# Any opinions on foam roofing vs tar and gravel for flat roofs



## HeatsTwice (Jan 30, 2011)

I've got to replace 940 square feet of flat roof with either spray on foam roofing or tar and gravel. Foam roofing is about $100 per square foot but the literature indicates its is of superior quality compared to tar and gravel.

Any thoughts?


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## Hogwildz (Jan 30, 2011)

Foam is garbage, it has to be top coated and will degrade in time. And the top coat can easily be penetrated. You don't want that foam saturated with water and all that weight on your roof.
Tar and gravel I assume you mean tar with slag embedded on top. If you get a leak in that stuff, good luck finding and scrapping the slag off to repair it.

What are the dimensions of the roof?
I personally would go with EPDM (Rubber), as it is easy to put down, and easy to repair if need be. The field rubber will outlast you.


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## HeatsTwice (Jan 30, 2011)

Dimensions roof 1: 46x12
Dimensions roof 2: 20x20

But doesn't application of feild rubber require removal of existing roof?

Thanks for the reply.


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## Hogwildz (Jan 30, 2011)

HeatsTwice said:
			
		

> Dimensions roof 1: 46x12
> Dimensions roof 2: 20x20
> 
> But doesn't application of feild rubber require removal of existing roof?
> ...



How many roof layers are on there now? If only 1 most states allow 2 roofs before having to rip off.
To do in rubber, you could just screw down 1/2 fiberboard and fully adhere the rubber to the fiberboard.
What is on the roof now?

The other alternative is to frame out a pitch roof with lumber and shingle it.


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## SolarAndWood (Jan 30, 2011)

After looking at all the leaks that happened over the years and doing maintenance every year, I went the frame over route.  Dropping plates down and standing trusses up on a flat roof is not a bad job.


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## btuser (Jan 30, 2011)

Rubber membrane roofs.  I didn't know anything else was even being installed at this point.   The stuff is a big cost saver inside of 5 years, just keep the lawn chairs off it.


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## HeatsTwice (Jan 30, 2011)

Hogwildz said:
			
		

> HeatsTwice said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Here are some pictures of the two roofs. They should be sloped properly to drain off standing water. Roof 1 (see photo captions on bottom of each photo) is tar and gravel. Only one layer but I put snow seal on it two years ago which sealed many leaks - for a while. 

Roof two is a membrane type application. I don't know the name for it. But obviously it has to be resloped to the only scupper or a drain added. 

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sred...1sRgCN6foOyg-NHGAQ&invite=CNrFkv4F&feat=email 


Any thoughts?


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