Equally important to choosing a type of roofing style is the choice of the roofing materials themselves. Once you have chosen to take the beautiful and reliable route of a flat roof, it is also important that you make informed decisions about the type of roofing materials you are going to use for your house so that your roof stays intact and for longer periods of time without costing you a lot of money to maintain. Here are some of the most common roofing materials;
1. Modified Bitumen Membranes
Modified Bitumen membranes are arguably the most common and widely used roofing materials out there. There are made from asphalt rolls placed in two layers and placed on the roofs of houses and their two-ply layering form makes them be the common choice for waterproofing roofs.
There are generally several ways that they can be laid out and bonded with, depending on the conditions around the house. One of such is through using hot asphalt plastered on the roof surface or through plastering the layers together through a hot flame. It can be installed through cold application methods as well as cold solvent adhesives or by using self-adhesives or peel sticks, which do not require heart.
Modified bitumen is a combination of other substances apart from the asphalt which is Atactic Propolene or Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) as the modifiers. The bitumen membranes, especially the Styrene Butadiene Styrene compound are manufactured in sheets approximately 1 meter wide and in varying thickness ranging from 2.2 to 4 millimeters. These type of roofing material has plenty of advantages namely:
· Highly flexible
· Very Strong
· It has High puncture resistance
· Variety of colors
· Lightweight
The primary disadvantages of modified bitumen membranes are susceptibility to fire hazards and poor solvent resistance.
2. Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer (EPDM)
Ethylene-Propylene-Diene-Monomer (EPDM) is a single rubber-based ply sheet used for roof waterproofing as well. The EPDM can be applied using various means which include being adhered down or being loosely aid and ballasted.
The final EPDM roof is made up of rubber and other substances like fiberboards or carbon black to increase durability.Combining of EPDM rubber is done by roofing professionals with the use of adhesives and seeming taps. Their advantages include:
· Very water-resistant
· Great resistance to weather
· Excellent heat resistance
· Resistance to Acid and Alkaline solvents
· Excellent flexibility
· Affordable
Their main disadvantages are that they only come in black and white hence fewer colour choices and they have poor resistance to oil and gas and are flammable.
3. Thermoplastic Polyolefin (TPO)
Thermoplastic Polyolefin TPOs are single layers of roofing materials which can be put in a variety of ways. This type of membranes can be installed by either being adhered or mechanically, using screws and plates. TPO is manufactured in polyester reinforced- sheets which are 8, 10' wide, 12' in Standard length per roll and 45, 60, 72, and 80 millimeters thick. They usually come in white, grey, and tan.
Its advantages include:
· Affordable
· Resistance to acid and alkali chemicals
· Long-Lasting
· No Open Flames
· Easier to Detect Leaks In Future
Of course, this material comes with some disadvantages such as; it is easy to puncture if not carefully handled, is slippery in ice, or when wet. As such, it is not recommended to install it in winter.
Given these main flat roof materials, you can then make a more informed decision on your roofing choice for your structure. Be sure to let the actual job be handled by professional roofers to ensure you get the best results!