Comments on: Flat Roofing by Rooftec (Glass Fiber Flat Roof)

By: Mike Peters

Mike Peters — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:18:17 +0000

I do not agree totally with this 50yr warranty. The companies tend not to be around. The glass fibre will craze, crack and is not flexible to take wind and heat movement. I had a 30 ys old garage door in GRP which was totally US after that amount of time. there are not many 50 yr old boats in GRP that still float. Insurance back warranty is also as bad as the insurance brokers alos go out of business.
Felt is old hat, EPDM still requires 100% preparation. Like many of these direct selling, commission sales companies, the onus is on money not quality. fast not precise.
We use GRP (25%), EPDM (34%), Liquid Rubber (40%) and Felt (1%). Customers choice and a realistic 30yr ‘expected lifespan’.

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By: dave

dave — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:19:34 +0000

I installed GRP flat roofing for over 25 years. I agree with the other comments that this company do not appear to lay what should be a standard minimum of 2 layers of .450gm. Mat. (Lloyds Spec). They lay onto inferior substraight materials without stripping off the existing. (so could be rot in the joists), No safety handrail evident which by law is required over 2 metres,so the customer could be liable to prosecution if an employee fell. The Final Polyester “Flowcoat” should be applied upon curing of the GRP in order to get a chemical bond….where do I stop? But done right GRP is great.

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By: Karl W Smith

Karl W Smith — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:25:20 +0000

Had the time expired felt in an awkward valley replaced by Rooftec GRP several years ago. Initially there were a few leaks (due to 1, poor resin cover and 2 wrong way overlaps. It seemed OK but some problems arose with damp on an internal pillar. Closer examination showed that the pre-formed inserts had been put on top of existing slate underfelt so water ran under – rather than over – the new roofing. Not very impressed.

I thought that was rectified by a return visit but have recently discovered it was only partial. Contacted the firm about their 25 year warranty and, after several weeks have received a reply:

“The original job was done by the old company which is no longer trading, apart from that this job was never paid for by the builder which employed us at the time, so you have no guarantee anyway. After saying this we are quite prepared to come back to view the problem and carry out any works but there will be small charge”

Since I dealt with (and paid) Rooftec direct I know their statement is totally false. However, their first visit to undertake the initial work was unannounced and on a Sunday morning, when the two, rather unpleasant workmen looked at it and left immediately. The next time a couple of different yobbos turned up, my wife refuses to have them on site unless I am present.

I certainly hadn’t realised what a cowboy outfit they appear to be. I do not recommend their skills or, apparently, integrity.

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By: G. Blaney

G. Blaney — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:01:53 +0000

We had a very large garage roof done by Rooftec in 2001, no complaints, it has been perfect and we are delighted with the end result.

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By: John Knight

John Knight — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:12:21 +0000

Rooftec replaced our felted dormer window roofs five years ago. They arrived on time, did a good job, cleaned up after themselves and we have had no problems whatsoever. Based on my experience, I would recommend them.

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By: Ian Tucker

Ian Tucker — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:11:33 +0000

GRP if properly installed will outlast most other systems on the market, But it must be properly installed or it can be useless. we are a GRP company with vast experience in GRP lining Systems and have carried out some of the largest GRP lining contracts in Europe and Worldwide. there are many companies out there who have no idea of the complexities of GRP systems having read the above posts and done some investigation of other companoies systems I was shocked at what i found.
Upon making a telephone call to a large international company who have recently started advertising GRP roofing Systems (they also sell a lot of double glazing if you know who i mean) they sent round a sales person to give me a quote, exactly how he was supposed to do this when he turned up wit no ladder (the roof bieng 40ft up) he also turned up with very little knowlage of the system he was selling (obviosly i played the punter with a limited knowlage of GRP ” Oh i thing its the same stuff we used years ago to fix canoos etc”) and when asked some basic questions such as how thick will the finished system be how many layers of glass matting what type of resins will they be using he could not provide the answers.
Many companies specify they use 600 gramme matt when others use less as a point of sale and to gain precidence but our company never use less than and would not recomend for any application 2 x 450 giving 900grammes of Glass per M2 with the resin applied at 2.5 kgs per kg of Matt and then a further 0.4mm or 400 microns of top coat applied as soon as is practically possible this gives a system of aprox 3.5mm thick GRP System.
A system that has been used with no failiers on at least 3 0f Europes largest water featuresand numerous swimming /pools /ponds flat roofs chemical bunds etc. GRP is not rocket science and can be applied by most competent DIY ers but there is a great deal of science involved and it is easy to get it very wrong. Flat roofs have a bad reputation for leaks but a properly istalled system will give many years of maintenence free protection. If any body has any questions or just needs some impartal advice you can contact us @ Tnjatcps@aol.com.

