new "inspire" slate composite roof...(plastic)

mozeppa · 09-02-2011, 07:12 PM

i'm getting ready to install "inspire" roofing by myself.
check it out...http://www.inspireroofing.com/
i have a house with 3 gables and all 3 roof crowns come together in the center of the roof. (see drawing)

the "crown" consists of formed pieces that look like the inset drawing...each overlapping the previous crown.

my problem is .... you start at the gables and apply the crown moving toward the center of the house.
once you are at the center....how do you terminate? i know there is a sealant involved ...but !!!

believe it or not....nothing on "inspires" website indicates what to use...and ....i've called dozens of roofing firms, only to find out that
no one has heard of this company any can't find anyone who's installed one.
(p.s. ....this company is huge!)
cant use silicone as these slates are a plastic composite material.

tinner666 · 09-02-2011, 08:53 PM

Never heard of them either. Generally, run the long way, end to end. In the center, cut them to fit the valley tightly closing/(covering) off the top of the valley joint which should be locked together with 1/16" hole or less. It will already be caulked or sealed. You're just covering that spot.
Run the other direction now, cutting that valley cap to fit against the other caps you already ran.

Conversely, sometimes, the shorter one is done first covering the valley top and then running the other ridge and cutting to fit.

You, the man i the field, will have to play with the juncture for a few minutes to see which method looks and works best. No sealant required with a little forethought.

Tom Struble · 09-03-2011, 07:33 AM

tapco group,been around a long time and make many different products

i would bet that there is a double stick sealant tape thats used

why not contact them directly,there is a customer service no.

http://www.inspireroofing.com/contact/

mozeppa · 09-03-2011, 09:26 AM

thanks guys,
tried contacting them ...they have no techs in the field...
just a "how may i direct your call" girl.

with trimming they should fit close, i wonder if butyl will work?

dougger222 · 09-03-2011, 10:51 AM

I've been getting postcards from Inspire for years. Bid one in 08 at $385 a square for field shingles. Bid one this year at $600 a square for field shingles.

They sure look neat but not cheap.

As far as your technical question sort of shocked Inspire don't have at least one person who can answer your question!

Good luck!!!

(BTW, never installed a plastic roof yet).

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 11:36 AM

"i know there is a sealant involved ...but !!!"

As I said before. Run caps to the center, then waste a few to see which of the ways I describes best closes it off. THe only sealant necessary is for the top of the valley itself, at the pihole left where the two valleys overlap. No need to over-think it.

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 11:50 AM

This seems to be the only picture I have. No sealant was applied here. The pinhole was covered by the slate.

On a side note, I hope you are cutting the tips off the top of the 'slate' in the valleys! Letting them terminate to a point WILL result in many leaks.

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 12:03 PM

I said no sealant was applied. I need to clarify that the tar used was to close the slate ridge in the pic, not the valley termination. Here's a valley termination.

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 12:31 PM

I looked at their site. I looked at the photo galleries, but it looked as if every picture was taken from across the street, so you can't tell anything by them. They don't seem inclined to offer any help that way.

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 01:33 PM

BTW... Those last 2 field slate on the main roof DO NOT get cut to fit the valley like all the others! Stop the cut even with the top of the valley and let them run across that top. Do NOT butt them in the center. Let one or the other cross over the top and butt to one side of the center. Just leave out those few top ones until the last minute and see how they best fit. It's how slate and tile roofers do it.

mozeppa · 09-03-2011, 06:37 PM

thanks tinner,

will do it like you say...not over think it. (waste a couple.)

but sealant will be used on the last piece...but my question is...

what is the chemical make up of the sealant to be used?

can't use silicone, i'm told it might eat into the tiles.

my next thought is butyl sealant...but this has not been confirmed to me as safe.

a local roofer said that he would use "geocell-2300" but then he said he didn't know what it might do to the tiles.

and yeah! they are not cheap! $7000.00 approx for a 12 square farm house. just for the starter strip, tiles and enough ridge pieces!

what should i use for sealant? (name brand?)

thanks again!

mike

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 07:12 PM

I understand Geocel is a tripolymer and is supposed to be safe on most anything. As long as the sealant is NOT exposed to the weather and is just for 'What if!', you should be OK. Never depend on any sealant for the waterproofing. Let the shingles do that.

You could have bought slate for that cost, though slate would have only been good for a few hundred years and is easier to install.

tinner666 · 09-03-2011, 07:18 PM

Since I let my metal and field materials do the waterproofing, and never rely on an exposed sealant, other than slate ridges and hips, I don't have any favorite. Counterflashing will get whatever seems to match the house.

mozeppa · 09-04-2011, 09:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tinner666

You could have bought slate for that cost, though slate would have only been good for a few hundred years and is easier to install.

true that ...but i doubt my house could support the weight of real slate!

seeyou · 09-04-2011, 11:06 AM

We've done a couple of Inspire roofs. Geocel 2300 is fine to use on them. However, EPDM seam tape is the recommended product for sticking pieces together, such as "slates" that don't want to lay right. The Inspire products are a hybrid TPO/EPDM product if I remember correctly.