Most of your roof is fine. It’s the flat part that worries you: the low section over the back porch, the garage, the addition someone built in the ’90s, or the whole roof of your small office building. Water sits on it after every storm, a seam is starting to lift, and you’re not sure if it needs a patch or a whole new roof. Flat roofing in Overland Park is its own kind of work, and you want a roofer who treats it that way.
That’s a reasonable thing to look for. Flat roofs fail differently than shingle roofs, and a fix that works on one can fail fast on the other.
APC Roofing repairs and installs flat and low-slope roofs on homes and light commercial buildings. We’re GAF Certified, licensed and insured, in business since 2017, and inspections are free. Call 913-398-5020 and a roofer will come take a look.
Where flat roofs show up on Overland Park homes
You don’t need a commercial building to have a flat roof. Around Overland Park, low-slope sections are common over:
- Back porches and screened-in porches
- Attached garages and carports
- Room additions and sunrooms
- Dormers and the small connecting roofs between two sections of a house
These areas usually sit right below a steeper shingle roof, so they catch all the water that runs off above. That’s a lot of work for a small roof.
Why shingles don’t work on a flat roof
Shingles shed water by overlapping, like fish scales, and that only works when the roof is steep enough for water to run off fast. On a low slope, water moves slowly or sits, and it can work its way back up under the shingle laps. A shingle job on a section that’s too flat is one of the most common causes of porch-roof leaks.
Low-slope roofs need a continuous membrane instead, with sealed seams and no laps for water to sneak under.
TPO, EPDM and the other flat roofing options
TPO is a single-ply membrane, usually white, with seams that are heat-welded together. The white surface reflects sunlight, which helps keep the roof and the rooms under it cooler in an Overland Park July. You can read more on our TPO roofing in Overland Park page.
EPDM is a rubber membrane, most often black, with seams joined by special tape or adhesive. It stays flexible in cold weather and has a long track record on homes and small buildings. Our EPDM roofing in Overland Park page goes into more detail.
Built-up roofs are the layered asphalt-and-felt systems, often topped with gravel, that you’ll still find on older buildings. When one wears out, many owners switch to a single-ply membrane.
The right choice depends on how the roof drains, how much sun it gets, whether people or equipment will be on it, and what’s underneath. We’ll walk you through the trade-offs for your roof.
Drainage matters more than anything
“Flat” roofs aren’t supposed to be perfectly flat. They need a slight slope so water moves to a drain, scupper or gutter. When water sits for days after a storm, it stresses the seams, collects dirt and debris, and finds any weak spot in the membrane.
Ponding usually comes from a deck that has sagged, insulation that has compressed, or drains that are clogged or set too high. A good flat roof plan fixes the slope with tapered insulation or crickets so water has somewhere to go.
How Kansas weather treats a flat roof
Hail is the biggest threat here. It can bruise or puncture a membrane, and the damage is easy to miss until a leak shows up weeks later. Freeze-thaw cycles work at seams and flashing all winter, and ice can block drains so meltwater backs up. Summer heat dries out older membranes, and dark roofs get very hot.
The weak points on most flat roofs are the places where something changes: where the flat section meets a wall, where it runs under the shingle roof above, and where pipes or vents come through. Those details deserve the most attention, whether you’re repairing or replacing.
Repair or a new flat roof?
If the leaks come from a few seams or a bad flashing and the insulation underneath is dry, a repair usually makes sense. Our flat roof repair in Overland Park page explains how leaks get traced and fixed.
If the membrane is brittle or shrinking, water ponds across large areas, or you’re chasing leaks every season, it’s probably time for a new roof. See flat roof installation in Overland Park for how that process works.
How it works
- Book your free inspection. Call 913-398-5020 or request a free estimate online.
- Get a clear, honest assessment and estimate. We check the membrane, seams, drainage, edges and the places where the flat roof meets the rest of the house. You’ll get photos and a written estimate.
- The work gets done and the site gets cleaned up. Old material and debris leave with the crew.
Financing is available through Aqua Finance, Fortifi, Hearth and Home Run Finance if you’d like to spread out the cost.
A small leak on a porch roof can soak the ceiling boards and framing for a long time before you see it inside. Catching it early keeps the repair small.
Flat roofing questions from Overland Park homeowners
Is TPO or EPDM better for a home?
Both work well. TPO’s white surface stays cooler in summer, and EPDM is flexible in the cold and easy to repair. The best choice depends on your roof’s drainage, sun exposure and how it connects to the rest of the house.
Is standing water on a flat roof normal?
A little water that dries within a day or two after rain is common. Water that sits longer is a sign the roof isn’t draining properly and should be looked at.
Can you put shingles on my low-slope porch roof?
If the slope is too low, no. Shingles need enough pitch to shed water. A membrane is the right material for a low-slope section.
Do you work on flat roofs for businesses too?
Yes. We repair and install TPO and EPDM on light commercial buildings as well as homes.
Get your flat roof checked
You shouldn’t have to keep a bucket under the porch ceiling. Call 913-398-5020 or request your free estimate online, and we’ll come out and take a look.
When it’s done, the rain runs off instead of sitting there, the porch ceiling stays dry, and you know that flat section is built for Kansas weather.
