New Duro-Last Designer Series Roofing
Roofing materials differ for commercial and residential buildings. Duro-Last roofing systems are more closely associated with commercial buildings and flat roofs. The reason is the slope of the roof.
A Systems That Offers Greater Variety
Duro-Last designed a reliable system for flat roofs beginning in 1978. Marin County, California boasts a large stock of residential Eichler homes that presented some roofing challenges in their day, because entire, or large areas, of their roofs were flat like commercial buildings.
Why Choose Single Ply Membranes Over Shingles for Your Roof?
Single ply membranes, like Duro-Last’s designer series Ballast Print, Shingle Print, Rock Print & Vinyl Rib Roofing Systems are meant for commercial buildings and homes where appearance is important, but the slope of the roof cannot accommodate shingles or a metal roof.
The slope (or pitch) of a roof is measured as a ratio of the vertical rise to the horizontal run, along a portion of a span. We state it in inches per foot. For instance, a roof that rises 4 inches for every 1 foot (or 12 inches) has a 4 in 12” slope.
Darren Little, of Booth & Little explained, “In order to install shingles, a roof can’t have too low of a slope. The metric is 2 ½ fall per foot. Below that you need to go to the single ply membranes. The concern with roofs that have little or no slope is that they can collect or pool water, so you need a roofing material made to handle that.”
With flat or low slope roofs water collection is always a concern. Proper drainage, maintenance and replacement are all issues to stay on top of for peace of mind. As an example, the Home Goods store in San Rafael had a flat roof that evidently pooled water during a heavy storm and collapsed the roof in 2018.
Little added, “Duro-Last Single Ply membranes have been around for years, but their newer designer series offers homeowners a range of choices. They have a rock pattern, a gray one and of course one printed to look like shingles. They even have one that mimics a metal roof for a bit of variety.”
In order for the membrane to adhere properly and lay absolutely flat, Little recommends the addition of an adhered membrane to the roof deck since no mechanical fasteners are used. This gives the material more stability.
The variety of styles and slopes of the homes in Marin, Sonoma and San Francisco Counties directly impact the kind of materials needed to do a roofing job correctly.
If you have questions about the slope of your roof and the best roofing material for your needs, contact us today. One of our knowledgeable professionals will be happy to assist you.