631-965-1443

Flat roof installations & repairs

We work on all types of flat roofs: torch-down roofs, waterproofing membranes and coatings, and Gaco roofs.

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A new black flat roof membrane against a white stucco wall

Three kinds of flat roof

Built-up roof (BUR)

The traditional hot-tar-and-gravel roof: three or more layers of waterproof material alternated with hot tar, and weighed down with a layer of smooth river stone. It was once made with tar paper. Today it uses more advanced materials such as fiberglass membranes.

For

  • Gravel is an excellent fire retardant
  • Looks good where windows and decks overlook the roof
  • The cheapest of the flat roof types

Against

  • Very heavy, so the joists sometimes have to be strengthened
  • Smelly and messy to install, and not for an occupied home
  • The source of a leak is hard to find
  • Gravel can clog gutters and scuppers

Modified bitumen

A single-ply rolled roof, similar to ice-and-water shield, with a mineral-based wear surface. In a torch-down system the adhesive is heated as the material is unrolled. Newer peel-and-stick systems are safer and simpler.

For

  • The light-colored mineral surface reflects heat and cuts energy bills
  • Priced in the middle of the range

Against

  • Torch-down application is a fire hazard and is not recommended for occupied buildings
  • Not as scuff- or tear-resistant as a rubber membrane

Rubber membrane (EPDM)

EPDM, short for ethylene propylene diene monomer, is a true rubber. The single-ply membrane looks like an inner tube, but it is engineered to resist sunlight. It can be fixed with fasteners, held down with stone, or glued.

For

  • Relatively light
  • Highly resistant to scuffs and tears
  • Leaks are easy to patch

Against

  • The standard black material absorbs heat. Light-colored coatings, recommended in warm climates, add 30% or more to the cost
  • Even in black it costs more than built-up or modified bitumen
  • Easier to puncture than the other choices

For where windows & decks overlook the roof

Flat roofing holds up well in wet weather and in New York's climate: snow, rain, heat and hurricanes.

Flat roofs we've done

A new flat roof after rain, with white parapet walls around it
A new membrane, after rain.
A new black flat roof membrane against a white stucco wall
Sealed up to a stucco wall.
A small flat roof with a new membrane, enclosed by new cedar boards
A small flat roof inside new cedar walls.
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