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Garna-Flex/Thane

6K views 6 replies 2 participants last post by  GomerG 
#1 ·
Pretty soon, I'll be getting a new roof. I've done a lot of reading and have learned a fair bit about TPO, PVC, SPF and modified bitumen roofs but the Garna-Flex/Thane spray on membranes is a new one for me and I can't find a whole lot of information on beyond commercial web sites. No hits when searching this forum.


Of particular interest is long term maintenance concerns. Once the warranty wears out (10+years), I'll be responsible for repairs or pay someone to do it for me. Any experience with maintaining this type of roof? Fixing SPF and MB wear spots is conceptually easy, but the 2-part "liquid rubber" Garna-X is a mystery to me.

Much appreciated for any constructive feedback on this product!
 
#2 ·
Only thing I can say is I don't consider any fluid-applied coating to be a new roof. It is just a maintenance coating. I have seen many failures on many types of roofs for one reason or another. Flat roofs it is usually incompatibility or lack of adhesion to the roof. On metal roofs it's usually the worst. Most don't realize how much metal actually moves and I've seen it shred many a snake-oil products that mfrs swear is the latest and greatest thing.

You don't really explain what you have now and what your intentions are.
 
#3 ·
Sorry about lacking details. I currently have a "built up" roof with a small section having foam (addition). It would be considered a flat roof (1/4" per foot slope) and I live in the high desert. Blazing (but short) summer, snow in winter, and overall, not much rain.

For the new roof, the old roof, if I go with the Garna product, I'd have the roof stripped and re-sloped/insulated and then coated (coated over the existing foam section).

With respect to bonding/strength of this liquid stuff, the only thing I could find was this marketing video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O32_4j84DA&feature=related
I recognize that it is a marketing video, and as such, I take its message with caution (and that is why I am expanding to the knowledge base of experienced people here).
 
#4 ·
Based on what I can find, it appears RMI does not mfr anything. They just private-label materials on the market. Nothing wrong with this as many many mfrs do this for some components. In fact it appears I use two of the products regularly. They are great products in and of themselves but they are strictly for a final coat mainly for UV and weather protection. As stated above, I would never consider these products to be a primary roof.

The thing that I really don't like is they don't appear to have any outside sales. Instead they only look for and provide product to dealers (basically contractors wanting to market and install it). This shifts all liability from them to the dealer/contractor. RMI can say whatever they want about how great their system is because they don't have to stand behind it. The only entity you have any warranty with is the contractor installing it and your warranty will only be as good as that person's integrity. Sorry to say industry-wide the odds are not in your favor that they will be around to honor that.

Okay, back to your project. As I said above, this is NOT a roofing system. I don't recommend tearing off and just spraying this over insulation. All roofs require reinforcement of some kind. All real roofs HAVE reinforcement of some kind. Personally I would recommend a new BUR or PVC but there are other options. I have never been a fan of TPO. IMO the only thing it has going for it is it is CHEAP but that's a whole other long story. Speaking of costs, odds are this coating will be right up there with the rest in cost. Have you gotten any pricing on it yet?
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the advice. The pricing of this stuff is about on par with 3 ply modified bitumen bids that I have got (on the order of 24k) for a 2000sqft roof. Roofs are pricey out here :( The best price I've been quoted was on a TPO and it was many thousand less than that as with SPF. PVC is more and if I can negotiate it to something reasonable, I'd be tempted to pay the premium for it as I have yet to read anything bad about PVC except price. I need to find out how negotiable they can be.
 
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