Membrane Roof

by DoItYourself Staff

A membrane roof is a roof that is placed on flat surfaces to protect against Ultraviolet rays and weathering. A membrane roof is preferred because leaks are easier to detect. The alternative to a membrane roof is a gravel roof.

This comes with problems due to the fact that it is hard to detect leaks. A membrane roof is typically made out of synthetic rubber. The thickness of the roof varies; however it is usually 30-60 mils in depth.

Membrane Roof Variations

A membrane roof comes in different variations. These include:

- BUR: Built up roofing
- SBS: Styrene Butadiene Styrene
- EPDM: ethylene propylene diene monomer
- PVC: polyvinyl chloride
- TPO: thermoplastic polyolefin

Although there are some do it yourself manuals for installing membrane roofing, it is advised it be installed by a professional. The installation of this style roof is very exact, time consuming, and it is important to get it right the first time. If you are attempting to do a project of this size by yourself, you should do extensive research before starting.