Month: June 2009

Rubber Roofing (EPDM) – Pros and Cons of Using Rubber Flat Roofs

Posted on June 15, 2009April 21, 2020 by Leo - CoolFlatRoof

Rubber roofing (EPDM single ply membranes) is the most common flat roofing system in New England (MA, CT, NH, RI, etc.) and the rest of US flat roofing marker. Most people refer to a flat roof as a “rubber roof”.

The main reason for such popularity of rubber roofs is the lower initial price tag. However, rubber roofs have many inherent problems.

These problems cannot be solved by technology, because of their design, as well as issues with unprofessional contractors claiming to be “rubber roofing pros“.

However, you can do the repair yourself, saving hundreds of dollars, and avoiding shady, unqualified contractors. Here is how to do it:

You can source the materials and tools from local suppliers (you will have to buy in bulk though, and have tons of extra material), or use a DIY Rubber Roof Repair Kit, specially designed for DIY homeowners, small businesses, maintenance personal, etc.

What You Need to Know About Rubber Roofing

Homeowners with flat roof homes often find themselves in a situation where their roof starts to leak rather unexpectedly – i.e. only after a few years since it was installed.

This for the most part happens to homes that have a rubber roof on them. While most flat roofs will only last 10-15 years, older systems such as Tar & Gravel, BUR (built-up) and in some cases Modified bitumen roofs.

These roof types are usually installed by roofing contractors that are somewhat specialized in their field of work – these are “the old-timers”, or former union guys that decided to try their luck working for themselves, and they actually went through special training and have years of experience.

Incorrectly installed EPDM roof in Quincy, MA – rubber glued right over shingles:

The problem is that roofing systems they install do not last long for many reasons outside the scope of this article. By contrast, most rubber roofs are installed and repaired by roofers that have no special knowledge or training, they take on EPDM roofing jobs, because they are seemingly easy, inexpensive to install and require no special expensive equipment.

If you have a leaking rubber roof in Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island we can give you a roofing price quote to replace your roof with our flat roofing material of choice – a new, lifetime PVC Flat roof manufactured by IB Roof Systems. We can also repair your rubber roof at a relatively low cost, using only the best materials that rubber systems have, and extend the life of your roof by a few years. One example of such materials are peel-and-stick flashing and seam tapes. We do not use black rubber glue as it is outdated, and leaks much faster.

BAD Rubber Roofing Video – this is why you don’t want to have a flat rubber roof:

Why Are Rubber Roofs So Popular?

Rubber roofs (EPDM) are the most used flat roofing products in the US / Canadian commercial roofing market. They we first put in service over 40 years ago, and since gained popularity among roofing contractors and their customers. The reason for such success lies in the condition of the flat roofing market at that time and the available alternatives.

Back in 1960’s oil was still very cheap, it was more than a decade before the oil crisis of the 70’s and there wasn’t that much demand for oil. The oil refining process was far from being efficient and the industry was looking to get rid of many by-products of the oil refining process.

At the same time, the flat roofing industry was the same as at the turn of the 19th century, and the most common product to use on a flat roof was either a BUR (built-up roofing, using multiple layers of tar paper, saturated in hot tar or hot asphalt) or Tar & Gravel roofing, which was essentially a BUR roof with gravel added for additional protection. Flat roofing technology has not changed for 100 years and contractors needed a new, easier to install and cleaner product, hence, EPDM rubber roofing system was born.

EPDM consists mainly of oil based by-products with some modifiers and stabilizers added to extend its service life. Rubber roofing was cheap to produce, easier to install than conventional (BUR) roofs, did not require any special equipment to put it down and the membrane could potentially last for decades, as it was UV stable and did not break down when exposed to the weather.

Because rubber roofing was cheap, quick to install, and offered a potentially long service life, and with lack of any opposition from better roofing products, it quickly became the king of flat roofing and the pioneer of the single-ply flat roofing market.

Useful resources:

DIY epdm rubber roof repair – Our original article on how to fix a rubber roof with EPDM rubber adhesive (no peel-n-stick tapes)
Rubber roof repair guide – A part 2 of our Do-it-yourself guide teaching you how to fix EPDM rubber roofing systems with primer and seam tape.

PART 2: Avoid using “roofing pros” who do not specialize in flat roofs:

Below we will explain that one of the major problems with rubber roofs is the poor workmanship of roofing contractors who install and repair them. We will demonstrate how many roofers are “trained” in installation of EPDM single ply roofing systems, as well as results of their work (our Horrible Rubber Roofs series).

The Truth About Residential Flat Roofing Market and Contractors

Rubber Roof Contractors: It is unfortunate, but most residential flat roofs are installed by roofing contractors that specialize in asphalt shingles. Since they can easily purchase rubber roofing materials from their roofing supply warehouse, and are not required to be certified installers, nor do they need any special training or equipment, they will often undertake such projects to keep their crews busy.

Horrible Rubber Roofs Videos:

Horrible rubber roof part 1.
Location: Brockton, MA
Date taken: Summer, 2011

Horrible rubber roof part 2.
Location: Revere, MA
Date taken: Fall 2011

Horrible rubber roof part 3.
Location: Country Club in Central MA
Date taken: Summer / Fall 2011

These are just some roof inspections that we did in the summer / fall of 2011. Look – even commercial roofs are not immune to hack roofers and faulty materials (like rubber roofing), but in residential, this is much more common.

Contractors’ Lack of Knowledge and Lack of Training

To get a quality rubber roof installed, it usually has to be done by a commercial roofing company that specializes in flat roofing. However, it is often the policy of such companies not to work with residential customers, for which there are many reasons. These contractors work with large commercial and institutional customers, employ union workers who are trained roof mechanics, specializing in their particular niche. For example, a commercial roofing contractor will have separate crews doing metal roofing or slate – these guys are “roofers”, and yet another crew doing flat roofing ONLY – these are “roof mechanics”.

