Help with proposed new flat roof - EPDM or Fibreglass

[merc]

Hi all, new member , that needs some advise.

I have a 7 year old felt flat roof with two lanterns, which has started  to leak.

I have researched EPDM and Fibreglass, but need professional help to opt for the bbest solution.

The roof is in the sun all day long and is approximately 40 SQ. Metres

 

Many thanks for any help

[Conor]

Are you going to do it yourself or get somebody in? A solution is only as good as the person applying it. Both are good options, along with fleece lined PVC.

 

I did a GRP roof myself, easy enough if you have all the materials, equipment and prep done. Oh, and good weather. Good luck laying a 40m² GRP roof at this time of year! You need low humidity and warm temps.

[Alan Ambrose]

I put EPDM on a large shed roof recently. I was impressed and I'm wondering if it is a much underrated material.

 

Alan

[merc]

21 minutes ago, Conor said:

Are you going to do it yourself or get somebody in? A solution is only as good as the person applying it. Both are good options, along with fleece lined PVC.

 

I did a GRP roof myself, easy enough if you have all the materials, equipment and prep done. Oh, and good weather. Good luck laying a 40m² GRP roof at this time of year! You need low humidity and warm temps.

Hi and thanks for reply, i will be getting a specialist in to do it, just trying to understand the options

[merc]

9 minutes ago, Alan Ambrose said:

I put EPDM on a large shed roof recently. I was impressed and I'm wondering if it is a much underrated material.

 

Alan

Thanks Alan, was just wondering what the impact of being in the sun all day would have on the rubber

[markc]

Sarnafil is easy and pretty indestructible 

[merc]

2 minutes ago, markc said:

Sarnafil is easy and pretty indestructible 

Thanks - will check it out 😀

[merc]

Requested a quote ☺️

[SteamyTea]

GRP every time, but then I am still itching after 30 years in the composite plastic industry.

[joe90]

I like (and have fitted ) GRP, but have no knowledge of rubber solutions, for me GRP every time (but fitted by a professional who knows what they are doing!

[merc]

Have located the leak,  but am a bit wary of replacing old felt with GRP or  EPDM at present due to weather conditions, temperature etc.

Is there a temporary fix - Wickes - Thompson's  roof seal or similar that I could use as a short term fix.

Advice much appreciated 🙂

[merc]

After some research I treated the suspect area with a product call Acrypol+ and it seems to be working okay, will give it a second coat when the rain stops.

Will have the roof re-done in the spring, with GRP 

[BobAJob]

Finding a good reliable EPDM specialist is difficult. Lots of people seem to have certificates from the manufacturer, but that only means they've done a one or two day course in how to lay it. They turn up in t-shirts with the manufacturer's logo all over to make you think they know what they're doing.  Sadly, it doesn't guarantee that they'll do a good job. 

 

Two years ago I had an EPDM roof replaced.  The previous installer had just laid the rubber on the roof without gluing it at all, so it was very easy to remove it.  The new installer then seemed to be doing an ok job until I discovered that at the corners he had just folded the rubber under itself and then whacked a dirty big nail through it.  He then covered the nail with a rubber corner patch and covered it with an edging facia.  When I challenged him about whacking nails through rubber he told me that everyone does it.  He also managed to lay the rubber on one small section of the roof so that the manufacturer's branding stamps were visible after it was glued in place. He did as he was laying that section of the roof at 6pm on a dark October evening as he had decided to try to do a two or three day job in a single say and he was just interested in making money by doing the job quickly not correctly and thought he could get away with it.  At some point I'll probably have to get this roof done again and this time I'll not believe the t-shirts or their reviews. I'll quiz them on how they intend to lay it. 

 

My suggestion is find someone you trust and who can recommend a good installer. 

Edited November 24, 2022 by BobAJob

[steveoelliott]

19 hours ago, BobAJob said:

Finding a good reliable EPDM specialist is difficult. Lots of people seem to have certificates from the manufacturer, but that only means they've done a one or two day course in how to lay it. They turn up in t-shirts with the manufacturer's logo all over to make you think they know what they're doing.  Sadly, it doesn't guarantee that they'll do a good job. 

