Attic floored by modified bitumen roof membrane.

[Michael Thomas]

As noted in another post, I just inspected a property or sloped roof had been built over the original flat roof, with the original modified bitumen roof membrane visible at the attic floor.

Thinking about this, I realize it probably has a number of implications that I should be reporting, for example would this be considered a fire hazard?

Any thoughts on the topic would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Jack Feldmann]

Why do you consider it a fire hazard?

[Michael Thomas]

Why do you consider it a fire hazard?

One possibility: one of the first things the fire department is going to do when they pull up to this house and there is a good blaze going will be to get up on the roof and put one or more holes there.

If the roof within the roof has ignited it seems to me they are potentially going to encounter a very different situation in terms of toxic out-gassing and the kind of fire they will be fighting than if they were ventilating a conventional roof structure.

[Scott Patterson]

I would just report that a sloped roof has been built over the original flat roof of the home. I would leave it at that and I would not speculate on anything else.

[Jack Feldmann]

I'm with Scott. It sounds like you are trying to make this into a big deal when its not (IMHO). But, if you want to elaborate on fire safety, then go for it.

A burning roof is a burning roof. This isn't some material that is not routinely used in homes.

In a town here (Oak Ridge, TN) there were a bunch of homes (a whole city as a matter of fact) that were built in the 40's during the Manhattan Project. Many of those homes were flat tops with built up rock roofs. In the 50's and 60's many of them had gable roofs built over them. I have not heard of any issue from the local building department or the fire department about these houses.

You mileage may vary.