“roofs with lighter-colored membranes seem to have fewer bubbles in extreme heat. Maybe worth considering if you’re redoing things down the line.”
That lines up with what I’ve seen, especially on a couple of jobs where we swapped out dark torch-down for a white or light gray membrane. The difference in surface temp was wild—felt like you could fry an egg on the old one, but the new roof was just warm. I’m a big fan of adding some kind of green element too, even if it’s just a few potted plants up there. Helps with heat and looks way better than a scorched rubber sheet. Prep is everything, though... I’ve watched folks rush it and end up with those “bubble wrap” disasters.
- Seen way too many torch-down jobs where folks skip proper prep—bubbles, splits, you name it.
- Lighter colors definitely help with heat, but I’ve still found bubbles if the substrate isn’t bone dry first.
- Fire risk is real with torch-down, especially when people rush or cut corners (had one call where a guy almost torched his siding).
- Plants are cool, but make sure drainage’s solid or you’ll end up with ponding and leaks.
- If you’re set on torch-down, just double-check your installer actually cares about details... not all do.
Torch-down’s always made me a little nervous, honestly. I had it put on my garage roof about eight years ago—flat roof, not much slope, and the installer swore up and down he’d done “hundreds” of them. I watched the process and, yeah, the prep was everything. He spent almost as much time drying out the deck and cleaning as he did actually rolling out the membrane. Still, I remember him saying, “If you see bubbles later, it’s because someone got lazy with the torch or didn’t let things dry.” Guess that stuck with me.
The fire risk is real. My neighbor’s place actually had a scare—installer got distracted, torch hit some old leaves in the gutter, and suddenly there’s smoke everywhere. Luckily they caught it fast, but it could’ve been ugly. I get why people are wary. I’ve heard some folks say self-adhered membranes are safer, but then you trade off some durability (at least in our climate—lots of freeze/thaw cycles).
I do like the idea of lighter colors for heat, but I’m not convinced it solves everything. My roof’s white and still gets pretty warm in July. And yeah, bubbles can show up if there’s even a hint of moisture trapped underneath... which is why I’m always poking around up there after a big storm.
Green roofs sound cool in theory—my cousin tried one in Portland—but drainage is a pain to get right. She ended up with a mini swamp after one winter because her installer didn’t slope things enough toward the scuppers.
I guess my takeaway is: if you’re set on torch-down, watch your installer like a hawk (or at least ask annoying questions). Not everyone takes shortcuts, but enough do that it pays to be picky. And maybe keep a hose handy just in case...
- Just bought my place last year and the inspector flagged the old torch-down on my flat roof. I’ve been stressing about the fire risk, too—especially after seeing a few scary videos online.
- My contractor suggested self-adhered, but like you said, he warned it might not hold up as well with all our freeze/thaw cycles.
- I’m honestly not sure what’s worse: the risk of fire or having to replace a roof sooner than expected. Anyone actually had self-adhered last more than 10 years in a cold climate?
- Also, is it normal to see little bubbles after a heavy rain? I keep second-guessing if that’s a sign of trouble or just cosmetic...
