Flat roof material

Sep 22, 2015 28 Replies

Fibreglass has no problem at all with structural movement unless the building sways in the wind. A glass/resin mat is both flexible and copes with tension and pressure well. The greatest natural movement is the glassfibre expansion and contraction between full sunlight and freezing night and that doesn't cause problems on a properly made roof. Compared with the stresses on many glassfibre bodies and structures building movement under a roof is a complete non-event.

There are certainly many problems caused by poor quality construction done by roofers who have neither knowledge or experience of using it and who think you lay it like felt. I've seen fibreglass layed by roofers where they have placed one layer of thin fibre mat on the roof, poured buckets of resin on top and used a yard brush to spread it around a bit. That isn't going to survive anything. I've also seen roofers trying to lay it while it was raining. If you don't want to do it yourself ideally get a fibreglass worker from a local boatyard to do it for you!

I'd seen lots of glass fibre bodied cars with problems. Of course only when older. But in terms of a well made felted roof, I'm not convinced fibreglass is worth the considerable extra cost. Unless they give you a decent insurance backed warranty.

Think we all know a badly made felted roof can have a short life. But I'd guess fibreglass can be badly made too.

I'll go with that but might be biased as a few years ago the flat roof on the extension was done with fibre glass.

Used a specialist installer not a "roofer" mind. IIRC the process was resin on the 22 mm OSB3 deck (installer specified), glass mat, more resin, another glass mat more resin or maybe the colour coat. All the resin layers worked into/spread with a roller of some description.

How? I patched a split fibreglass bath panel and it just fell off after a while. The panel flexed in use.

NT

Well obviously to do it properly you use an angle grinder. Cut away all damaged substance and then grind away a few mm of the surrounding material and remake with new glass and resin. The two bond very well and are as strong as the original. The patch won't come off. Fibreglass will of course not bond well to an acrylic panel, but nor will much else.

replying to Big Les Wade , rufusraintight wrote: The answer is felt, EPDM and GRP Fibreglass aren't bad options but they all have upsides and downsides, get the product the fits your budget and make sure you do your research and get a good installer.

Snip /do your research and get a good installer. /Q

Top DIY tips today!

Jim K

JimK posted

If only he'd told me how to identify a good installer.

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