A residential roofing contractor usually employs just roofers, who are good at what they do all day long – install asphalt shingle roofs, and often do not have a clue about how flat roofs work. When they get a potential client with a flat roof, they go to their supplier, ask what supplier has for flat roof, and the salesman at the supply warehouse TEACHES the roofer how to install EPDM rubber. This is not creative fiction or a product of my imagination – I see this happening nearly every time, when I come in to the supply store to get something.

“Trained rubber roofing installers”: If you are lucky, you may get a roofer that has received some sort of training about rubber roof installation. For example, one of my suppliers, provides installation training programs for their roofing contractors who install only asphalt shingles. The idea behind such training seminars is to increase awareness and solicit sales of more roofing products. A manufacturer technician provides a sample installation on a 8×8 feet demo stand.

Below is an example of such “hands-on rubber roofing training”.

epdm rubber roof installation

As you can see, the roofers just sit around the demo stand while the MFG Installation technician shows them what to do. The whole demonstration took about an hour and a half, and covered thing like installing flat roofing insulation (ISO), adhering rubber to the ISO board, flashing a sky-light / chimney penetration with un-cured flashing material, installing the membrane up the vertical wall, cleaning & priming seams and installing seam tape, installing drip edge and a tape to seal the drip edge fasteners, and installing termination bar. In the same 1.5 hours we’ve also “learned” how to correctly apply yellow glue – membrane adhesive, seam primer – seam & flashing glue and how to install these systems in the winter, while violating manufacturer’s installation specs.

rubber roofing

Out of 25 or so roofing contractors present, there were about 15 or so questions particular to the installation details. 7 of them were asked by me! Bear in mind that I already knew how to install a rubber roof and attended the event to talk to my salesman, representatives of the metal roofing manufacturer and for free refreshments 🙂

In any case, each one of those 25 or so roofing contractors, willing to learn a new, and very complicated roofing system, asked an average of 0.3 questions about this system.

Rubber Roofs for Residential Customers: It was clear that my supplier and the roofing representatives were selling to Residential Roofing Contractors. Not once did they mention roof-top HVAC units, roof hatches, elevator shafts, gas/electrical pipes, roof drains, etc. They did however insist that the rubber is a good choice for a low slope shed dormer (without mentioning the poor low slope roof ventilation and ice dam prevention associated with shed dormers). They also mentioned that rubber is a good choice for a flat roof decks and patios.

Single-Ply Flat Roofing Membranes – PVC, TPO & EPDM Rubber Roofs

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Leo - CoolFlatRoof

In our overview of Flat Roofing Technologies: Part I – BUR, Tar & Gravel and Modified Bitumen, we discussed the older and in many ways inefficient types of flat roofs, that are not only outdated by today’s standards, but also have a short life cycle expectancy. Moreover, they pose numerous obstacles when it comes to repair, as discussed in our Flat Roof Repair guide.

In Part II, we will take a look at the newer, more advanced roofing technologies, and explore the advantages and disadvantages of each single-ply roofing technology commonly used today.

What is single-ply flat roofing?

There is a lot of confusion about single ply membrane roofing. Many people think that any ‘single ply’ is the answer to their flat roofing problems. This however is far from being the truth. In reality, single-ply roofing membranes have only one thing in common – that is: they are single ply, or just one layer of membrane that is a waterproofing barrier. The similarity stops there.

IB Flat Roof installation in Weston, MA

Membrane formulation, or the components a membrane is made of, marks the biggest difference between different single-ply products. Single ply membranes come in various widths, ranging from 6 to over 18 feet. In theory, the wider the membrane is, the less overlapping seam you have, thus reducing the possibility of leaks. The reality is different however, and most commonly used membranes do not exceed 10 feet in width.

The most crucial aspect to the reliability and longevity of single ply roofs is the method of attaching overlapping seams together. That is where 99% of flat roof leaks occur. Therefore, having permanently attached seams is the most important factor in the longevity of a flat roof installation. We will discuss it in more detail as we review different single ply roofing technologies.

Single-ply Membrane Installation Methods

Single ply membranes are installed either as fully adhered or mechanically attached systems, depending on each roof’s condition, installer’s preferences, and other factors. Underneath the membrane, there is usually a separation barrier and/or some sort of insulation board. Most common insulation is ISO or EPS foam board. Both types have an R-value ranging from 4-R to 6-R per 1 inch of insulation thickness.

Mechanically attached IB CPA/PVC Membrane on a roof of residential house in Providence, RI.

Mechanically attached IB roof with hot-air welded seams, ensures that your roof will be leak free for many years to come, and high wind uplift will not cause damage to your building. Mechanically attached installation uses heavy duty screws and barbed plates to hold the membrane down tightly, and is not affected by possible ISO de-lamination. The membrane is attached using 12″ O.C. pattern with perimeter sheets attached 6″ O.C. This ensures that even the hurricane-type wind will not tear off your roof. Mechanically attached installation method does not require the use of heavy and expensive ballast, and is a preferred choice, if your building is located in a high-wind area, such as along the coast line or on a high hill.

Fully adhered single ply membranes are glued to the fiberglass sheet, laminated to both sides of the ISO insulation, which is in turn attached to the roof deck. While quick and simple, the fully adhered method has one serious disadvantage. If condensation forms underneath a roofing membrane, which often happens and may be caused by improper ventilation of the roof deck, it will ‘de-laminate’ the ISO board and/or adhesive that is holding membrane in place. If the membrane becomes loose, it is prone to wind blow-off, which will leave your roof unprotected. Results of such blow-off will be catastrophic not only to your roof, but to the entire building. While this is rarely the case, it is still a possibility – a gamble you might not want to take.