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By: john

john — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:06:56 +0000

hi i have been working with GRP for about 6 years now and wondered if anyone know ’s of a training course set up in london somwhere that trains people in the GRP roofing trade .
many thanks

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By: Safi

Safi — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 16:38:26 +0000

well it depends on his nature, may be he had a bad experience with that company.

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By: Satisfied

Satisfied — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 12:47:34 +0000

Rooftec replaced a flat roof for me 18 months ago. I found their work to be of good quality and the fitters were friendly, helpful and punctual. I have had no problems since. My Father-in-law also had a roof fitted by Rooftec recently and was also completely happy with the finished work.

The ex-rooftec employer, who has left remarks on this site, appears to be very bitter towards the company, leaving me to wonder why?

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By: ?

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:28:32 +0000

one more thing if you do get a fibreglass roof make sure the fitters dont catalize it to high as some people put way to much catalyst in it to make it go off quicker (make it go hard) which if this is done to fast it is not good for the glass as it burns it and makes life of the glass much shorter!!!!!!

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By: ?

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:19:08 +0000

After working with fibreglass for 12 years plus i was unemployed and went to work at roof tec, what a company what a joke. They say there system is guaranteed for 50 years a joke in it self……. anyone who knows anything about the thickness off glass would realise 450gsm matting is just not thick enough they dont even glass tape the joints….. so any movement in the roof would put stress on the joints, and even them are rarely staggered. I have worked for many companys even some of the best grp boat builders in the uk so i know what im on about. I often do the odd roof but i use a layer of 600 gram glass then a layer of biaxial which is a weaved matting with a light layer of chopped strand matting attached this material is very flexible and light wieght compared to glass alone. i never over lay new board on old board and always use ply board. sterling board is a cheap replacement. if you stand a piece of stirling board in the rain for a few hours you will see if coming to bits it useless for roofing..

Anyway ill leave you to make your own decission but what i will say is rooftec do have some good honest fitters and some that are no so good .

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By: T. Walton

T. Walton — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:18:21 +0000

I was appalled by the pictures that I saw of this so-called roofing system.
Having been in the business for many, many years, both as an installer and a roof systems analyst/consultant, I would have to say that this is at best simply a roof coating and not a complete roof system, as was described. Also, using wafer/particule/fibre/mdf or any other kind of pressed board on a roof is simply assinine to begin with. These products swell with the slightest amounts of moisture, including condensation, so the mere fact of fiberglass being applied to their surface wont stop them from becoming defunct. Also the fact that they were overlaid on original boards is simply another attempt to cut cost, and cut down on disposal. As far as a fifty year warranty goes, as one has already said, not many roofing companies are around that long, so it is just plain stupid to believe in that. In reality you get what you pay for, in this case if it was half the price of a real roof, then you can guarantee that it will last half as long, if you’re lucky, that is. Real, longlasting roof sytems, are useally backed by their manufacturer, which in turn require the installers to be specifically trained to install their systems as they should be installed, to begin with. Without this installer/manufacturer bridge then of course any insurance company would simply deny coverage. Too many cowboys out there with a hammer in their hand, thinking that they can roof. Manufacturers are governed by many rules and regulations and as such, stay in business for long periods of time, providing that they use certified installers.
In the case of this particular system and any other coating, painting, spray on product out there, home owners could do the work themselves and probably get the same results if not better for a lot less money. I have spent over 30 years trying to educate people to the ins and out of roofing and still it never surprises me how some people will ignore the obvious just to try and save a little money.

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