Why Do Flat Rubber Roofs Have Stones On Them

Rubber roofing epdm single ply membranes is the most common flat roofing system in new england ma ct nh ri etc and the rest of us flat roofing marker.

Why do flat rubber roofs have stones on them.

These materials provide the waterproof barrier that contains and sheds the water to protect the roof structure. The majority of them are familiar with asphalt shingles and do not have much experience in flat roof materials. Tar has a low melting point. However rubber roofs have many inherent.

The roofing industry has known for quite some time the drawbacks of using traditional asphalt shingles on flat or low pitch roofs. A layer of pebbles can substantially extend the life of a flat roof. In the summer it gets pretty soft and if left to its own devices would flow to the lowest point on the roof. Most people refer to a flat roof as a rubber roof.

To help reduce leaks and create a. A flat roof typically has a rubber or asphalt impregnated membrane. All roofing contractors are not equal. A two ply modified bitumen torch down rubber roof with embedded ceramic granules is the best roofing system on the market.

Shingles require a little help from gravity to create a seal against leaks and with flatter roofs gravity s influence simply isn t significant enough to do the job. The stones force it to stay put. The main reason for such popularity of rubber roofs is the lower initial price tag. However both rubber and asphalt will lose plasticizers and other v.

Pebbles or small rocks spread several inches thick over the outer roof mem. The stones does 3 things 1 help to keep the roof fire resistance. We had to replace a big portion of our flat roof recently. In a typical tar and gravel roof which by the way is gradually being supplanted by gravelless roof systems you put down a layer of tar paper then tar and finally gravel.

These small stones are worth more than their weight in the protection they offer for underlying roofing materials and the barrier they provide to external elements like ultraviolet rays and harsh weather elements. Modified bitumen roofs are a mix of asphalt and rubber with a layer of gravel embedded in the top layer of material during manufacture to provide uv protection. Though primarily confined to built up asphalt roofing systems it can be applied to single ply epdm rubber based membranes as well. For mineral based felting the pebbles are there to help protect the felting as ballast depending on the fitting type and to help prevent water pooling aparantly.

Your roofing merchants can supply the stones. 2 to break up the rain into fine mists and keep the noise level down. The gravel also acts as a protective measure to prevent natural debris such as leaves from flowing towards and clogging the drains of the flat roof instead trapping them in place.