More common problems with fully-adhered single-ply flat roofing systems (Mostly EPDM rubber) are defects in glue/adhesive application that cause bubbles, badly glued seams and as a result, a very unpleasant view and more often then not, roof leaks. The image bellow demonstrates a defective EPDM rubber application.

Find out more information on why you should avoid installing EPDM rubber roofing on you home and how residential roofing contractors are trained to install rubber roofs.

Three most common single-ply roofing systems

Today, when it comes to flat roof replacement, single ply roofing is the top choice. More and more contractors are switching from old systems, such as BUR, Asphalt, and Tar & Gravel to single-ply membranes, which are easier, safer and faster to install. Single ply roofing installation does not require torching, used in Modified Bitumen installation, and therefore there is no fire hazard/possibility to burn down your home / business.

There are 3 most-used single ply membrane systems present on the market today: PVC/CPA, EPDM rubber and TPO. Bellow, we provide a brief summary of each of these systems.

PVC (CPA) Roofing

PVC – Polyvinyl Chloride – a thermoplastic membrane, utilizing a reinforcement scrim between the two plies of equal thickness (IB roof only). Top ply contains Cool Roof pigments, UV stabilizers, and other components to extend the life of the membrane. Bottom ply contains PVC ingredients to provide consistent weld of top and bottom plies and fillers. Material Warranty Period: Up to 25 years Commercial / Lifetime Residential. PVC life expectancy: 30+ years. The reason for PVC’s superior durability and longevity are the seams, which are hot air welded and as a result will be impervious to leaks and will never come apart.
Special Notes: For a complete overview of IB flat roofing products for residential, commercial and restaurant use, as well as installation method and roofing accessories refer to our IB Roof products page.

Learn more about IB’s outstanding single ply flat roofing membrane, its advantages, and many choices for Residential, Commercial and Restaurant use.

TPO Roofing

TPO – Thermo Plastic Olefin – a thermoplastic membrane utilizing a reinforcement scrim between the two plies. 35/65 % thickness for top & bottom ply respectively. Top ply contains Cool Roof pigments, UV stabilizers, and other components to extend the life of the membrane. Bottom ply contains TPO ingredients to provide consistent weld of top and bottom plies and fillers. Note that the top ply is about half the thickness of the bottom ply. Yet, the top ply is the one that makes the roof long-lasting. IB PVC has a 50/50 or equal thickness of top/bottom ply.
Material Warranty Period: Up to 20 years Commercial / None for Residential. TPO roof system life expectancy – 7 to 20* years. Like PVC roofs, TPO systems also use the hot air welded seams technology to make the roof durable and leak free. However, problems with the membrane formulation, are a source of many issues. You should know that there is not a single TPO installation in existence in the USA, that was produced in North America and is older than about 15 years. Therefore it is unknown how long a TPO system will perform without any leaks*.
Special Notes: * TPO roof systems are under continuous development by numerous manufacturers, who constantly change the TPO formulation to achieve the lowest cost with acceptable performance. While it is understandable that businesses always look to save money and to reduce costs, this ongoing TPO development process is being conducted, often at the expense of the roof owner. A TPO roof from the same manufacturer will most likely NOT be the same as the one produced a few years before or after. Also, the quality of different batches of TPO membranes may be questionable, as some TPO producers release the product to the end user without getting the UL and similar approvals/certification, as the formulation changes too often. Refer to our comparison article of PVC vs. TPO to find out more about the TPO problems / short-comings.

EPDM Rubber

EPDM Rubber – Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer – a rubber-like black membrane, usually non-reinforced. Most common application method is a fully adhered (glued down) membrane with glued seams / flashings.
Material Warranty Period: Up to 40 years Commercial / None Residential. EPDM roof system life expectancy – 10 to 15 years. Although the material warranty goes up to 40 years for a 90-mil Epdm from some manufacturers, it does not cover the seams. Failing seams are the main cause of EPDM roof leaks, followed by ponding water, for which EPDM has no warranty either.
Special Notes: EPDM is the least expensive single ply roofing type and requires no special equipment to install it (unlike PVC and TPO which require hot-air welding equipment) and thus is the first choice for contractors entering the flat roofing market and asphalt shingle roofers, who ‘install rubber here and there’. Although many commercial roofing companies also use EPDM, they usually do not perform Residential installations so many times a home owner deals with a Part-Time flat roofing company.

Badly installed Rubber Roof:

EPDM roof bubbles - what happens when a wrong adhesive is combined with wrong roofing membrane and a wrong installation method.
Please note that there are many manufacturers of all three types of roofing, and each has their own formulation / manufacturing process / warranty conditions and periods, etc. Therefore we only provide a general summary for each of those roof types. Also, since our specialty is installation of IB roofs, when we use the term PVC or CPA we refer to IB PVC Roofs (CPA or Co-Polymer Alloy is the way IB Roof Systems refers to its PVC product. IB membranes are 100% ‘compatible’ with other PVC products).

IB SolarWise – Integrated Solar PV Flat Roofing Systems

Posted on June 15, 2009January 22, 2015 by Leo - CoolFlatRoof

Dear readers, we are getting an overwhelming amount of questions about IB Solar Wise PV systems, cost of solar, efficiency of IB SolarWise PV system vs. conventional Solar panels, and whether solar will work for you. To answer most of these questions we have created a comprehensive solar PV planning and design guide. Please familiarize yourself with how solar works, solar terminology and Solar PV Roofing price structure – find out how much solar PV roofing should cost – Solar PV prices.

