PSA: Found a stat that says 40% of commercial roofs fail due to poor flashing, not the membrane itself

I was looking through some old contractor reports from the National Roofing Contractors Association last night. They had a study covering over 500 commercial flat roof failures across the Midwest between 2018 and 2023. Almost half of them traced back to the flashing details around edges and penetrations, not the main roofing material. I always figured leaks were just the membrane wearing out over time. Now I am wondering if we spend too much time picking the best TPO or EPDM and not enough on how we tie it into walls and curbs. Any of you guys seen this play out on your own jobs?

3 comments

3 Comments

caleb_thomas9328d ago

Is it really that big of a problem though? A lot of those contractor reports tend to lump in normal wear and tear under the "flashing" category just to make things look worse than they are. I have seen plenty of flat roofs go 20 years without any issue where the flashing was just standard lap sealant and base ply.

parker_thomas28d agoMost Upvoted

You ever look at a roofing report and wonder if they get paid by the word? I swear half those "issues" they flag are just the roof getting some character over time. Oh hey, @caleb_thomas93, you're totally right though. I'm not gonna pretend I've never been that guy who called out flashing problems that were basically just the sealant doing its job and getting a little rough around the edges. It's like when a mechanic says you need a whole new alternator but really it's just a loose belt, you know? We've all got bills to pay but some folks take it too far.

the_anthony27d ago

And totally agree on the wear and tear thing, it's like some inspectors are allergic to just saying "that's normal" and have to turn every little thing into a potential leak to justify their fee. Idk, maybe I'm just cynical but it feels like half the time they're just covering their own ass by flagging anything that isn't brand new.