Flat Roofs
Crew installing a flat roof
Baltimore area
Crew rolling out light-colored roofing sheets over a black base layer on a large flat roof, with rolls of material and propane tanks spread across the deck.
Free, photo-documented inspections
Flat roofs usually leak at seams, flashing and anywhere water sits, so a lasting fix means sealing the edges and getting water to drain. BRC Construction repairs, coats and replaces EPDM rubber, TPO and modified bitumen roofs on Baltimore rowhomes, additions and commercial buildings.
A flat roof isn’t truly flat. It needs a slight slope toward a drain, scupper or gutter, and when that slope sags or the outlet clogs, water ponds. Standing water works into seams, wears out the membrane and adds weight to the deck. On Baltimore rowhomes, the usual trouble spots are the flashing up the parapet walls, the joint with the neighbor’s roof and the back edge where water leaves the roof.
Repairs start with finding exactly where the water gets in. We reseal open seams, patch punctures, cut out blistered or split membrane, rebuild flashing at parapets, curbs and roof hatches, and clear or rework drains. When the membrane is worn out, has been patched many times, or the insulation underneath is soaked, replacement makes more sense than another patch.
We work on residential and commercial flat roofs, including apartment buildings and churches, with 30+ years of roofing experience. Every job starts with a free inspection and photos, so you can see the condition of a roof you probably can’t get up on yourself.
Warning signs
Signs your flat roof needs attention
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Ponding water
Water that stays on the roof long after rain points to low spots, sagging decking or blocked drains and scuppers.
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Blisters and bubbles
Trapped moisture or air pushes the membrane up, and blisters can split open under summer heat.
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Open or shrinking seams
Seams that lift or gap, and membrane that pulls away from walls and edges, let water get underneath.
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Cracked or loose flashing
Where the roof turns up a parapet, chimney or wall, cracked or loose flashing is a common flat-roof leak point.
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Top-floor ceiling stains
Stains near exterior walls or in a back room under a flat roof often trace to flashing or drainage problems above.
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Cracked, alligatored surface
A crazed, cracked surface on an older modified bitumen or coated roof means the top layer is breaking down.
Scope of work
What’s included
- Free inspection of the membrane, seams, flashing, drains and decking, with photos
- Seam, blister, puncture and flashing repairs
- Parapet wall, coping and chimney flashing work
- Drain, scupper and gutter fixes to reduce ponding
- Roof coatings where the existing membrane is still sound
- Tear-off and replacement with EPDM, TPO or modified bitumen, including decking repairs
Materials
Flat roof systems we work with
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EPDM rubber
A flexible synthetic rubber membrane that handles Maryland’s temperature swings well. Seams are joined with tape and adhesives made for EPDM.
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TPO
A white single-ply membrane with heat-welded seams. Its light surface reflects summer sun, which can help keep top floors cooler.
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Modified bitumen
Asphalt-based roofing applied in layers, torched or self-adhered, with a granulated cap sheet. It’s common on rowhomes and handles foot traffic well.
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Roof coatings
A coating can extend the life of a sound flat roof by sealing small cracks and reflecting heat. It is not a fix for wet insulation or failed seams.
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Edge metal and flashing
Drip edge, termination bars, coping and counterflashing hold membrane edges down against wind and water.
Our process
How flat roof work goes
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Find the entry point
We check the membrane, seams, flashing and drainage, and look for wet insulation or soft decking underneath.
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Photos and options
We show you what we found and explain whether a repair, a coating or a replacement fits your roof, with a free estimate.
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Prepare the deck
For replacements, we remove the old roofing, replace damaged decking and work out low spots so water heads toward the drain.
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Install and detail the edges
We install the new membrane and flash it up parapets, around curbs and vents, and along the roof edge, where flat roofs most often fail.
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Final check and cleanup
We check the seams and flashing, clear the drains and scuppers, and clean up the work area.
Local know-how
Flat roofs around Baltimore
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Baltimore City rowhomes
Many rowhomes have flat or low-slope roofs that share parapet walls with the neighbors. Tie-ins at the party wall need care so water doesn’t run between roofs, and roof access may be through a hatch or from the rear of the house.
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Summer heat, freeze-thaw and heavy rain
Summer sun heats dark roofs and ages membranes, freeze-thaw cycles open seams and cracks, and heavy rain shows exactly where drains and scuppers can’t keep up.
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Permits and commercial buildings
Flat roof replacement may require a permit in Baltimore City or Baltimore County, so we check before work starts. For apartment buildings, churches and businesses, we plan the work around the people using the building.
Based in Pikesville, serving Baltimore County, Baltimore City and Howard County.
See the areas we serveYour estimate
What affects the cost
Every project is different, so we don’t list prices online. We look at the job first and give you a free estimate based on what we find.
- Roof size and how crews and materials get up to it
- Repair, coating or full replacement
- Membrane choice: EPDM, TPO or modified bitumen
- Wet insulation or decking that needs replacing
- Parapet walls, curbs, hatches, skylights and drains to flash
- Correcting ponding with slope or drainage changes
Our work
Project photos
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Flat Roofs
White membrane on a city flat roof
Baltimore area
White single-ply membrane rolled out across a flat roof beside a brick chimney, with toolboxes, fasteners and another roll of membrane at the roof edge.
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Flat Roofs
Flat roof tear-off
Baltimore area
Crew tearing off an old low-slope roof, with the old layers pulled up to expose the wood below and shovels and brooms in the foreground.
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Flat Roofs
Roof boards fastened down on a city flat roof
Baltimore area
Rigid gray roof boards held down with round fastening plates across a flat roof, with new plywood at the base of a tall brick wall and brick buildings all around.
FAQ
Flat roof questions
Is some standing water normal on a flat roof?
A little water that dries soon after rain isn’t unusual. Water that sits for days needs attention, because it speeds up wear and works its way into seams.
Which is better: EPDM, TPO or modified bitumen?
Each works well in the right place. We recommend one based on your roof’s size and shape, foot traffic, how it meets the neighboring roofs and how the walls and edges need to be flashed.
Can you coat my flat roof instead of replacing it?
Sometimes. A coating can make sense when the membrane is still well attached and the insulation is dry. If the roof is soaked or failing, a coating only covers up the problem.
Can you fix the leak where my roof meets my neighbor’s?
Yes. The party wall joint is a common rowhome leak point. We inspect it, show you photos and repair the flashing and membrane on your roof, and if the problem is on the neighboring roof, we show you that too.
Do you work on commercial flat roofs?
Yes. We repair and replace flat roofs on businesses, apartment buildings and churches, as well as rowhomes and residential additions.
Keep exploring
Related services
Need a roofer you can trust?
Book a free, no-pressure roof inspection. We’ll show you photos of everything we find.
- MHIC No. 92337
- Licensed & insured
- GAF Certified contractor