Low slope, different rules
Shingles work because water runs off them. On a flat or low-slope roof, water sits — so the whole system has to be watertight on its own, with no help from gravity. That's why you can't shingle a flat roof and why a leak on one behaves so differently: water can travel a long way under the membrane before it shows up on your ceiling, which is why the stain is rarely above the actual hole.
Most flat roofs around here are EPDM rubber — a single sheet of membrane, seamed and sealed at the edges and around anything that penetrates it. Done right, it lasts 20 to 30 years. The failures we see almost always start at the same places: seams that were never rolled properly, flashing where the flat roof meets a wall, and the boots around vent pipes and drains.
The thing most homeowners don't know: ponding water is the enemy. If water still sits on the roof 48 hours after rain, that's a problem — it accelerates membrane breakdown and adds serious weight. Sometimes it means the drain is clogged; sometimes it means the roof needs tapered insulation to move water where it should go. We'll tell you which.
We repair and replace EPDM and membrane systems on additions, porches, garages, and commercial buildings. If a flat section has been patched three times and keeps leaking, we'll give you the honest read on whether the membrane is still worth saving.
- EPDM rubber membrane installation and replacement
- Seam, flashing, and pipe-boot leak repair
- Ponding water diagnosis and drainage correction
- Additions, porches, garages, and dormer roofs
- Commercial low-slope buildings
- Honest repair-vs-replace assessment before you spend