Quick Page Navigation:

What is IB SolarWise PV? – Introduction to roof-integrated Solar PV system produced by leaders in flat roofing and renewable energy – IB Roofs and Uni-Solar
IB SolarWise video – Watch IB Solar PV roofing system in action – installation, performance and financial benefits
Prices of IB SolarWise PV – Estimate how much an IB Solar PV roofing system will cost for your project before any Federal Renewable Energy Tax credits and State solar rebates
Why should you want a roof-integrated Solar PV system? – Learn why BIPV is the way to go when you want to switch to solar PV, and probable consequences of using conventional solar systems
Financial benefits of IB SolarWise – Discover why IB solarwise is the least expensive solar PV system to install and maintain

IB SolarWise roof-integrated Photo-Voltaic Systems

IB SolarWise Roofing is a Revolutionary Product combining Permanent Flat Roofing and Renewable Energy in one easy-to install, leaks-proof flat roofing solution for environment and money conscious Home and Business owners, and has a pay-off period of under 5 years*, while industry standard is 7-10 years or more.

IB SolarWise utilizes Thin Film laminate Solar PV modules produced by Uni-Solar – a US manufacturer of Solar products. Both IB Roofs and Uni-Solar have been in business for over 30 years, and combining their respective experience in Flat Roofing and Solar Photo-Voltaic gives you the highest quality, Super-Energy-Efficient product for Residential, Commercial or Industrial buildings.

SolarWise is more than just a system – it is a way to integrate two different system to work seamlessly, to be leaks free and maintain its warranty, without incurring additional costs for the building owner.

IB Solar Wise helps roofing contractors and solar integrators eliminate their biggest worries – leaks and solar photovoltaic equipment damages by creating a seamless integration between two previously incompatible technologies.

IB Solar Wise - building integrated PV systems that seamlessly installs with IB single-ply flat roofing membranes with no roof penetrations. Generate free electricity, and have your Solar PV system pay for itself in under 5 years!

IB SolarWise Video

Until recently, availability of IB SolarWise system, solar integrators had to rely on caulking and screws to attach solar panels to the roof surface. This created leak problems, for which solar integrators did not want to take responsibility. Roofing contractors were ‘terrified’ of solar equipment and its sky-high replacement cost in case of damage during roof repair. Now all these problems are eliminated by integrating solar PV components into a long-lasting IB roofing membrane, resulting in the elimination of leaks, reduced solar and roofing installation & materials costs and reduced requirement for dead-weight load on the structural components of the building.

IB SolarWise Prices

Here we will demonstrate a cost structure for a hypothetical 3 KW solar PV system installed on a roof of a home or a business. Do understand that this cost includes the installation of IB Roof, BIPV Solar panels, Inverter, wiring, etc., and the prices are provided “before” any Federal tax credits and State rebates for solar and other renewable energy projects.

Lets assume that our roof is an average residential roof that is 1500 sq. ft., which has a slight pitch and is positioned in a southern direction with no shading (perfect conditions for solar PV installation). Please note that the slope of the roof, shading or southern exposure do not directly affect your cost for a solar system, but these conditions will affect your system’s efficiency and total electricity output. Theoretically, on a 1500 sq. ft. roof, we can install up to 7 KW of IB Solar Panels, but for the purposes of this example we will use 3 KW system mentioned before.

There is a lot of confusion about how the solar PV systems are priced – many people assume that solar is priced by Square Foot, but that is not the case. Because Solar Panels from various manufacturers have different efficiency, the electricity produced by 15 sq. ft. panel from Manufacturer A can be double that produced by same size panel made by Manufacturer B. Therefore, all solar PV systems are priced by their output measured by Watts DC. The average industry cost for solar PV systems that are rack-mounted and installed on an asphalt shingles roof of a residential homes range from $10 to $12 per Watt DC.

IB SolarWise PV system utilizes a thin-film Solar PV laminates produced by Uni-Solar Ovonics. These solar panels have lesser efficiency than a more common crystalline silicon panels (big aluminum boxes) per sq. ft., therefore they require more space to have a large size solar array installed. However that is rarely a concern, as usually there is plenty of unused, unshaded space on the roof. Prices of IB Solar Wise PV are in the range of $13-14 per Watt DC. This is slightly more than your conventional PV panels, but it also includes a Lifetime roof, and provides a complete, watertight system, which is guaranteed not to leak, as is often the case with conventional PV systems installed on rack mounting systems, which are bolted to the roof.

The $13-14 per Watt DC figure is flexible and a lot depends on the size of the roof and the size of the solar system (number of KWatts), and in some cases can actually be on par with cost of conventional Solar systems, which do not include the roof. Each individual project will be different, so use these numbers for reference only.

Also we recommend that you read the next section of this article, discussing why you would want to have a roof-integrated solar system installed vs. a conventional solar system.

Installation of solar roofing

Solar Flat Roofing: Cautionary tale with the end in mind

Foreword: This story is fictional in nature but real in substance, and definitely happened before.

A brave, responsible, and hard-working person – Jack – decides that installing a Solar PV system is not only beneficial for the environment, but is also a sound investment. So after doing the due-diligence, he lines up a solar integrator to install a Solar System on his 7 years-old flat roof. The roof has no signs of leaks and Jack feels that there won’t be any problems.

The solar integrator knows his job well and completes the project in a timely manner, applying for and receiving all the available incentives for the client. The system performs well as expected, and generates the expected amount of electricity. All goes well.

3-5 years later, the roof begins to leak and Jack is faced with a dilemma. He needs to stop the leaks but the solar equipment is in the way. The roofing contractor who is supposed to fix the leak hesitates to move the solar equipment, which prevents him from fixing the roof. The only option is to remove the solar panels array completely, remove the old roof, install a new roof, and then put the solar array back.

Excluding the cost of re-roofing, as it is not related to the solar system, the hero of our story had to pay at least a dollar/watt for removal and a dollar/watt to put back the solar panels. Lets say he had a small commercial system of 10 kW or 10,000 watts. This means that he had to pay an EXTRA $20,000 just to take the solar system off and put it back on, so the roofing crew could do the work.

