Hello. Still trying to find a solution for my new-build flat roof house that I am happy with. Am currently excited about Roofkrete. Has anyone had experience of using or commissioning a roofkrete roof and/or balcony? It claims to be flexible, which puzzles me as it seems to be sand & cement based. Would love some feedback. Thanks.
Roofkrete
- Thread starter Keeplearning
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Personally I would not touch it unless it has a BBA certificate which I do not believe it has, for a product seemingly in use since 1995 one would have to ask why and would view such a product with suspicion because of this. BBA certificates are awarded to products/suppliers to state that the aforementioned products do what they say they will and are used by specifiers/builders etc to minimise risks in using certain products. Building Control sometimes do not allow non certified products to be used. I also notice they publicise a Zurich award who are no longer even active in the housing warranty market. They don't even have a landline to call. But hey I generally go with what I know and this is not a product I have heard of.
/is a bit of a cynic
/is a bit of a cynic
Very good points. I have contacted the company and asked for clarification. My research indicates that the previous MD was a rather unique individual and this might have impacted on the company. Thanks for the warning. I'm seeing an installer shortly and I will also put the questions to him. I'm a bit wary of contacting BC until I know more about the product and the company. Anyone else out there heard of or used Roofkrete?
M
M
All good points, I used to be a installer of the product and know more installers that now don't install than installers that do!
The old owner was the man, the company the brain.
The problem with the system
Time it takes to lay
Roof open time
Weather window to long
There is to much to do on site, as you make the roof membrane
Take felt the problem with that is the joints to many joints, felt in its self is not a problem, lay it on the roof and it will be the labour laying it that will course the problem down the line, so the best roofing systems are the ones that have the least work on site, i've tested several I now tend to use two systems
Kemper
EPDM
Kemper for detailed work
EPDM for large flat areas
Both product have BBA!
[/list]
The old owner was the man, the company the brain.
The problem with the system
Time it takes to lay
Roof open time
Weather window to long
There is to much to do on site, as you make the roof membrane
Take felt the problem with that is the joints to many joints, felt in its self is not a problem, lay it on the roof and it will be the labour laying it that will course the problem down the line, so the best roofing systems are the ones that have the least work on site, i've tested several I now tend to use two systems
Kemper
EPDM
Kemper for detailed work
EPDM for large flat areas
Both product have BBA!
[/list]
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Thank you both for your input. Have spoken to new MD of roofkrete and it seems that the lack of BBA approval is mainly due to the fact that the BBA charges an exhorbitant amount for its scheme and there has been a widespread boycot of the scheme by sand and cement suppliers. Roofkrete is mixed by Lafarge who I note do not have any of their bagged products certificated by the BBA, just 2 rendered plasterboards (aquaboard) and highway surfacing systems.
The other key issue with the system is, as pointed out by steveroofer, the time it takes to install - approx 3 times longer than a liquid waterproofing system.
Still really interested though, I guess at the end of the day it will come down to the overall cost for me.
Really appreciate hearing from people in the trade so thanks again for taking the time to respond.
The other key issue with the system is, as pointed out by steveroofer, the time it takes to install - approx 3 times longer than a liquid waterproofing system.
Still really interested though, I guess at the end of the day it will come down to the overall cost for me.
Really appreciate hearing from people in the trade so thanks again for taking the time to respond.
Yes its funny how these manufacturers always have a long stream of excuses up their arm as top why they're not BBA certified. too expensive, we're doing it next year, we're just finalising our own testing etc
As has been mentioned some will not specify their products due to the lack of a BBA cert me included, if I have two products in front of me, one is BBA one is not, I choose non BBA product, roof leaks, client starts pointing finger why did you choose non BBA cert one? Hypothetical situation of course I would never choose non BBA over BBA.
I would question how much work they lose because of this and would suggest to not get BBA certification would reduce their possible market share somewhat but that's their call of course.
That's the whole point of the BBA certs though, if you have some doubts as to a product at least you can say it was certified .........
