O'Brien Contracting installs, repairs and replaces flat & low-slope roofing systems for Florida homeowners and property owners. Low-slope roofs fail at details, not in the field: parapet terminations, scuppers and drains, curbs, pipe penetrations and the transition where a flat section ties into a sloped roof. Ponding water that does not drain within a reasonable period accelerates every one of those failures.
Flat & Low-Slope Roofing systems we install
TPO — heat-welded single-ply membrane, common on commercial and on residential flat sections
PVC — heat-welded single-ply with better resistance to grease and chemical exposure
Modified bitumen — torch, cold-adhered or self-adhered rolled system, common on Florida additions and lanais
Roof coatings — silicone or acrylic restoration over a sound existing substrate
Florida code and wind-zone requirements
Low-slope systems in Florida require product approval and an attachment or adhesion pattern matched to the wind zone, plus positive drainage. Coatings are a restoration, not a code-compliant replacement, and are only appropriate on a substrate that is still sound and dry.
What this system does well
Single-ply membranes have few field seams once heat-welded
Reflective white membranes reduce heat load on the structure below
Coatings can extend service life on a sound roof without a full tear-off
Practical on additions, lanais, carports and commercial buildings where pitch is limited
Trade-offs to weigh
Ponding water is the number one cause of premature failure
Detail work at penetrations and terminations drives quality more than the membrane itself
Wet insulation under a membrane must be removed, not covered over
Coating over a saturated or failing system traps moisture and hides the real problem