Why was this a cautionary story with the END in mind? Very simple: Jack could avoid the extra expense of $20,000 by using a roof-integrated solar system such as IB SolarWise. Cases like this one happen all too often, and not just with flat roofs. A more common example would be an asphalt shingle roof with a solar pv system, where shingles not covered by solar panels deteriorate at a normal rate and will have to be replaced about every 15 years. Lets face it: shingles rarely last more than 15 years. Consider all the roof penetrations from the solar panels’ rack mounts and the roof lasts 12 years, after which the repair process described above has to take place, unless of course you are willing to take the leaks.

IB SolarWise roof saves you money in FOUR ways

1 – IB Cool White PVC roofing membrane reflects up to 90% Sun’s heat, thus your AC does not have to work as hard as if you had a black roof. Read more about benefits of IB Cool Flat Roofs.

2 – SolarWise PV modules (solar panels) generate free electricity** by converting sunlight into Electricity you can actually use, so you do not have to buy it from your utility company, or you buy a lot less than you had to before. In some cases, your IB SolarWise PV system will produce MORE electricity than you expected, and you electric company will buy it from you at retail price, in states that have Net Metering laws (most states).

You will also be able to sell so called Renewable Energy Credits or RECs to give you even more money for extra electricity that you produce, thus speeding-up your pay-off period! But that is not all – there are also numerous incentives, grants and tax-rebates offered by Federal, State and local Governments, as well as your utility companies.

3 – IB Roof’s durability and proven performance ensures years of leaks-free operation of your roof, as well as virtually no maintenance. As a result, you save money on flat roof and interior repair, which you will otherwise incur with other flat roofing systems, notorious for constant roof leaks.

4 – IB SolarWise PV system will save you money on the installation costs. SolarWise PV is a Building-Integrated PV (BI-PV), which means it is actually a part of the IB flat roofing system. This eliminates the need to use expensive solar panel mounts, brackets and railings that take long to install, therefore adding a lot of money to the total cost of the installation.

How does IB SolarWise PV work?

IB SolarWise PV produces a DC-current, which goes into an Inverter where it becomes an AC-current. The inverter is connected to you home’s or building’s electric circuit and also to your meter. You use all the electricity you need, while ALL excess electricity goes into the Grid. Electricity that goes into the grid is purchased from you by your utility company through Net Metering, usually at retail price.

Most of the electricity produced by the SolarWise PV system occurs in the summer, when days are longer and more sunlight is available. At the same time, people will usually use a lot more electricity in the summer to run the Air Conditioning units, so depending on the “size” of your solar system, you will produce more, less or the same amount of electricity than you actually consume. However, practice shows that in the summer months, Solar systems produce more electricity than is consumed. Therefore, all excess kWh sent to the grid in the summer you will use in the winter, when a lot less sunlight is available.

Download Official IB SolarWise PV Brochure

Note: you will need a PDF Reader to open this brochure. We recommend fast and free Foxit PDF Reader.

Benefits Summary

With all the positive qualities of IB SolarWise PV system is the Best solution available for anyone looking to have an energy-efficient Cool Flat Roof and a Solar PV system. IB SolarWise PV offers the best of flat roofing and solar electricity:

Lowest Cost per Watt installed with simplified installation and fastest pay-off period of around 5 years!
Longest Service Life of both the Roofing System and Solar Modules. IB offers a 20 year Material Warranty for the SolarWise PV modules and up to 25 year Commercial Warranty with its 80-mil flat roofing membrane – the highest commercial warranty available from any flat roofing manufacturer.Homeowners will enjoy IB’s Lifetime Residential Warranty on any IB roofing product. You will not find it anywhere else, guaranteed! IB Roof Warranty Summary
Fully Integrated Solution eliminates the risk of roof leaks, often associated with regular Solar systems! Light Weight of about 1 lb. / sq. ft. eliminates the need to upgrade the structural components of your flat roof, which further reduces your costs.

SolarWise PV is BI-PV, which qualifies it for additional incentives and rebates from State and Federal government and other
entities.

Frequently Asked Questions

This section is designed to cover the topics that you are most interested in, and always ask us about.

Q: Can I install IB Solar Wise panels over EPDM Rubber (Modified Bitumen, Tar roof, etc)
A: No. IB SolarWise PV system must be installed over an IB roof. The solar panels are welded down to the IB PVC roofing membrane, which acts as a water-tight barrier and a substrate for IB Solar
Q: How much does a square foot of IB Solar PV cost?
A: IB SolarWise PV system as well as other solar systems are not priced by the square foot, but rather by $/Watt DC. Please refer to our IB Solar PV pricing section for more details
Q: What is the output of IB SolarWise PV module?
A: IB SolarWise PV modules come use 4 Uni-Solar thin-film laminates per module. Each Unisolar module is 136 Watts DC, so each IB SolarWise PV module is 544 Watts. You also have an option of getting modules that are 1/2 the physical and output size and are 272 watts.
Q: How many KW of IB solar can I install on my roof?
A: The 544 Watt IB SolarWise PV modules is 19 feet long by 6 feet wide and require 120 sq. feet of unshaded roof area. Therefore, for 1 Kilowatt of electrical output, you will need about 200 sq. feet of roof. However, since IB Solar modules come in sizes of 544 Watts, you need to calculate how many modules you want installed and how much unshaded roof area you have.

Solar PV References and Resources

To learn more information and methods of designing a solar house, visit our GreenSolar Cafe.com – Renewable Energy Blog. There, you will find detailed guides to creating a Net Zero Energy consumption home, that utilizes Solar and Geothermal technologies that are available on the market today.

Solar PV installation Prices – Detailed guide to $$/Watt price-structure of SolarWise PV and other solar systems.

