Three types of Flat Roof Rubber Membranes

Flat Roof Rubber Membranes are divided into three types – EPDM, TPO, and Modified Bitumen Torch Down

Although there are many types of roofing products on the market for flat roofs, there are basically three types that are commonly installed. These are EPDM Rubber, TPO Vinyl, and Modified Bitumen Torch Down Rubber. Of these three the Torch Down Rubber Membrane is the best.

All these roofing membranes mentioned above classifies as a “Single Ply Membrane”. These roofing systems are one layer of membrane that is seamed together making up a roof. This is why there are so many issues with these roofing systems because it takes more experience and skill to install any of these membranes.

In the old days, there was basically only one type of roofing system and that was the Hot Tar Mop Down roofing system. With so many different roofing membranes on the market, it became harder to train and keep roofing technicians.

For one, everyone that has worked as a roofing technician for a larger company, quickly see the opportunity to start his own roofing company. The larger roofing companies have lost the edge and have strong competition from all the smaller one pony shows.

This video is about an EPDM rubber roof. In the video, we try to prove that EPDM roofs are not as good as what most roofing contractors make it out to be.

The diluted Experience of Roofing Technicians.

More often, roofing technicians will walk away from a larger company to start their own roofing business, but will not have the necessary skills to handle the business side of it.

They end up underbidding jobs and ultimately providing an inferior roof. This trend has been going on for the last 20 years. We see so many flat roofs that are not installed according to proper roofing standards.

Flat Roof Rubber Membrane – Modified bitumen mop Down roof

The image is from someone in Philidelphia; you can tell the roof was not installed correctly. The membrane just hangs over the edge. To the far side where the gutter is, you can see how they just rolled the roofing membrane over the edge into the gutter. All these are finer techniques that make a roof last longer or not.

All these are better techniques that make a roof last longer or not. To hire someone that has not been in the roofing business very long is taking a significant risk of having to re-do the entire roof again.

This is the text conversation I had with a man from Illinois.

The images he has sent from his phone

Naas Ferreira:

How can I help?

Looks like the seams were leaking and someone tried to tar it

Man in Illinois:

I was trying to get advice for the roof I had done and started back leaking the company says I need drains now

Naas Ferreira:

Were you the installer?

Oh so you the owner

Man in Illinois:

No I had a company come out and two days later it started back leaking and they won’t honor the warranty said I need drains on a roof before they will come back out

Naas Ferreira:

And roofing company wants u to install drains?

Man in Illinois:

Yes

Naas Ferreira:

Ok absolutely wrong. They are

The roof is slanted

Not much but water can’t pond too much

From the appearance, it looks very badly installed

But

It appears the shingles are in bad shape too

Man in Illinois:

Yes before they will come back out. I had a 2nd opinion roofer come out and told me no I don’t need drains 90lb felt and tar is not a roofing system

Naas Ferreira:

Oops

Man in Illinois:

Oh I now have lots of water on the flat roof and it’s leaking in my home for over a month now

Naas Ferreira:

Ok

So you had a fake roofer

Even with 90 lb paper, it should have worked

Man in Illinois:

That’s what I’m trying to find out. I hired him a site

Naas Ferreira:

Anyway. Cut your losses and get a real roofer. Sorry about your loss

I also suspect your shingles could cause leaks

They look old and brittle

Be sure to have that checked out

Man in Illinois:

But it’s only the flat side leaking and I have a lot to cut for losses

Naas Ferreira:

Yes but if the shingles leak it will show up on a flat section

Man in Illinois:

Oh ok

Naas Ferreira:

I am almost positive that is what’s wrong

The flat section is bad, but still, it should not leak

Man in Illinois:

No, it’s more than that I had my ceiling removed due to the leak and there are several areas leaking from the ceiling

Naas Ferreira:

Yes that won’t tell where the water is coming from

I would not have touched that flat section by the look of the shingles

Man in Illinois:

Even when it rains n is pouring in like raining inside

Naas Ferreira:

Have someone check the shingles

I think you are at a loss with these people

Man in Illinois:

Ok I will

Naas Ferreira:

If they installed paper then they have no clue and there is no way then to ask them to do better

Man in Illinois:

Yea, I think so as well

Naas Ferreira:

Where are you

State?

Man in Illinois:

Well the contract says they were doing something else I didn’t know what was done until a 2nd roofer was called out

Rockford Il

Naas Ferreira:

You can find someone to install a Torch Down rubber over that will save you money

CA

??

Man in Illinois:

What is that

Naas Ferreira:

What state are you in?

I don’t know where Rockford is

Man in Illinois:

Illinois

Naas Ferreira:

I seeContinue next Column continue….

Man in Illinois:

1 1/2 hours from Chicago

Naas Ferreira:

Anyway see what you can do

I really am concerned about the shingles

Man in Illinois:

O wow

the rough situation I don’t know anything about roofing and I thought I would have a better chance not being taken advantage of if I used a roofing site

Naas Ferreira:

If u can take some pics to close up of the shingles I’ll probably be able to tell

Man in Illinois:

Well, right now I don’t even have the money I’m back saving I paid 3200$ for that to be done. I just had a kid leave for college and this has put me in a

Ok

I’m concerned about the entire roof now n the inside of my home

Naas Ferreira:

I am so sorry

Man in Illinois:

Ok I can tomorrow it’s too dark for me to go up there now

Naas Ferreira:

I don’t think you going to get them to fix it. Scam artists

Man in Illinois:

Thank you for time and advice I will send pics tomorrow once I’m home from work about 430

Naas Ferreira:

Ok

Man in Illinois:

When fair claims contact them they said I now need drains but it’s not in the contract and was never mentioned to me when he gave me the estimate

Naas Ferreira:

U don’t need drains

Absurd

Not for that roof

That house has been there a long time without drains

Nothing has changed. Just a bad roofer

Man in Illinois:

I know I immediately called out a different roofing company and didn’t tell them I recently had it repaired and just let them give me an estimate then asked

d if I was to put drains up will that help the problem and they said no. I’m reading the new estimate and they do have on here to replace side shingles

in this estimate

Naas Ferreira:

I see

Man in Illinois:

The new company said remove n replace 3 courses of shingles from slope roof

And they said it will be a Durotuff roofing system to the flat roof

Naas Ferreira:

Ok. Maybe because of 3 layers that could not be the cause of the leak on the flat roof. Maybe the flat roof was so badly installed it’s leaking

Hmm don’t know “Durotuff”

Man in Illinois:

The new roofing company that came out check the entire roof

PVC Durotuff

Naas Ferreira:

Ok yes

It’s good but more expensive than Torch down

Man in Illinois:

Lol ok

Naas Ferreira:

I am not a fan of PVC or TPO

Man in Illinois:

Yea I know it’s 4800$ I have to come up with

Naas Ferreira:

But in your case, it will be ok

Man in Illinois:

I have no idea what either is

Naas Ferreira:

Vinyl plastic roof

They are pretty good

Price sounds right

Actually cheap

Man in Illinois:

They mention some about vinyl in here too

Naas Ferreira:

They will strip what’s there

Man in Illinois:

Yes I just wish I would have found them over a month ago then I wouldn’t have had to have carpet shampoo and rented humidifiers and cleaned water every day

 which was a waste due to it’s still not fixed

Yes because water is in between