What type of roofing material do you think this is?

[Kevin Luce]

What type of roofing material is this?

Do you guys have any good information with pictures about the different types of flat roofs and problems associated with them?

[Gerry Beaumont]

Hi Kevin,

do you have any other or higher resolution pictures of that roof, to me it could be either EPDM or modified bitumen with a UV relective paint from what I can see, problem is it also looks wavy enough to be SPF

Regards

Gerry

[Justin Watts]

It looks like a membrane roof to me... synthetic rubber used a lot on commercial rooftops. And yes regardless of material all flat roofs leak! Make sure you tell your client this....

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

Hi Kevin,

do you have any other or higher resolution pictures of that roof, to me it could be either EPDM or modified bitumen with a UV relective paint from what I can see, problem is it also looks wavy enough to be SPF

Regards

Gerry

Ditto...looks like EPDM with SPF applied, and the reflective coating is shot.

[Kevin Luce]

These are all the pictures I took of the roof.

[relliott]

What everyone else said.
Check flashing along the parapet wall,open seams ,and roof penetrations.

[Gerry Beaumont]

Hi Kevin,

here's my "best wild*****" guess. I think you are looking at a modified bitumen ply roof with an aluminium oxide solar reflective paint (the roof being wet doesn't help).

The reflective coating is shot as Dale said, plus the opening seams and the lumps and bumps are indicative of moisture migrating between the plys.

As Bob stated the cap flashings on the parapet walls also look highly suspect.

Given the doubt about the exact material and its obvious condition I would recommend futher evaluation by a roofing specialist, but I'm pretty sure that is going to need a new roof.

Regards

Gerry

[relliott]

Got another commercial inspection Gerry.
12 units and I will be using your great message in a photo tip once again.

[William J. Decker]

With those clay coping tiles, check and see if they are sealed properly. If they only used black roofing dope, they will leak within the year.

See it all the time, around here.

[Rick Maday]

Originally Posted by relliott

I will be using your great message in a photo tip once again.

Care to share the tip?

[Mark Reusch]

Originally Posted by gbeaumont

Hi Kevin,

here's my "best wild*****" guess. I think you are looking at a modified bitumen ply roof with an aluminium oxide solar reflective paint (the roof being wet doesn't help).

The reflective coating is shot as Dale said, plus the opening seams and the lumps and bumps are indicative of moisture migrating between the plys.

As Bob stated the cap flashings on the parapet walls also look highly suspect.

Given the doubt about the exact material and its obvious condition I would recommend futher evaluation by a roofing specialist, but I'm pretty sure that is going to need a new roof.

Regards

Gerry

Absolutely right on about the PAINT. I was using that stuff 20 years ago on walk out porches to reduce the heat. The only good thing about it was when it began leaking you could find it really easy because it showed a black line where the seperation was instead of the silver coating.