Solar Rebates and Incentives Guide – Summary of Federal, State and Local tax credits, grants, rebates, incentives for installation of Solar PV systems – both for Residential and Commercial installation. Make your Solar PV profitable from the day it is installed!

Solar PV Price Estimator – Calculate the approximate PV System-size in Watts, Cost/Watt and the Price to install your SolarWise PV system, and an IB Roof of your choice.

Solar PV Pay-off / Break-Even Guide – Detailed look at how Solar PV works, Solar systems design, and how you can get Free Electricity. Speed up the pay-off period of your SolarWise PV. In some instances you can make your Solar PV profitable from the day it is installed!

IB Roof References and Resources

IB Green/Roof-top Garden Roofs – If you are Eco/Environmentally conscious, or just want more Green in your live, and have a flat roof Home or Office building, see why IB Roof is the perfect choice for your Greed Roof!

Green Resources Directory – Visit other Green / Eco-Friendly resources available online.

Flat Roofing Materials – EPDM rubber, BUR, Tar & Gravel & Modified Bitumen

Posted on June 15, 2009June 17, 2016 by Leo - CoolFlatRoof

How Much Flat Roof Costs - Calculate Prices

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Flat Roofing systems: The purpose of a flat roof or any roof for that matter is to keep your home or building safe and dry. The roof MUST protect your investment from the elements such as rain, snow, and even the sun’s heat.

However, many flat roofing technologies on the market today have some major, inherent drawbacks that have origins in their design. In fact, most flat roofs fail to serve their main purpose just a few years after they are installed.

You are presented with so many choices for a flat roof and every roofing contractor will tell you their product is the best.

But which one do you choose and how do you know that you are getting the best deal? Here we have summarized the most common and ‘popular’ flat roofing choices. You can be the judge and decide which is best for you.

Benefits of flat roof construction:

There is a common misconception among many home-improvement contractors and residential builders / architects that flat roofs = problems.

The truth is that flat roofs are very convenient, easier to build, and cost less than pitched / sloped roofs. In some cases, a flat roof is the only way to go, for example, when you have a large size building.

Building a reliable pitched roof in those cases will require extra engineering to accommodate for additional structural weight.

IB roof replaces two sections of this textile factory roof located in Central Falls, RI. These two sections had the most leaks, which were damaging expensive machinery.

Flat roofs are also convenient for installing large HVAC equipment that otherwise would have to be installed on the ground. You can also use flat roof as a roof-top deck, patio or penthouse. Green roofs are also gaining popularity with environmentally conscious companies and organizations.

When you compare all the construction costs and environmental benefits, flat roofs by far surpass any sloped roof, for which the roof products of choice are oil-based asphalt shingles. These asphalt shingles end up in our landfills every 12-15 years, and yet more and more of them are produced.

Limitations and Disadvantages of flat roofing:

Flat roofs also have a number of disadvantages. The main one is the fact that there is no slope and all the water/snow sits on the roof. While water can be taken care of with proper drainage, snow will sit on the roof until it melts. This requires the engineers / architects to implement building components with a higher structural load. Another disadvantage that haunted flat roof installations for over a century is ponding water. Until the invention of single ply membranes such as an IB roof, there was no effective and economical way to eliminate the leaks caused by ponding water. That had to be taken care of in the initial design/construction stage. Creating a slight pitch and multiple drains was required, and still ponding water caused over 75% of all flat roof leaks.

Now the ponding water problem is solved by either implementing a slight pitch to the roof – such as in ‘space metal buildings”, using tapered insulation to direct water flow toward drains and with the creation of IB PVC / CPA roofing with hot-air welded seams, ponding water is no longer a problem in small quantities. It is still necessary to have adequate drainage system, since a lot of ponding water can cause structural damages to your house or building.

Types of flat roof: Modern and Outdated roofing technologies.

Outdated (Multiple-Ply Roofs) – some are over 100 years old:

Build-Up Roof (BUR)
Tar & Gravel
Bitumen (Modified Bitumen)
Rolled Asphalt (usually a “single-ply” install, sometimes uses tar-paper as base ply)

Modern (Single-Ply Membranes)- created within last 30 years:

IB Roof (PVC roofing) – IB PVC roofing membrane is one of the best low-slope and completely flat roofing products available, and that is precisely the reason why we only install IB roofs. With over 30 years of spotless reputation and leaks-free performance in many different climates – from Alaska’s frigid north-lands to Hawaii’s tropical paradise, IB roofs are protecting the buildings and everything inside, without a single material failure since 1978.

IB roofs still feature the same chemical formula as its original design, and with hot-air welded seams, will maintain complete water-tightness over your roof.

Epdm Rubber Roof – a widely used flat roofing material, mainly popular among contractors because of its low price and no special equipment needed to install the rubber roof. Still, rubber roofs are very prone to leaks, as the seams are glued together, and adhesive tends to break down within 5-7 years. Also in the residential roofing market (and not so much in commercial) there are too many contractors who will install rubber roofing products without proper knowledge and training. As a result, we often go to rubber roof repair service calls to fix problems caused by poor workmanship, often on fairly new roofs.

TPO Roofing – a single ply thermoplastic roofing membrane similar to PVC roofs from a first glance. But as you start digging, you’ll find numerous problems with TPO roofs, mainly as a result of manufacturers skipping on adding important ingredients into formulation of the TPO membrane, and as a result, quietly scrapping as many as three major generations of the product.
SFR – Sprayed Foam Roofing (not a single-ply)

Part I: Inferior and outdated flat roofing technologies

These are very common on older buildings, although many newer buildings also have these systems installed. They are rarely installed on any commercial building today. However, they continue to be produced, and many roofers still install them on residential and small commercial roofs. This is particularly due to their low cost of material, and roofers’ lack of experience with BETTER solutions. It is sad that there are some decent roofers offering such an inferior product to their customers. I often hear something along the lines of: “I’ve been doing ‘torch-down’ for 20 years, and it is the best” – very sad – so we will briefly describe them, without getting into details.