The cost of a BBA cert is dependent on how much work the BBA need to do, if the product supplier can supply lots of useful data from a reliable and proven source the cost will be a lot lower than if the BBA do not consider the data provided to be reliable and have to conduct their own research. You would think that all that blurb and history spouted on their website would count for more ...........
Lafarge, started in 1833 over 130 years before BBA began certifying products, are a huge multinational company who have a long history and track record behind them you cannot compare them with small individual roofing company nobody has heard of.
At the end of the day its down to you, you have to be happy with your chosen product and chances are it'll be fine.
I can tell you though, if it were my own house I would never in a thousand years choose a product I had never heard of. I guess I've seen too many leaks and problems with workmanship on flat rooves over the years to risk it.
On a separate point, I recall this is for a new house, are you getting NHBC or an LABC warranty? If so (hope so) you need to make sure they will be happy with your choice too.
As has been mentioned some will not specify their products due to the lack of a BBA cert me included, if I have two products in front of me, one is BBA one is not, I choose non BBA product, roof leaks, client starts pointing finger why did you choose non BBA cert one? Hypothetical situation of course I would never choose non BBA over BBA.
I would question how much work they lose because of this and would suggest to not get BBA certification would reduce their possible market share somewhat but that's their call of course.
That's the whole point of the BBA certs though, if you have some doubts as to a product at least you can say it was certified .........
The cost of a BBA cert is dependent on how much work the BBA need to do, if the product supplier can supply lots of useful data from a reliable and proven source the cost will be a lot lower than if the BBA do not consider the data provided to be reliable and have to conduct their own research. You would think that all that blurb and history spouted on their website would count for more ...........
Lafarge, started in 1833 over 130 years before BBA began certifying products, are a huge multinational company who have a long history and track record behind them you cannot compare them with small individual roofing company nobody has heard of.
At the end of the day its down to you, you have to be happy with your chosen product and chances are it'll be fine.
I can tell you though, if it were my own house I would never in a thousand years choose a product I had never heard of. I guess I've seen too many leaks and problems with workmanship on flat rooves over the years to risk it.
On a separate point, I recall this is for a new house, are you getting NHBC or an LABC warranty? If so (hope so) you need to make sure they will be happy with your choice too.
After shopping around for a flat roof for my new build,100 mSq. I decided to go for the RoofKrete system. Although the roofkrete system was double the price of a single ply membrane on paper it looked a great system. Unfortunately the roof leaks, it leaks at many points and after 5 attempts by Roy Jenkins and his crewe to patch up the roof it still leaks. I have taken some 200 pictures of the roof from start to finish and even though I have photographic evidence of every patch and every leak the Roofkrete MD Roy Jenkins is still in denial that his system actually works. I have lost all faith in Roofkrete and am now preparing to reclaim my money via the courts. My roof still leaks. This roof has to come off which is going to be a massive expense. I Would not use this system again and would strongly advise that you do some thorough research. Should a new roof with a 30 year guarantee that will last 200years be leaking after 4 months?
Hi. You are not alone Waynz. We also decided to go ahead a commission Roofkrete for our new build (approx 190m2). We commissioned it in November 2011 and the roof was started in March 2012. The roof is still not watertight as there are a few defects/leaks.
The defects were apparent around September 2012 - once the edges had been sealed. Since then the weather has not been good enough for the contractor to return to fix them. Fortunately we have just paid for materials so far (approx £8K) and will not be paying the contractor until the roof is fully watertight and signed off by Roy Jenkins. We are still holding out hope that the finished product will be fit for purpose, but watch this space!
We also had a balcony roofkreted and this seems to be ok. It appears that the main problem with the product is that it cannot cope with joins - something that is almost unavoidable on such a large roof.
The defects were apparent around September 2012 - once the edges had been sealed. Since then the weather has not been good enough for the contractor to return to fix them. Fortunately we have just paid for materials so far (approx £8K) and will not be paying the contractor until the roof is fully watertight and signed off by Roy Jenkins. We are still holding out hope that the finished product will be fit for purpose, but watch this space!
