4 Flat Roof Solutions

If you are interested in flat roof solutions there are many solutions available to you as a consumer. Choosing to go with a flat roof is something people have been doing for a long time. In fact older roofs are more often flat roofs. The term flat roof of course means a roof with an extremely low pitch. No roof should be completely flat. If the roof were entirely flat water from rain or melting snow could pool causing the roof to cave in. This is especially true when it comes to regions that get a lot of moisture. There are several different types of flat roof solutions.

1. Tar and Gravel

This was at one time a very popular way to create flat roofs. It isn’t as popular today for a variety of reasons. This solution basically works by nailing down a layer of roofing felt to the area to be roofed, then mopping on a layer of boiling hot tar and repeating the first two steps again. The last step in flat roofing is to put gravel in the final layer of tar for aesthetic reasons and UV protection.

This process of roofing has decreased in popularity due to its unpredictable nature. With all of the different layers there is no guarantee the job will turn out as well as a previous job. The work is also incredibly messy and uncomfortable for the roofers.

2. Self Adhered Membranes

This system of flat roofing works very similar to the torch on method. The difference is this method is safer because there is no open flame required to do the job. With this system layers of self-adhesive membranes are piled on top of one another and then flattened by a 70 lbs weight in order to make sure they are properly sealed.

This type of roofing is more expensive than torch roofing, but it does not require any special insurance. One of the major downfalls of this type of roofing is that it can only be applied when it is warm outside. This makes it very difficult to do in some climates.

3. Rubber Coatings

This type of roofing is a great way to replace or modernize old roofing. It can be placed over top of most of the other types of roofing solutions. It is, as the name implies, a rubber coating. The coating is spread either by a roller or sprayed on the roof. The spray on variety of this form of roofing dries instantly, the roll on takes a few days to cure.

The application is very effective but fairly thin. When used as a replacement for an older roof the rubber coating process can save a lot of time since there is no need to remove the old roof before applying. The biggest downfall is that this type of roofing is much more expensive than most other types of flat roofing.

4. Torch On

This roofing style works a lot like the self-adhered membrane style of roofing with one big difference, the use of a torch. When using torch-on roofing solution you apply the membranes one by one using a hot torch to seal them together. Most of the time contractors have to acquire a special type of insurance to perform this type of roofing because of the torch. The system works well and provides reliable roofing. It is much cheaper than self-adhered membrane roofing and can be done in nearly any season.

There are several different flat roofing solutions. When deciding to go with a flat roof you will most likely use your climate and budget as the main reasons for your choice of roofing style.