Pillar 02 / Cluster 2C

Low-Slope and Flat Roofs: Why the Right Material Matters

Shingles shed water; they do not waterproof. Below a 2:12 pitch, code and every shingle manufacturer say membrane. A lot of leaking 'flat' roofs are just the wrong material installed by someone who didn't know better.

Why the flat section of your roof keeps leaking, what actually belongs on a low slope, and how to tell whether a membrane roof was installed by someone who really knows membrane.

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3 Questions About Low-Slope and Flat Roofs: Why the Right Material Matters

Why is my "flat" roof leaking with shingles on it?

Shingles shed water; they don't waterproof. On a slope below 2:12, water sits long enough to creep under the overlaps, which is why code requires membrane there instead.

What kind of roof do I actually need for a low-slope part of my house?

Below a 2:12 pitch, building code and every shingle manufacturer require membrane roofing, because shingles shed water instead of waterproofing. Here is what belongs there.

How can I tell if my membrane roof was installed by someone who really knows membrane?

Membrane systems fail at the edges far more than in the field. What to look at on the roof you already have, and the questions that reveal whether a bidder knows the system.

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Related Clusters

Pillar 02 / Cluster 2A

Roofing Materials Compared: What Lasts Longest in Utah

In Utah's sun and weather, stone-coated steel is a true 50-year roof, metal runs two lifetimes of asphalt, and shingles last about 20 years if you're lucky. Asphalt quality is also not what it used to be, which changes the math.

Pillar 03 / Cluster 3A

Why Roofs Leak and How to Find the Source

Roofs don't leak because materials are bad; they leak because they were installed incorrectly. When and how it leaks is diagnostic: every rain, only long rains, or only sideways storms each point to a different problem.

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