There are lots of flat roofing options and everyone has an opinion. There are no one size fits all solutions to low slope roofing, and for some roofers they think there is. Some guys ONLY install EPDM or ONLY install mod bit. We used to install alot of modified bitumen and we are getting away from it. We have always dabbled in EPDM, and still do, though it’s not our primary low slope offering it does have a place. When we began phasing out Modified Bitumen, we began to replace it with TPO. No we are replacing TPO with PVC. reliableamerican.us/services/low … ofing.html
Modified Bitumen? There is nothing wrong with the product. But lots of roofers start fires, even very highly respected and safe roofers. I don’t want to take that chance anymore and try as best as possible to always leave the torches in storage when ever possible. Also any roof will leak from seams and penetrations first, and that’s a proven fact. Modified bitumen has 3’ rolls, so seams every 3’. Furthermore consumers tend to think modified is modified is modified and that’s simply not the case. How can you compare a 10 year smooth black to a 20 year 4 ply granulated? They are not the same. I don’t sell cheap, I sell quality, I don’t sell 10 year roofs.
EPDM the membrane its’ self will last darned near forever. A 60 mil epdm is fairly durable and slightly puncture resistant, especially if there is a high density cover board. By the way, alot of guys install modified bitumen without a cover board (directly over wood) and this is a huge no no. We always install all our membranes with a cover board of some kind. EPDM is the easiest roof I’ve ever installed. However the adhesives in the seams tend to fail in 10-15 years. That’s why on warranted jobs, the manufacturers are requiring self adhering seam tape. It can get costly on small roofs. Plus EPDM is often black.
Why do I like Thermoplastic like PVC and TPO? When installed properly it’s the best I have found. But there is opinion, and some evidence, that TPO is an inferior product, prone to failure for various reasons. I’d still prefer install TPO over modified however. I tell my customers, “If you want a 15 year roof, let’s go TPO and if you want a 20 year roof let’s go PVC.” There is more to it than that, but that blanket statement seems to fit most of the roofs I look at.
Comparing estimates, scope of work and quality of materials will dictate price. Are both being torn off? What is being done to address insulation? Is ventilation a requirement, if so who is doing what? What are the system specifications, 10-30year depending on system and installation method? (Don’t compare a 10 year roof to a 30 year roof.) By far the details are the most important and often most neglected. What kind of edge detail? What kind of drainage? Are flashings being reused, replaced? If reused throw away the bid. If replaced, HOW? Get it ALL in writing. A standard proposal document I present to my home owners for flat roofs is generally 2-3 pages long spelling out exactly what we plan to do, how we plan to do it, and what products we plan to use. If you like you may post your proposals here for us to point out the differences. **They can’t be that simple, can they?! **
The APP estimate seems like he’s doing a 12 year roof with no cover board. No drip edge? Is he torching right to the wood?! $3 a sq ft is $96 per sheet for plywood.
Pricing is the LAST thing you should consider when comparing quotes. Again, Scope of work and Quality of material will dictate price. In other words look at what you are getting, not what you are spending.
Make sure each contractor is licensed if necessary in your municipality. Call the licensing board to make sure the license is valid. Make sure they have workmens compensation as well as General Liability insurance. Get a certificate with yourself named as the certificate holder. Check the BBB, while most contractors will agree the BBB is a friggin joke, one thing that can’t be disputed is their complaint history. When checking the BBB only look at complaint history, if they have had alot of complaints you may ask yourself if you want to gamble on being the next. Perform a simple google search for the company by name, perhaps a few keyword variations like “grumpy’s roofing company problems” and see if people are talking bad about the company. Also look for the estimator by name, you’d be surprised what you can find out about people on the internet. For example would you want to do business with someone who has a picture of them self smoking crack on their facebook page? Just sayin’ reliableamerican.us/articles … ractor.htm
As for the pricing being so similar, pricing is often in the logistics on small jobs like this. I would expect any system to cost very similar on 6 squares of roofing.
But no the only time I’d expect foot traffic is if we needed to trim some of our neighbor’s overhanging branches or to make roof repairs.