Roof Recover and Overlay in Memphis, TN is a code-compliant option when the existing roof membrane is structurally sound, the insulation beneath it is dry, and the building currently carries only one membrane layer. Most building codes based on the IBC allow a maximum of two total membrane layers on a low-slope roof. Before any roof recover and overlay work begins in Memphis, we require a moisture scan - infrared or nuclear - to confirm that insulation saturation is below the threshold where a new membrane would trap retained moisture and compromise the new assembly from underneath.
Weight and structural load are the first technical checkpoint for roof recover and overlay. A recover assembly typically adds 1.5 to 3.5 pounds per square foot depending on cover board thickness, membrane weight, and insulation added for energy code compliance. For roof recover and overlay projects in Memphis, the structural engineer of record or an existing load calculation must confirm that the deck and framing can carry the added weight before the specification is finalized.
Questions Owners Ask
The roof must have only one existing membrane layer, a dry insulation assembly confirmed by moisture scan, adequate structural capacity for the added weight, and drainage that supports the new assembly's performance.
Infrared or nuclear moisture scanning maps wet insulation areas that must be removed and replaced before the recover membrane is installed. We will not recover over wet material regardless of cost pressure.
Typically 30 to 40 percent, primarily by eliminating tear-off labor and disposal costs. The savings are real but only when the substrate genuinely qualifies.