 

Two years ago I had an EPDM roof replaced.  The previous installer had just laid the rubber on the roof without gluing it at all, so it was very easy to remove it.  The new installer then seemed to be doing an ok job until I discovered that at the corners he had just folded the rubber under itself and then whacked a dirty big nail through it.  He then covered the nail with a rubber corner patch and covered it with an edging facia.  When I challenged him about whacking nails through rubber he told me that everyone does it.  He also managed to lay the rubber on one small section of the roof so that the manufacturer's branding stamps were visible after it was glued in place. He did as he was laying that section of the roof at 6pm on a dark October evening as he had decided to try to do a two or three day job in a single say and he was just interested in making money by doing the job quickly not correctly and thought he could get away with it.  At some point I'll probably have to get this roof done again and this time I'll not believe the t-shirts or their reviews. I'll quiz them on how they intend to lay it. 

 

My suggestion is find someone you trust and who can recommend a good installer. 

Finding good roofers, flat or otherwise is a real challenge... I'd like to replace my pretty new flat roof with a GRP one but finding somebody decent with a conscience to do it is a real challenge.

[merc]

Thanks for advise, much appreciated - it seems getting the right roofer can be bit of a problem, maybe best by recommendation? 😗

[Bitpipe]

We have two GRP flat roofs - no issues wrt leaks but the top coat on one has now failed twice and is very unsightly. At some point I will get up to rub it down and re-coat myself.

 

Other one has a dip which puddles water  - that's down to the underlying structure not being built correctly and was not the fault of the roofer who came after.

 

 

[SteamyTea]

27 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

top coat on one has now failed twice and is very unsightly

Take more that a bit if rubbing down, really need to remove all the top/flow coat.

Top or flow coats usually have a wax additive in them. That has to be removed.

Large, slow speed angle grinder with a sandling pad would be my tool of choice.

 

30 minutes ago, Bitpipe said:

dip which puddles water

Same as above, then make up a polyester filler mix, spread and sand, recover with some GRP and then flow coat.

 

Both jobs will make you itch. I still itch, but then have been involved with the shit since 1975.

[Bitpipe]

On 15/11/2022 at 16:07, Conor said:

Are you going to do it yourself or get somebody in? A solution is only as good as the person applying it. Both are good options, along with fleece lined PVC.

 

I did a GRP roof myself, easy enough if you have all the materials, equipment and prep done. Oh, and good weather. Good luck laying a 40m² GRP roof at this time of year! You need low humidity and warm temps.

 

And this is pretty much when my GRP roofs were done - Dec 2015

[Alan Ambrose]

>>> was just wondering what the impact of being in the sun all day would have on the rubber

 

I don't really have a broad enough experience to give a great answer - but there seem to be numerous companies offering 30-year guarantees on 1.5mm EPDM.

 

Alan

[John Lewis]

I put EPDM on a large shed roof recently. I was impressed with the quality of this material. It is a very reliable and durable material.

[Tetrarch]

Not a professional. I installed an 40sq m EPDM garage roof in 2003 with the full intention of covering it with protective gravel. I never got round to it and sold the house with a perfectly performing, fully intact roof covering last year.

 

Since moving into our new place I had a small GRP roof professionally installed over a fireplace and have self-installed two EPDM roofs (one 30sq m and one 3 sq m). They are so easy to install and need no maintenance.

 

Regards

 

Tet

 

 

[Mr Punter]

4 hours ago, Tetrarch said:

Not a professional. I installed an 40sq m EPDM garage roof in 2003 with the full intention of covering it with protective gravel. I never got round to it and sold the house with a perfectly performing, fully intact roof covering last year.

 

That is impressive if you did it on your own.  The bigger sheets are heavy and unwieldy.  I have done a garage on my own but I would not attempt again without help as it was a real struggle.