Fiberglass

The secret lays in the accessories.  Flashing - Drain Connections

Fiberglass is the strongest of all the mentioned material.  Today they build swiming pools, large domes, underground storage tanks etc. Rayplex has made over 100 water tanks for ice rinks in Ontario for over 20 years.  We haven't had one failure.

Without getting too deep lets compare the materials.

Fiberglass should last 30 to 50 years.  Just repaint the Gelcoat the surface every 20 years.  Its like building a fiberglass boat deck or the flate roof.  We really don't know what the service life really is.
Like they don't build boats out of tar or vinyl sheet material.

First you can't build a boat out of tar or Vinyl sheet material.  They are now building boats over 150 ft out of fiberglass. If more strength is needed then add some extra layers. Fiberglass can be easily repaired.

If the color fades over time another coat of gel coat just needs to be added.

Different anti-slip surfaces are available.

Railings can be built into the design and water sealed.  Use the same techniques that boat builders use.

One of the engineering features or beneifts is the fiberglass flat roof and all the components are all made from the same material.  FIBERGLASS. 
No more trying to bond tar or vinyl to metal flashing.


Tar system
Has to be professional repaired
High cost to bring in repair team, usually 2 or 3 guys and a smelly tar pot.  Leaks can be hard to find
Walking on a tar roof in winter can crack the tar or with age it become very brittel.

Vinyl Sheet Material  Duradeck
Has a bueatiful decorator finish.  Potential high cost to repair, must be done professionally. Come with a 10 year Guarentee.  For added quality  you could put a layer of Vinyl a couple of layers of fiberglass.  You would get the best of both products.



Coments about Flat Roofs

Some Commonsense Rules for Maintaining a Flat Roof

 

Flat roofs demand more attention than pitched roofs, but depending on your situation, flat might be the better choice.

Flat roofs require more maintenance than do sloped roofs because debris tends to collect on them. But they're safer to walk on than sloped roofs. As long as you're careful not to damage the roofing material as you work, it's easy to keep them functional.

Bruce O'Neal of Matthews Roofing in Chicago says keeping drains and scuppers clear is the single-most-important maintenance task, because backups there will trap standing water on the roof.

Fall is a good time to sweep off leaves and dirt that would turn into mulch over the winter. "We've seen trees growing out of poorly maintained roofs," says O'Neal.

Trees on the ground are a problem too. "Low branches that could scrape the roof should be removed before they cause damage," he says. He also advises checking the flashing for cracked caulking, which can be easily removed and replaced.

Large cracks or splits in a flat roof probably need professional attention, but small punctures or worn spots often can be mended using home-center patch kits for your type of roof. On rubber roofs, TOH general contractor Tom Silva patches small holes with a regular bicycle-tire repair kit.

Have any Questions???

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Lets compare the Benifits of using fiberglass  waterproof covering a flat roof

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