Flat and low-slope roofing
Shingles need slope to shed water; below about 2:12 they do not work. The flat roof on a 1960s Chico ranch addition, a patio cover, a garage, a downtown storefront or a shop all need a membrane instead. Boe Roofing installs and repairs TPO, modified bitumen and rolled roofing.
Which membrane
TPO is a white single-ply sheet with heat-welded seams. It is the standard on commercial roofs now and the best choice for most flat residential roofs too: it is reflective, which matters in a Chico August, it is clean to install, and the seams are stronger than the sheet.
Modified bitumen, torch-down, is an asphalt sheet applied with a torch or self-adhered. It is tough, it takes foot traffic, and it is what most older flat roofs here already have, so a repair or a recover in the same material is straightforward.
Rolled roofing is the budget option for a shed or a lean-to. It is not a thirty-year roof and we say so.
What flat roofs do wrong
Ponding. Water that sits more than two days after a rain is finding a low spot, and a low spot is where the membrane ages and the seams open. On a recover we add tapered insulation or crickets to move the water to the drains, and we make sure the drains, scuppers and overflows are actually clear.
Edges and penetrations are the other place: parapet caps, the flashing at a wall, and the curbs for air conditioners and vents. Those get new metal and new flashing on every job.
Common questions
A membrane with a few open seams or a split at a drain is a repair. A roof that is blistered everywhere, ponding, and past twenty years is a replacement. We will walk it and show you which.
For a full replacement on a house, the Title 24 rule in Climate Zone 11 applies to steep roofs, not low-slope ones, but a white TPO roof passes anyway and keeps the room below cooler. Commercial buildings have their own Title 24 rules and we build to them.
Yes. Shops, storefronts, small warehouses and multi-unit buildings around Chico and Oroville. See the commercial roofing page.
Get a bid: flat and low-slope roofing
Say what the roof is doing, what kind of roof it is if you know, and which town you are in. We call back to talk it through and set a time to look at it. If water is coming in right now, skip the form and call.