The following information explains what Flat Roofing Systems are available
Conventional bitumen built up roofing membrane has been employed effectively for more than 110 years and is still very popular today as a roofing medium. With Flat Roofing Systems the waterproofing membrane is fabricated with layers of bitumen, alternating with piles of reinforcing felt. Flat Roof Systems has been known to perform long after their warranty has expired and they are particularly suited where a lot of traffic is anticipated on the roof. They stand up extremely well because of the numbers of layers in the system.
Solar reflective paint can be used to the protect asphalt from the damaging effect of the sun, the silver coating to protect the damage and blistering. The coating should be renewed approximately every 4 years, and we recommend that our installed flat roofs are all treated with this paint. We would also be pleased to provide costs for replacing coatings to any existing felt roof system.
Types of Flat Roof Systems
Roll Asphalt
A roll asphalt roof is made of material that is rolled onto the roof over roof felt and nailed down or applied with cold asphalt cement. It is usually covered with a granular mineral surface, which looks like gravel. The base material can be organic felt or fibreglass felt that is saturated in asphalt. This is the cheapest building material, but it usually doesn't last much beyond 10 years.
Single-ply
Single-ply flat roofs are composed of a single layer of a plastic or rubber-like compound. Some of the more popular materials used today are thermoplastic poly-olefin (TPO) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which are both very good at reflecting heat, which saves on cooling costs in the building. Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) is also popular because it also cools well when white EPDM is used, and it is easy to install. Rubberised asphalt is also used. Single-ply roof systems, depending on the materials, can be self-adhered, applied with hot asphalt or installed by heating the back of the material with a torch. Warranties for single-ply roofs usually are for 10 to 12 years.
Multiple-ply
Multiple-ply roof systems are also known as built-up roofs (BUR). These are made by overlapping rolls of felt or mats that are alternated with layers of asphalt. This is covered by a granular mineral surface, ballast or tile to protect the layers. These roofs can last from 10 to 30 years.
Modified Bitumen
A modified bitumen roof is a multiple-ply roof that is made with modified bituminous membranes, which are made out of a blend of asphalt and a polymer. This allows the asphalt to take on characteristics of the polymer, which is similar to materials used in single-ply roofs. The modified bitumen roof is covered in a mineral or gravel surface, or a liquid coating that provides reflectivity.
Flat-seamed Metal
Flat-seamed metal roofs are made out of small sheets of metal that are soldered together. The sheets are usually designed to look like tile or shingles. The most common metals used for roofs today are copper, lead-coated copper or stainless steel. Metal roofs are light and reflect heat well, but are more expensive. |