We also had a balcony roofkreted and this seems to be ok. It appears that the main problem with the product is that it cannot cope with joins - something that is almost unavoidable on such a large roof.
Keeplearning !If you have had as much stress as me I sincerly feel for you
I done as much research as possible about roofkret but could not really find any negative reviews so this swayed me on my decision but now as well as your faulty roof I have also been contacted by another roofkrete customer again with the same plight as ours, I wonder if there are more people waiting to get there leaks plugged before making a decision as to leave a review or not. My installation started in November 2012 and is still on going. Roy Jenkins believes so much in his product he is in denial about the leaking room, so much so as today…a wet patch virtually in the centre of the roof was there (according to Roy Jenkins from)from the original leak in November. I hope anyone that reads this will have second thoughts. I am preparing a montage of this disaster in a webpage. I will let others decide for themselves. The room is uninhabitable and will be until I replace the entire roof.
I done as much research as possible about roofkret but could not really find any negative reviews so this swayed me on my decision but now as well as your faulty roof I have also been contacted by another roofkrete customer again with the same plight as ours, I wonder if there are more people waiting to get there leaks plugged before making a decision as to leave a review or not. My installation started in November 2012 and is still on going. Roy Jenkins believes so much in his product he is in denial about the leaking room, so much so as today…a wet patch virtually in the centre of the roof was there (according to Roy Jenkins from)from the original leak in November. I hope anyone that reads this will have second thoughts. I am preparing a montage of this disaster in a webpage. I will let others decide for themselves. The room is uninhabitable and will be until I replace the entire roof.
You have my sympathies but really, you can lead a horse to water ....
I feel for you in this position but new products carry greater risks. I know being a roofer means I'm biased but I see a roof as he most important part of any building. With that said It should be considered most carefully when choosing materials.
I would love to know the price comparisons between flat roofing products and hard metals.........
You could of had a zinc roof with a lifetime guarantee for around £25k.....
I would love to know the price comparisons between flat roofing products and hard metals.........
You could of had a zinc roof with a lifetime guarantee for around £25k.....
I'm surprised to see negative comments about Roofkrete. I've had it fitted on my extension 4 1/2 years ago, and yes I've had problems, but not due to Roofkrete. The problems were due to my builders who unbeknown to me decided on some outrageous cost-cutting measures, - e.g. no flashing on the upper edge of the skirting on the vertical wall - they only cemented over it with ordinary mortar mix, and after a while, this separated from the wall and started leaking. Another outrage was that they failed to put a damp-proof barrier across the parapet walls, and water was getting in through gaps between the capping stones, and such-like.
I've checked out the science, and it makes good sense - Roofkrete is a ferro-cement, hence the flexibility and increasing strength over time, as the crystals develop. It's not a DIY job by any means, the installer needs to understand the concepts, and mine clearly didn't.
I have another flat roof, done by conventional means, which needs replacing, and Roofkrete is a serious contender, even though this roof will never be walked on, and won't not need the strength to survive stiletto heels.
On a balcony or a terrace, Roofkrete is a great choice. It is more labour intensive than just pouring on a membrane, but once you've done it, that's it, you can forget maintenance, that is a significant time saving over the lifetime of a building. Just make sure you get qualified installers.
I've checked out the science, and it makes good sense - Roofkrete is a ferro-cement, hence the flexibility and increasing strength over time, as the crystals develop. It's not a DIY job by any means, the installer needs to understand the concepts, and mine clearly didn't.
I have another flat roof, done by conventional means, which needs replacing, and Roofkrete is a serious contender, even though this roof will never be walked on, and won't not need the strength to survive stiletto heels.
On a balcony or a terrace, Roofkrete is a great choice. It is more labour intensive than just pouring on a membrane, but once you've done it, that's it, you can forget maintenance, that is a significant time saving over the lifetime of a building. Just make sure you get qualified installers.
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