BUR / Tar & Gravel / Torch-down: Multiple-ply roof where each ‘tar-soaked’ ply is applied with a torch (yes, open flame on your roof!), or hot mopped (preheated tar transported to the roof and applied with a mop). Gravel goes on top of this ‘sandwich’ mainly as a protection layer from foot-traffic and sun’s devastating ultraviolet rays. There are many deviations from the above procedure, but they are all within a close range of similarity.

Two layers of Tar & Gravel fail to keep this roof watertight

Modified Bitumen: It is also applied with a torch in a similar manner described above. It is however a different material than tar. Modified bitumen has rubber and elastomers added into the formula, so it is stronger and more flexible.

Rolled Asphalt: Similar to asphalt shingles – tar paper is saturated in asphalt, with crushed stones glued on top of it. Rolls are installed in an overlapping pattern, with cold-mop application and nails to attach it to the roof deck. Overlapping seams are sealed with tar.

Rolled asphalt flat Roof in Providence, RI is failing prematurely - seams coming apart, seam adhesive fails, nails backing out, and as a result: roof leaks inside the house.

Problems associated with flat roofs:

The nature of flat roofs’ problems is just that they are flat. Water does not run off the roof. Proper drainage must be in place to get rid of water accumulating on a roof. Usually older roofs are not leveled, so water puddles will appear here and there after every rain, and just sit there until it dries out. This is called standing or ponding water. Most roofing systems were not designed for ponding water. In fact, most manufacturers of the roofing systems on the market today, will void out the warranty if there is ponding water on the roof (we will get to this issue later). Other major problems for flat roofs, are penetrations such as skylights, vent or exhaust pipes, chimneys, roof hatches, drains, etc. However the biggest problem with flat roofs is the seams, because they are the most common areas where leaks occur.

Seams:

Seams exist on every flat roof (except tiny ‘6×10 porch-type’ roofs, which can be covered with a single sheet of roofing membrane), and are usually put together with some sort of adhesive. After a few years the adhesive breaks due to severe weather changes (here in New England, temperature can change 25 degrees or more, in a matter of one day). Another major factor affecting seams’ adhesive is condensation, which always occurs underneath the roof covering. Condensation expands both in the winter and summer. The most dramatic expansion of condensation happens in the winter time when water freezes, expands and breaks the seam. The same happens to our roads. Think of all the potholes you drive over. Those too were caused by water freezing. In the summer water heats up and also expands. When you see bubbles on the roof surface, it is the water vapor lifting the membrane. The third major factor is actually quality of workmanship and the adhesive itself. For different roofing systems the process is different, but most of them share the same shortcoming – the need for using adhesives, be it glue, hot tar, liquid resin, etc. Adhesives are also required to flash any roof penetrations listed above, but here the workmanship is actually more of a factor than the adhesive.

Conclusion – let’s get real.

It is a shame that in the 21st century we are still using 19th century technology. Even more so, because nearly 50% of roofers in the on-line construction forums will advise you to choose a clearly inferior roof. These heavy and dirty roofs, heat up to 170 degrees and make your AC run like crazy in the summer. These very roofs start leaking prematurely and are impossible to fix. Why would some one acting in good faith actually recommend these? The answer is obvious – they don’t know any better. Fortunately there is ONE modern, technologically advanced flat roofing solution available on the market today – IB Roof. In fact, this solution has been around for a few decades now, and has a proved track record of 30 years of leak-free service!

Read more: Part II – Single-Ply Roofing Membranes – PVC, TPO & EPDM Rubber Roofing.

Roofing Price Calculator: Estimate the Cost of Flat Roof Replacement

Posted on June 15, 2009 by Leo - CoolFlatRoof

This Free Roofing Price Calculator is designed to give you a rough idea of how much it is going to cost to install a new flat roof, or to replace an existing one. It will also calculate approximate energy savings derived from installing white* (most energy efficient) IB membrane vs. black rubber (EPDM) or Tar & Gravel/BUR roof.

Quick Navigation:

How roofing cost is calculated – Understanding the roofing price structure and the specifics of our calculator.
Learn how to use our roofing calculator – If you have questions on how to use our calculator, or need to know which info about your roof is required, read this quick user guide.
Roofing material price updates – Because roofing materials as many other products are dependant on price of oil &amp and other factors, we’ll update you on any major change in roof material costs.

Calculate you roofing cost now!

Approximate Roofing project price (press ‘Calculate Roof Price’ button to get results) – Sometimes you will have to wait a few seconds to get the price results:

Get an IB single-ply roofing membrane installed on your roof – fill out our roofing estimate request and get a free price quote customized to your roof.

Please remember: these prices indicate approximate cost to install a 50-mil white IB Roof, 80-mil IB or the residential IB Traditions Membrane over an average size home (in a 1000 sq. ft. range). Above roofing prices DO NOT indicate installation costs of IB DeckShield or flat roof deck/patio with PT wood installation.

Please note that if you are still receiving last year’s prices, there is a good chance that you will receive a sub-par service, and/or your roofing contractor will use every chance to reduce their costs ( cut corners whenever possible ). No roofing contractor is immune from rising material prices unless they hold a huge inventory (nearly impossible). Therefore, if you get a “great deal”, you may not get a great roof.

