Did you know that the highest energy efficient roofing material available (over 500% greater than tar & gravel) is foam roofing? Foam roofs are extremely durable with high tensile and compressive strength. Through out the Bay Area, many homes were designed using flat roofs to create their unique look. Maintaining a flat roof is much more difficult than standard pitched roofing. If you are looking for an alternative to tar and gravel roofs that actually incorporates insulation and roofing into one material, then foam roofing is the solution for you.
Most people see pictures of foam roofing and think that the material is soft and fluffy. Foam roofs are anything but soft. It is more like walking on concrete. You can walk on these roofs without the worry of creating a leak. These roofs are made to withstand construction traffic as well without damaging the surface.
Good points. Another thing you may consider is that a trained foam inspector can identify a leak in minutes. The tell tell signs of foam leaks are obvious impacts and cracks. Blisters, caused by improper installation of foam roofs are the most obvious to detect… they look like…blisters! Vents sometimes will be the source of leaking where the foam is separating from the metal (due to improper priming at installation). This is different from built-up and cap sheet roofs where, if a leak occurs, it’s anybody’s guess where it could be coming from. Note: there are seams every 3 feet that run along the entirety of the roof in cap sheet. Anyplace along these seams could be a potential leak source. Built-up roofs are a hodgepodge of tar, felt, and gravel. Magical dowsing rods are required to detect sources of leaks on built-up roofs!
I think that most consumers are under the impression that there is only one kind of roof available. After all the overwhelming majority of homes and businesses have a traditional shingle roof or tar and gravel roof.
You wrote:
“Did you know that the highest energy efficient roofing material available (over 500% greater than tar & gravel) is foam roofing?”
Technology has made so many advances that provide superior energy efficiency. Roofing materials such as foaming and stone coated steel roofs are examples of these. Since they last much longer than traditional roofs, they also help the environment by reducing the amount of roofing material waste that fills our landills.
You are exactly right. Foam roofing does provide 500% greater energy efficiency over tar and gravel. How does metal roofing compare though?