Pavers on 400-sqft rooftop patio with EPDM membrane

[Aardvark]

Hi Everybody,
In a few weeks I am having my rooftop patio membrane replaced. I've decided to accept a quote from a roofer that I've come to trust. He has recommended a 60mm EPDM membrane.
The big qestion is - what should I put on top of that membrane to make the patio walkable

The only quote that I have so far is from a guy called Zach that the roofer recommended as the best. Zach seems legit. Very professional, very expereinced, and he uses only high-end products... BUT ... Zach is bloody expensive. He proposed to use porcelain tiles with a https://mrpsupports.com/ pedestal system. The quote for the roughly 400 sqft patio comes to $10.5k. $3.5k of that is labor, the rest is materials.

I am considering turning this into a DIT project, but also open to being convinced that it's better to leave this to the professionals because of the riskiness of installing something on top of a membrane. I don't want to compromise the membrane or the ability of the water to drain.

Additionally, I am struggling to figure out the marginal value of the different options. Some options are much cheaper, but I assume that they will age badly. Other options, like Zach's, are bloody expensive but will probably last a good decade or so.

I want to optimize for:
1 - absolutely no compromizing the waterproofing of the roof. Nothing that could puncture the membrane or cause it to leak
2 - adequate drainage is important too, not just for waterproofting, but for rot and cleanliness
3 - aesthetics... This must look good and also feel goo (no wobbling)
4 - cost optimization for a 7 year period. This is in Boise, ID, so things her bloody hot and bloody cold. There is also a low-medium aobut of precipitation.
5 - what else should I add to this list?

Any help, or direction to specific blogs, websites, materials, etc. would be much apprecaited.

[tallpines]

Can you build a deck supported on deck blocks? Same construction as a deck on grade.
Seems like that would check alot of your boxes ?

[sonofsven]

Hi Everybody,
In a few weeks I am having my rooftop patio membrane replaced. I've decided to accept a quote from a roofer that I've come to trust. He has recommended a 60mm EPDM membrane.
The big qestion is - what should I put on top of that membrane to make the patio walkable

The only quote that I have so far is from a guy called Zach that the roofer recommended as the best. Zach seems legit. Very professional, very expereinced, and he uses only high-end products... BUT ... Zach is bloody expensive. He proposed to use porcelain tiles with a https://mrpsupports.com/ pedestal system. The quote for the roughly 400 sqft patio comes to $10.5k. $3.5k of that is labor, the rest is materials.

I am considering turning this into a DIT project, but also open to being convinced that it's better to leave this to the professionals because of the riskiness of installing something on top of a membrane. I don't want to compromise the membrane or the ability of the water to drain.

Additionally, I am struggling to figure out the marginal value of the different options. Some options are much cheaper, but I assume that they will age badly. Other options, like Zach's, are bloody expensive but will probably last a good decade or so.

I want to optimize for:
1 - absolutely no compromizing the waterproofing of the roof. Nothing that could puncture the membrane or cause it to leak
2 - adequate drainage is important too, not just for waterproofting, but for rot and cleanliness
3 - aesthetics... This must look good and also feel goo (no wobbling)
4 - cost optimization for a 7 year period. This is in Boise, ID, so things her bloody hot and bloody cold. There is also a low-medium aobut of precipitation.
5 - what else should I add to this list?

Any help, or direction to specific blogs, websites, materials, etc. would be much apprecaited.

I made a comment on your other thread, so I won't repeat myself. But one way to find another installer is to go to the supply house where the material is sold and ask them for a good, reasonable pro.
Zach sounds good, actually. But Boise is big enough that there should be numerous outfits that could do this.
I've only built wooden decks on torch down/membrane roofs, so I don't know about the choice of material beyond that. Trex or cedar is common in my area. Trex is heavy, but they have a new(ish) formula that seems to have solved some of its early warping issues.

[lthenderson]

I guess I would be leery of putting any sort of material directly on a rooftop membrane and meant to walk on top, especially in Boise, Idaho that sees freezing weather. I would be concerned with trapping moisture between said surface and membrane that can later expand when frozen and cause damage.

Like mentioned above, I would probably allow the membrane to sheet water off fast and efficiently and build some sort of surface over it but not touching like a deck.

[BlueHouse]

Hi Everybody,
In a few weeks I am having my rooftop patio membrane replaced. I've decided to accept a quote from a roofer that I've come to trust. He has recommended a 60mm EPDM membrane.
The big qestion is - what should I put on top of that membrane to make the patio walkable

I guess my question is whether you want to reconsider the EPDM membrane if your goal is to have a walkable patio?  Because that now requires 2 layers for the two different purposes. 

Have you looked at something like Duradek PVC?  It has both the waterproofing and the walkability.  The homes in my neighborhood all have duradek on the rooftop desks.  This is my 12th year and it's still going strong.   It looks okay -- just like vinyl or kitchen linoleum.  It gets really hot in the summer, so many people have added cheap wooden deck tiles on top.  I just wear flip flops.  You do have to be careful not to puncture it, so I basically just don't allow anyone with hard shoes to walk on it.  (no high heels - you cannot trust them not to have a nail sticking through the heel)

[MOOVN2MTL]

Looks like you’re interesting in something like this; ballasted roofing construction.
https://www.carlislesyntec.com/en/Resources/Media/Blog-Landing-Page/SpecTopics/2020/01/09/Ballasted-Roofs-A-New-Look-at-an-Old-System