctly. If you still want to do the repair yourself, keep on reading.

DIY how-to guide to repair rubber roof:

The default rubber roof installation method of 1970′s-1990′s and that of today’s shady roofing contractors looking to save every penny, instead of providing quality products and workmanship, is using Black Glue instead of peel-and-stick membrane tape. While black glue was in wide-spread use a decade ago as it was the only way to seal the rubber seams, it has been replaced by more efficient way, using seam tapes with peel and stick surface, which is activated by rubber primer, and creates a much better bond than a black glue can. This guide will describe how-to procedures to fix seams and flashing using Peel & Stick tape – both cured and uncured/flashing tape. To learn how to repair your roof using less expensive (and less reliable) black glue method, refer to our original rubber roof repair guide.

Tools you will need:

Seam probe, silicone / steel roller, scissors, clean rags, sharp utility knife, ladder to get on a roof, broom to clean loose dirt off the roof and squeejee with a body of warm water.

Finding the roof leak:

Flat roofs usually leak where there is ponding water, through the seams or near a roof penetration.

I assume that you have already purchased needed tools, accessories and membrane cleaned + primer, etc., and are now ready to  identified where the leaks are, using a probe tool or a nail. Step one – Clean the roof: Using a wide semi-soft broom, clean the roof of large pieces of debris. Use a water hose to wash other loose debris and dirt off the roof – this will help to soak the dirt and it will come off easier. Wipe the roof dry with a squeegee. Note: You do not need to wash the entire roof. Just the low spots where there is biggest chance to find a leak. You can also use soft wet cloth to soak and wipe clean the seams, so you could test them with a probe. There is a good chance that you can find a break in the seam without using a probe tool – these are usually very obvious. Step two – open up the seams: Assuming that you’ve found a leak that is coming through the seam,stick your probe in gently, making sure not to damage the rubber. Pull the seam apart about a foot in each direction from the spot suspected to leak. Make sure that there won’t be any rain coming soon, otherwise you may not have enough time to seal the roof.

If your seams are not very long – 20 0r 30 feet, it might make sense to open up entire seam and to seal it completely with seam tape, as this will greatly increase the effectiveness of your repair, rather than just doing 2-3 feet of seams.

Step three – clean the seams:

Using clean piece of cloth soaked with membrane cleaner, wipe both sides of the open seam, in and around it. Make sure u clean the edge of the seam opening. Make sure you get all the old glue off, before proceeding to the next step. Use something thin to get the cloth into the corners of two pieces of rubber membrane. Put a small block of wood inside the seam to let the cleaner dry. Once again, I will recommend to open up the entire seam to be able to better lean each side of overlapping rubber. This will allow you to get a better, continuous adhesion.

Step four – sealing the seam: If you opened the entire seam up (preferred method), brush on the rubber primer, making sure that it covers area wider that your seam tape – this will provide better adhesion, without any laps and lips. Put primer on both sides of the membrane.

If you only opened a couple of feet of seam, cut a piece of seam tape that is just about the same length as the opening. Using a paint brush, put generous amount of primer on both top and bottom lap of rubber membrane, making sure to get it all the way into the cracks of the seam.

Step 4.1 – installing seam tape:

After both sides of the seam laps are primed, starting at the end of the seam, unroll the seam tape, without removing the top paper. Try to be as straight as you can. It your tape starts to zig-zag left and right, it will create wrinkles and may pose a risk of leaks. Also your tape has to stick out from under the top lap, by about 3/8 of an inch, to ensure better adhesion. Make sure that it is not hidden under top lap, ans that also can create leaks down the road. you can use yellow chalk or special yellow pencil (sold at roofing supply warehouses) to mark the outer edge of the overlap plus 3/8″. Once you unroll the needed length of seam tape, fold over the top ply of the membrane and start removing the paper from upper side of seam tape.

If your seam tape is too short, and you need to splice two pieces of seam tape, overlap the my two inches, making sure that you prime both sides of each piece of seam tape before splicing (just the end 3-4 inches, as the res of the seam should already have primer). Once the needed length of seam tape is installed, flatten the top layer of the rubber membrane and roll it in, starting at one end and making sure not to miss a spot. Put some weight on that roller, but also don’t go too crazy. Too much rolling may make your wrist hurt.

Viola – your seam repair is complete! PS. Pictures used for this article were taken at a contractor training class on rubber roof installation, set up by Harvey Industries and RPI.