Flat Roofs - Which Material to Use?
shw001
12 years ago
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worthy
12 years agoRelated Discussions
gabled roof/flat roof
Comments (6)Thanks again, Wow, you have an enviable record with the utility bill reduction. I am not sure what your complaint about net-metering in LA is about. Could it be that if I produce more power than I use, I only get wholesale price and then only after I die? I have not looked into how it is done in other parts of the country. Maybe it is done better elsewhere. So far, I have not been pressured to buy more photovoltaic than I need. I am dealing with the big dogs in the region and a smaller NOLA-based company. The latter seems to be flexible while the former has a sales staff that seems to have "packages". The problem is that I have to decide what I need and that will not be easy. I understand that fixing the house first would be a better idea in a perfect world. There are some things that make that difficult. First, I dont know how long the generous Fed and state programs are going to last. Second. My AC is FUBAR. There are two, 2-ton, compressors, one rather old, feeding a split evaporator. One circuit in the evaporator is leaking. I have an estimate from the previous family that says it will cost $2K to replace. I guess it is a custom evaporator. We also have an unusual tax situation that makes it better to spread the costs out over a few years, though we could do a loan. One thing that I forgot to mention is that when the AC ducts were installed, the central hallway ceiling was dropped and, later, the ceiling in a closet and part of a bath were dropped all to accommodate ducts. Unfortunately, the areas appear to have been boxed off open to the attic. That is right, the attic "floor" is actually boxed "down". Part of this is under the furnace and air handler. I am having a difficult time figuring out what is going on because I can not see all of it. Sealing the supply ducts/boots to the attic floor will be a piece of cake compared to that mess. That is why I was relieved to know that sealing the attic was a great idea. Then I had to think about the flat roofs. Speaking of which, if I close off the flat roof from the gable, and leave the flat roof vented for now, I will need to add vents to let continue the air flow that enters through the soffit vents, right? Believe me, I am counting on variable speed equipment to adjust to my changes in the house in the next few years. For us, oversized, but adjustable will be a big boon. We are both gone all day so having a fast-cooling system that can throttle and control humidity will be nice whether ducted or mini-split. I have not looked at daikin. I have seen the Sanyo, Mitsubishi and LG "multi-minis" though. I will check them out. I have been to the HVAC-talk site, but not for a while. I learned a lot about AC and air quality there. I am a tech-minded guy, but I had a lot to learn about AC and humid climates since I moved here from drier places. I think I have read most of the stuff about hot-humid climates at the building science site, but I should check it again. Will you check the www.fsec.org link. I dont get a rational response. As a historical note. This home was probably one of the early adopters of central AC. There was originally a water-cooled condenser and the house still has three-phase power. There are some interesting-looking motor controls left in the attic. It is hard to say when the AC was first installed wrt the flat-roof additions. I suspect the first one was there because it is fed from the duct in the dropped-ceiling hallway. The later flat-roofed room in the back, with a lower ceiling, has AC supply that runs under the house rather than through the attic. Again, thanks from the bottom of my heart. You are very helpful....See MoreFlat roof thoughts
Comments (3)A so called flat roof should have a little pitch to it. A Flat roof that actually gathers water is known as a ponding roof, which for obvious reasons is bad. Even a ponding roof can actually hold water and not leak. Most leaks from roofs happen where two different types of roofs meet, or where a roof meets a wall or chimney. At these junctions there should be flashing applied to protect from leaks. Most leaks happen due to poor flashing applications. If it is possible, you should try to determine if these area are the source of the leaks. Sometimes it is cheaper to repair flashings than the whole roof....See MoreNeed exterior update advice- flat roof to pitched roof
Comments (11)Don't get me wrong. I love my house the way it is, but I have gone thru two membrane systems in six years and am in a constant state of anxiety, wondering where my next leak will be. If it weren't such an issue, here in Western Pennsylvania, I would embrace it and run with it. Finding a roofer to work on it is nearly impossible as they are so uncommon locally (except for commercial spaces....and those guys don't care about residential projects). The last roof has created an issue that has destroyed the cedar in the back of the house, which the last roofer denies responsibility for. It has been a fight and I am tired of it....See MoreLow slope almost flat residential roof using PBR metal panels?
Comments (20)Actually, it is anything but simple to post a price about something without it being potentially undependable information. You do understand the very basic concept that the cost of doing business (labor, overhead, legal, etc.) is different from region to region. That would be like asking what a 3 bedroom rambler costs. If someone commented on that without a bunch more information at hand, it would be...in a word...idiotic. How much does that 3 bedroom rambler cost in Central Oklahoma vs. San Francisco. You asked and I have long since answered that in our marketplace, there is little to zero BUR and most folks are larger commercial applications are running single ply membranes. Very few folks use anything that requires open flames (torch modified) or a tar kettle. As a matter or observation, I don't know when the last time I saw a tar kettle up here. That said, I was down in Florida to see some family a few months back and DID see a tar kettle so I fully acknowledge that it is still used as a roofing system in this application. BUR is also a fantastic option in many cases because of its adaptability and re-coat option. It just isn't popular up here. If you want to keep answering price questions from halfway across the country with zero background on the region of the specifics, by all means, go ahead. The internet is full of "experts". For our region, the spread between single ply and other flat roofing systems, and metal, is little to none depending on who is quoting it. Hope that the OP didn't get lost in all of our back and forth....See Moreshw001
12 years agoworthy
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12 years agoworthy
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9 years ago
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