Usually, a polyurethane foam roof costs about equal to a Built-Up Roof (BUR) with underlying insulation. However, foam roofs are unique because they are the only roof type that both insulates and protects against leaks with a single monolithic barrier.
There are a lot of flat roofing materials, but all are not equal in quality. An EPDM (rubber roof) or single-ply roof, sealed either by tars or adhesives are not as high quality as a typical BUR roof.
The reason is they usually last less than 10 years, while a higher quality BUR roof may last a lot more than 10 years. Usually, a BUR roof is built with a few semi-flexible membrane layers, and then water-proofed with water-resistant modified bitumen.
Remember, coal tars are a known carcinogen (not as severe as asbestos – otherwise, this would be more widely known). Modified bitumen, however, comes from oils, refined at much lower temperatures than coal tar, and is a much safer substance.
The fluctuating prices in the cost of a barrel of oil get passed on to the roofing industry. As the costs of asphalt roofing materials continue to increase, and the cost of a high-quality polyurethane foam roof remains more steady, that makes SPF or foam roofing more affordable for consumers.
Cost, of course, can vary due to a lot of factors, like geographic location, and the size and type of the project. Prices might be estimated anywhere between $3-$12 per square foot, and this can be affected by several other factors – the quality of the materials used, the labor costs to install these materials, and any associated warranty, contractor insurance, or bonding costs which will get passed on to the customer.
If you’re going to install a roof, it’s good to think about the long-term cost impact. If you have decided to install a foam roof, the insulation factor can pay off big in the long run.
Also, think about adding cool roof coatings; just by changing the color of a roof to something reflective can lower summer cooling bills by 30% or more.
Medium Density Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Roofing conforms to the corners and angles of a roof and usually has an R-Value around 6 to 8 per inch of thickness. In layman’s terms, one inch of foam is as effective as 6 to 8 inches of solid wood.
In reality, due to things like vapor trapping (foam forms a barrier), and the density of foam (it is light, but heavier than air–of course), foam can be 4 times more effective than fiberglass.
If you have lived in an older, poorly insulated home, you know that heating and cooling bills can really get out of control with poor insulation.
This is just one final cost factor that should be considered when you’re comparing an insulated roof like SPF with other roofing materials, like EPDM, Single Ply, or BUR, with no insulation. Watch out for the myths of foam roofs.
More than likely it was the advantages that convinced you to choose a foam roof originally. However, just like any other type of roof, foam roofs also need to be properly maintained.
Some property owners put furniture and other such things on the surface of their foam roof. While this might be a good way to take in a view, keep in mind that these unnecessary items could also damage the very material you’re depending on to keep your property watertight. Putting it bluntly, the less you use the roof as a platform, the less the foam is likely to need expensive repairs or more than normal maintenance.
Every roof needs to be kept clean, so this should go without saying. Every year, you should go up and take a look for yourself to see whether any obvious maintenance is needed. If you can, though, you should go up on your roof once every season just to be careful. It’s also a good idea to check the roof after any major monsoon storm, just to make sure nothing got blown on top of it or damaged anything. The good news is that the cleaning can probably be done by you yourself. Clearing bird’s nests, leaves, tree branches and other debris can easily be done by hand and will help protect your foam roof.
One thing a foam roof won’t attract is pests like rodents and insects, so you won’t have to worry that cleaning it also means you’ll have to deal with these little nuisances.
When you’re up on your roof, check to see if any areas look like they’re beginning to get discolored discolored. You should also check the texture. This is why you want to do more than just cleaning to properly maintain your foam roof. You should walk over the whole structure to make sure it still has a texture that looks something like an orange peel. Anything else should make you concerned. Typical problem signs are textures that might resemble popcorn of scrambled eggs, strangely enough. Either one is probably a sure indication that your foam roof has been damaged in some way.
Obviously, if you notice that the roof is being exposed in any way or its showing signs of deterioration beyond the texture issues we just spoke about, you definitely have a problem.
Foam roof maintenance is something that can be handled by the property owner, but re-coating the roof most definitely is not. The process may look simple and easy, but it involves a specific and critical form of cleaning using the correct materials in specified amounts. If you decide to try re-coating the roof on your own, you’’re going be inviting more expensive problems in the future. You should leave repairs and re-coating to qualified professional flat roofing contractors.
