Flat roofs are not actually flat. They are low-slope, designed to shed water across membrane systems that most shingle roofers do not understand. Sarge installs and repairs TPO, modified bitumen, EPDM, and rolled roofing - the right system for your specific structure.
Most Florida homes are not flat-roof homes. But a huge percentage have flat-roof sections - the lanai cover, a sunroom addition, a patio extension, a carport, a Florida room added in the 1970s or 1980s. These low-slope sections are where homeowners lose the most money to bad repairs.
Why? Because shingle roofers try to repair them like shingle roofs. They put a tarp and goop down. It lasts a season. Next storm, the leak is back.
White, heat-welded seams, energy-reflective. The current standard for residential flat sections and small commercial. 20 to 25 year service life when installed correctly. Reflects heat off the addition or sunroom underneath.
Torch-down or self-adhered SBS modified asphalt sheet. Tougher than TPO against foot traffic and dropped tools. Common on older homes and lanai covers. 15 to 25 year service life.
Black rubber sheet, glued or mechanically attached. Less common in residential Florida because it absorbs heat, but useful in shaded structures and small accessory roofs. 20 to 30 year service life.
Asphalt rolled roofing is the cheapest flat-roof option and the shortest-lived. 7 to 12 years in Florida sun. Sarge installs it when budget is the deciding factor and the structure is temporary or short-term.
If your flat-roof section is past 60 percent of its expected service life and showing multiple failure points, patching becomes a losing game. We tell you straight when replacement is the smarter call. The new membrane goes down with corrected slope, proper drainage, and proper flashings - one job, done right, lasts 20-plus years.
The lanai cover is the most common flat-roof failure in Central Florida. Aluminum frame, often with a foam panel insert or a low-slope membrane top. When the membrane fails, water gets between the layers and rots the wood substrate. The whole lanai cover becomes a problem.
Sarge handles full lanai roof rebuilds when the substrate is gone, or membrane-only replacement when the substrate is sound. We inspect to know which.
The 1970s and 1980s additions across Marion and Lake counties almost universally have flat or near-flat roofs. Original modified bitumen, original built-up roofing (BUR), sometimes original rolled roofing. They are at end of life right now across thousands of homes. We replace those with modern TPO or new modified bitumen, properly flashed against the main house roof line.
A properly installed flat roof with welded TPO seams or self-adhered modified bitumen, with all flashings sealed and the structure rated for the wind zone, performs well in named storms. The failures we see are bad installs and old systems past their service life, not the membrane technology itself.
TPO is usually white and you can see the heat-welded seam lines. Modified bitumen is dark gray or black with a granular surface that looks like a smooth shingle. EPDM is black, smooth, and rubbery. Rolled roofing is asphalt with mineral granules and visible 3-foot overlap seams. Send us a photo and we can identify it on a phone call.
Coverage depends on the cause. Storm damage, falling debris, and named-storm losses are typically covered. Wear-and-tear is not. We document the damage in writing so you can have an honest conversation with your carrier.
TPO is bright white when new and stays bright. If your house has shingles on the main roof and a flat lanai section, the lanai will look different - and that is normal because the systems are different. The new white membrane reflects heat off the addition, which is actually a feature.
A localized membrane repair is usually a half-day job. A full membrane replacement on a typical lanai or addition is 1 to 3 days depending on size, decking condition, and weather. We will tell you the realistic timeline before we start, not after.
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