How to interpret the instant price quote:

We want you to know that your actual installation cost may vary based on the specifics of your roof and your roof difficulty, and the roofing contractor you use – refer to our roofing price guide for more insight on how roofing contractors come up with their prices. Also, you should know that the price for Tar and Epdm roof material greatly depends on the price of OIL, which was trading at its all time high of $147 per barrel in July of 2008. Although oil prices have fallen dramatically since then, the material costs remained the same and in some cases (for asphalt-bases products such as shingles, rolled roofing, built-up roofs, modified bitumen and EPDM rubber) they actually continue to increase – the last major price increase occurred in March 2009 with all the major roofing manufacturers. Since we DO NOT install Epdm or Tar roofs, we provide you with our estimated cost, based on our experience. Epdm and Tar roof prices also vary from one roofing company to another.

Dear visitors, please be aware that results of our calculator do not always reflect the price quote you are going to receive from us. Our calculator is designed to provide approximate pricing to install a 50-mil white IB roofing membrane on an average size home (1000-2000 sq. ft.). If your roof is small (about 300-400 sq. ft.), then your cost/sq. ft will likely be higher than results from this calculator. This is due to the fact that our set-up costs remain the same, while the amount of work is smaller.

Like-wise, if your roof is large, your cost per sq. foot may be lower, depending on various variables. There is no exact formula on how the price is calculated, as there are too many factors affecting the price of each particular roof, and including them would make our roofing calculator too complicated to use.

Also bear in mind that Specialty Membranes such as IB Traditions for Residential low-slope roofing or 80-mil IB roof will be slightly more expensive compared to a standard 50 mil roof.

IB DeckShield or 80-mil membrane assembly with Pressure Treated wood on top for walk-on flat roof decks will be considerably more per sq. ft., compared to results from our calculator. Please refer to our flat roof decks section of our website for explanation of our walkable flat roof assembly for both Deck-Shield and 80-mil with PT or composition deck.

How to use this roof price calculator

Plug in your roof dimensions into the calculator. Make sure you account for any overhangs / soffits, as that may add significant area to you total roof size. If your roof has an odd shape ( ‘L’ shape or similar ) you can divide your roof into virtual ‘rectangular blocks’ and add up all your measurements to get the total square footage. Plug in that number and multiply it by 1. For example: if your roof is 2300 sq. ft., type 2300 x 1 into ‘roof dimensions’ section of calculator.

Use appropriate ‘roof difficulty’ setting to get a more accurate roof price estimation. Although your roof may look simple, roof penetrations like sky-lights, chimneys specialty vents, AC units, etc. take a long time to flash correctly, therefore adding a significant amount to the total price tag of the roof.

Choose the desired insulation thickness. Insulation makes up a significant part of total material cost, and in some cases may cost more than the roofing membrane itself. Having good insulating value may seem expensive at first, but it will greatly reduce your energy costs, eventually paying for itself. However, if you already have some insulation, adding more will not have a dramatic effect compared to having no insulation at all.

When comparing prices of an IB roof and the cheaper alternatives like Epdm rubber, bear in mind that total roofing cost concept. While IB has a higher initial cost of installation, the difference in price will be more than offset by savings in future roof repairs, energy savings, and virtually no maintenance required for the IB flat roof.

When looking at the numbers produced by this calculator, bear in mind that each roof is different, and your actual cost will depend on your roof’s difficulty level, as well as a number of other factors, such as ease of access, IB membrane thickness and the type you choose, insulation thickness, etc.

Relative Roof Difficulty: Please Choose according to how many through-roof penetrations/HVAC units/Skylights/Vent or
Hot-stack pipes, etc., are on the roof, as this will make a significant price difference. The more penetrations, the more precision
work will have to be performed.

Roofing Material Price Update – June 20, 2008

As you know the price of oil increased more than 80% in the last 6 months, which in effect increased the transportation and food costs. However, unless you are a roofer, or involved with the construction industry, you may not know that roofing material prices have also risen more than 30%. This is especially true for roofing materials such as Rubber, Asphalt and Modified Bitumen roofing, as they all use oil-byproducts as one of the base components. Since roofing contractors cannot absorb a 30% increase in material costs, as well as other cost increases such as gasoline price hike of more than 40% since November of 2007, the price of roofing installation is also on the rise. Expect a 10-20% increase in the roof price for the above mentioned roofing materials (EPDM, Mod. Bit. and Built-Up Roofing).

IB Roof Material Price Update – Sept. 30, 2008

As with most other construction materials, IB roofs are not immune to rising manufacturing, materials and transportation costs. We had two material price increases – one on July 1st and a second one in the beginning of September. In total, materials prices went up 18% for us, as well as increasing transportation costs.

Fortunately, we purchased a stock of 50-mil white IB membrane before the July 1st increase in prices, so for a limited time we can still offer June installation prices. This is of-course until the stock runs out. Don’t wait too long.

We have modified our roofing price calculator to reflect the recent material cost hikes by a reasonable 10%. These installation prices assume that a roof is installed by a reputable roofing company that is fully insured and licensed, and specializes in flat roofing. If you get a “great” deal from someone, don’t be surprised if your seemingly inexpensive roof leaks soon after it is installed, and your roofing contractor is nowhere to be found. Refer to our flat roof repair guide for some insight and ideas on what to do if your roof leaks and what your options and costs are.

* IB White Membrane has the highest solar reflectance rate of almost 90%. Energy savings refer to the avoided cost of
electricity to operate the AC in the summer. Our calculator does not consider the R-value of insulation as a savings factor.
However, the thicker the insulation, the more savings you’ll realize all year round.

** Savings are calculated assuming the electricity rates in Metro Boston area from N-Star, effective April 1, 2007.
The going rate then was $0.1875 / kWh, for the consumption of 1000 kWh per month. Electricity rates found in the following
report from Hydro Quebec:
Hydro Quebec Electricity Rates
report – 2007 Your actual rate may vary. To calculate your rate per kWh, look at your last 12 electric bills. Add all 12
statement balances (exclude any previous balances, late fees or other misc. charges not related to your energy use), and divide by the total number of kWh consumed.