Flat Roofing Guide:

Flat Roof Repair
Should you fix or replace your old flat roof? See why repairing that roof is MORE EXPENSIVE than getting a new IB's lifetime roof.

Single Ply Roofing:
Benefits of Single Ply Roofing Systems vs. the old asphalt, BUR, modified bitumen roof.

Solar PV Guide:
Principles of how Solar PV works, and ways to get Free Electricity / Speed up the pay-off period!

Green Roofs: Roof top garden design, benefits and price guide. Green roofing creates healthier cities and makes a roof last much longer, when built correctly.

Knowledge Guides:

Roofing - Learning center contains Do-it-yourself roofing projects that show steps to repair flat and low slope roofs. Detail roofing guides help you solve common roof problems. Homeowners guide to roofing explains benefits of different roof materials and technology.

Flat Roofing - Top 5 biggest myths

The wide-range opinion among roofing contractors and home / building owners alike is that all flat roofs leak. This however is very far from being true. In fact, the flat roofing in general is a very vague topic even for most roofing professionals, let alone the homeowners. If you ask an average roofer about flat roof related problems or leaks, you will get many different opinions, with majority being wrong. Flat roofing is a separate trade and is has very little in common with regular sloped roofs. Therefore flat roof problems should be addressed by a pro, specializing in flat roofing. But how do you know if you know if your roofer is experienced in flat roofing? Read on to uncover the top 5 myths about flat roofs, so you would be able to judge the level of experience that your roofer has.

Myth 1 - Pitched roofs are always better than flat roofs

Pitched or sloped roofs are in no way better than flat roofs, and for most part are applicable only for residential and light commercial use. In fact, sloped roofs leak just as often as flat roofs, and usually last less than most flat roofs. Most pitched roofs fail due to the shingle's aging, curling, drying up and loss of protective stones. At the same time most flat roofs fail due to bad seams and ponding water related leaks, while the roofing material itself, could last much longer. Therefore the most important factor remains the quality of installation.

If you currently have a leaking flat roof, and are considering going with a sloped roof instead, such decision would be the worst and the most expensive choice you can make. The cost of such transition would be at least 3 time more than the cost to install a new, permanent IB roof - a single-ply flat roofing membrane designed to withstand the harshest climates, remain watertight and save you money on energy costs.

Myth 2 - Flat roofs are for Do-It-Yourselfers

Despite the apparent ease of flat roof repairs, the reality demonstrates that even majority of conventional roofing contractors do not know how to fix flat roofs. Combined with a wide range of different types of flat roofing systems that are often incompatible with each other, a regular residential roofing company will most likely not have enough experience to undertake such projects.

Considering the fact that most roofers are NOT experienced with flat roofs, it is advisable that even savvy Do-It-Yourself homeowners do not attempt such repairs unless it is urgent and is required for a short period of time (e.g. - a week or two, until a professional flat roofing company is located to do a complete roof replacement). In fact we do not recommend repairing flat roof as our financial analysis shows that such repairs are very uneconomical, and is a waste of time and resources. Experience shows that flat roof patches do not last more that 1-3 months.

There are numerous cases when shingle roofers tried to fix a flat roof, which resulted in larger leaks and more damages to the interior of the house. If you still plan attempt a flat roof repair, we recommend you read our step-by-step guides to Tar roof repair and EPDM rubber roof repair as these two roof types are most common in existing residential and commercial buildings today.

Myth 3 - Flat roofs are easy to repair

Flat roofs usually have easy access and are easy to work on, as they are flat, and unlike sloped roofs, gravity does not affect the work process and there is no need to build staging. However, fixing flat roofs in not as easy as it may seem. Disadvantage of flat roofs is that in most cases, existing roof does not provide for adequate drainage, and the formation of ponding water increases possibility of roof leaks.

Myth 4 - Cheaper is better

Myth 5 - Rubber flat roofs are the best

Conclusion

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