What is a Class A flat roof?

Class A is the highest rating, offering the highest resistance to fire, and unrated is the worst. Examples of a Class A roof covering include concrete or clay roof tiles, fiberglass asphalt composition shingles and metal roofs.

What is the difference between Class A and Class B roof?

This standard includes three classes of fire exposure: • Class A roof coverings, which are effective against severe fire test exposures • Class B roof coverings, which are effective against moderate fire test exposures • Class C roof coverings, which are effective against light fire test exposures.

What is a Class A roof assembly?

Class A roof assemblies are those that are effective against severe fire test exposure. Class A roof assemblies and roof coverings shall be listed and identified as Class A by an approved testing agency. Class A roof assemblies shall be permitted for use in buildings or structures of all types of construction.

What are the different types of flat roofs?

What type of flat roof is best?

EPDM Membranes

Quite possibly the best flat roofing membrane, EPDM is a relatively low-cost flat roof material that offers a number of significant advantages. Clean, straightforward installation, incredible strength, a long lifespan, and a smart finish combine to make EPDM membranes a difficult one to beat.

The Basics of a Flat Roof

What is the longest lasting flat roof material?

EPDM, or Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, is known as the longest-lasting flat roof material. It's designed to withstand the most extreme weather conditions that a flat roof can face, and this durability can help it last at least 30 to 50 years.

How long should a flat roof last?

How many years does a flat roof last? Most traditional flat roofs are made from either mineral felt or asphalt and will have a maximum life span of between ten and 15 years. Unfortunately though they have a bad reputation due to their propensity to leak or become damaged through pooling water.

Which is better EPDM or TPO?

TPO has better dimensional stability than EPDM. EPDM is more likely to shrink which can cause a variety of problems on your roof.

Why do they put rocks on a flat roof?

Rocks or gravel on a flat roof are a necessary component for built up roofs and ballast roof systems. The gravel or stone offers roof protection and balances the overall weight of the roof. Built up flat roofs are constructed with layers of roofing felt and asphalt, where the top layer is embedded with gravel.

What is the most common flat roof material?

Of all these membrane types EPDM synthetic rubber is the most common single-ply membrane roof material in both residential and commercial use.

Is TPO roofing Class A?

Fire-Rated, Class A – Both TPO and EPDM membranes are Class A fire-resistant.

What is a Class B roof?

Class B roof assemblies are those that are effective against moderate fire-test exposure. Class B roof assemblies and roof coverings shall be listed and identified as Class B by an approved testing agency.

What is Class A material?

Class A rated materials are the only materials that can be specified on external applications and specified attachments on buildings higher than 18 meters. Only materials that are rated A1 or A2 are considered non-combustible materials according to the European Classification (Euroclass) System.

Is rolled roofing Class A?

The underlying Type 72 capsheet (roll roofing) material provides additional protections, and is required for the Class A rating.

What is a Class C roof?

Class C roof assemblies are those that are effective against light fire-test exposure. Class C roof assemblies and roof coverings shall be listed and identified as Class C by an approved testing agency.

What type of roof is fire proof?

Class A is the most fire-resistant and should be the choice of anyone living in wildfire-prone areas. Common Class A roof coverings include asphalt fiberglass composition shingles and concrete or clay tiles.

Can you walk on flat roofs?

Flat Roof Surfaces You Can Walk On

Whether its BUR (Built-up Roofing), TPO (Thermoplastic polyolefin), Modified Bitumen, or Single Ply Roofing, your roofing professional can apply the right waterproofing membrane to make it possible to walk on.

Should I remove moss from flat roof?

The removal of moss from a flat roof is very important as moss will cause damage to many types of roof coating if allowed to grow as well as rolling into gutters which can cause blockages.

How often should a flat roof be coated?

The Lifespan of a Flat Roof

A flat roof left unmaintained will typically last about 10 years. It's a good idea to plan for a new coating every five years to ensure its integrity and continued performance.

Is EPDM more expensive than TPO?

TPO roofing membranes are more expensive than EPDM. Regardless of which membrane you choose, it is better to spend more money and invest in a thicker membrane. Both EPDM and TPO roofs perform better and last longer if they are thicker.

Whats cheaper TPO or EPDM?

The main advantage of TPO is that it is typically the lowest material cost for single ply membrane roofs, costing less than EPDM and other types of rolled rubber roofing.

Does a flat roof affect insurance?

If your house has a flat roof, your house insurance can be more expensive. This is because insurers consider flat roof homes to be at higher risk of water ingress, weather damage and burglary. If less than 30% of your roof is flat, it's unlikely to make a difference to the cost of your insurance.

Is standing water on a flat roof a problem?

The forces of gravity make significant water buildup on flat roofs a problem because the only place water can eventually go is down. Ponding water poses a significant risk to the flat roof system over time and must be fixed in order to protect the structural integrity of the entire building.

What are the disadvantages of a flat roof?