The flat roof over your back porch has been patched three times, and it still drips after a hard afternoon rain. Or you’re adding a Florida room and the builder says it’ll need a low-slope roof, and you want it done right the first time. Flat roof installation in Orlando comes down to two things: getting water off the roof, and keeping every seam and edge sealed through years of sun and storms.
Flat roofs have a bad reputation, and it’s mostly earned by bad installs. Shingles get put where they don’t belong, seams aren’t sealed properly or the roof sits dead level so water has nowhere to go. You deserve a roof that was designed for the spot it covers.
APC Roofing has installed flat and low-slope roofs across Central Florida since 2017. We’re GAF Certified, licensed in Florida (CCC1337030) and insured, and your inspection and estimate are free. Call 407-270-1129.
Where Orlando homes have flat roofs
Plenty of Orlando houses have a pitched main roof with one or more flat sections tucked in. You’ll find them over screened porches, carports, Florida rooms, garages and additions that couldn’t match the main roof’s pitch. Commercial buildings around town are mostly flat or low-slope too.
Those flat sections are where most leaks start, because they get treated as an afterthought.
Why shingles don’t work on a flat roof
Shingles are made to shed water down a slope. Building codes set a minimum pitch for asphalt shingles, and below it, rain blown by wind creeps up under the overlaps and gets into the deck. Tile needs an even steeper pitch.
A flat or low-slope roof needs a continuous membrane instead: one sealed surface with no overlapping pieces for water to slip under. If your porch roof has shingles on it and keeps leaking, that may be the whole reason.
Flat roof systems for Orlando
There are a few good options, and the right one depends on the building, the budget and how the roof will be used.
TPO is a white single-ply membrane with seams that are heat-welded together. In Orlando’s sun, that white surface reflects a lot of heat, which can make the room underneath noticeably more comfortable. It’s a common choice for both homes and businesses. Our page on TPO roofing in Orlando covers it in depth.
EPDM is a rubber membrane, usually black, that’s been used on flat roofs for decades. It’s flexible and handles temperature swings well. Seams are glued or taped rather than welded. See EPDM roofing in Orlando for more.
Modified bitumen is a heavy, asphalt-based roll roofing applied in layers. It’s tough and handles foot traffic well, which makes sense on a roof that gets walked on.
Built-up roofing (BUR) is the traditional layered system of asphalt and reinforcing felts, often topped with gravel. You see it on older homes and many commercial buildings.
A good flat roof starts with drainage
The most important part of a flat roof is the part most people never think about: where the water goes.
A “flat” roof shouldn’t actually be flat. It should have a slight slope toward the edge, a gutter, a scupper or a drain. On an existing deck that’s too level, tapered insulation boards can be installed to build that slope in. Small sloped ridges called crickets can steer water around obstacles like a wall or an AC unit.
Water that’s still standing a couple of days after rain is called ponding. It speeds up wear on any membrane, adds weight and finds any weak seam. With Orlando’s afternoon storms dumping heavy rain all summer, drainage is worth getting right.
What goes into a flat roof installation
On a replacement, the work usually goes like this:
- The old roofing comes off down to the deck, and soft or rotted decking gets replaced.
- Insulation or a cover board goes down if the system calls for it, including tapered boards where slope is needed.
- The membrane is installed, with seams welded, glued or torched depending on the system.
- Flashing goes up every wall, around every pipe and over every curb.
- Metal edge trim is fastened along the perimeter to hold the membrane against wind uplift.
- Drains, scuppers and gutters are set so water can leave.
The trickiest spot is often where a flat section meets the main pitched roof. The membrane has to run up under the shingles or tile far enough that water can’t get behind it. A lot of porch-roof leaks start right there.
Orlando weather and flat roofs
The sun does steady damage. UV breaks down membranes and sealants year after year, and a dark flat roof gets very hot. That’s one reason reflective white membranes are popular here.
Storms do the rest. Summer thunderstorms bring heavy rain in a short time, and hurricane season, June 1 through November 30, brings wind that pulls hardest at roof edges. Edge metal and perimeter fastening matter a lot in Central Florida.
The weather also affects scheduling. Some membranes and adhesives need dry conditions to install, and a summer afternoon in Orlando rarely stays dry for long, so flat roof work gets planned around the forecast.
How it works with APC Roofing
- Book your free inspection. Call 407-270-1129 or request a free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We check the deck, the drainage and the tie-ins to the rest of the roof, then recommend a system and explain why. If your current flat roof can be repaired instead, you’ll hear that too; see flat roof repair in Orlando. Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance.
- Your new roof goes on and the site gets cleaned up. The crew cleans up before leaving.
Every rainy season on a failing flat roof soaks a little more water into the deck. Replacing it before the plywood rots keeps the project simpler.
Flat roof installation questions from Orlando homeowners
Is TPO or EPDM better for Orlando?
Both work. TPO’s white surface reflects more heat, which many Orlando homeowners like. EPDM is flexible and long-proven. The right pick depends on your roof and how it’s used.
Can my flat roof be given more slope?
Often, yes. Tapered insulation can build slope into the roof so water drains toward the edge or a drain instead of sitting.
Can a flat roof be installed over the old one?
Sometimes, but a tear-off is usually the better choice, since it lets the deck be checked and any wet insulation removed.
How long does a flat roof installation take?
Small porch or carport roofs are often quick jobs. Larger roofs or roofs that need deck repair or tapered insulation take longer. You’ll get a realistic timeline with your estimate.
Flat roof installation in Orlando, done right from the deck up
Call 407-270-1129 or start your free estimate online. For everything else we do on low-slope roofs, see our flat roofing in Orlando page.
The goal is a flat roof you can forget about: water running off where it should, a dry room underneath and no more buckets every time the sky opens up.
