When it’s time to re-coat your flat roof there are special considerations to make when choosing a company to do the work. There a few choices you can consider for your commerical or residential roof.
- The Rubber Membrane Type Flat Roof Treatment
- The BUR (Built Up Roof) Type Flat Roof Treatment
- The Modified Bitumen Type Flat Roof Treatment
The Rubber Membrane Type Flat Roof Treatment (EPDM)
Flat roofing done with a rubber membrane is a choice made by building owners and managers who are interested in long-lasted, durable roofs. This treatment costs more than the Modified Bitumen and BUR choices described below, but it’s very good when considering resistance to the sun’s harmful UV rays.
The rubber membrane roof is designed and manufactured using the compounds known as Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer which is basically a synthetic rubber (read Wiki for more information here) also known as EDPM in the roofing industry.
There is nothing greatly superior, OR inferior about a EDPM synthetic rubber roofing treatment – it really comes down to the climate, location, mother nature, and roof type. and EDPM can be the perfect solution, or worst solution – depending on whether or not the installers know what they are doing, and the building owner(s) know what they want from a roofing system.
This kind of flat roofing treatment is extremely durable when pitted up against extreme weather conditions, and it also acts as a fantastic insulator. Another factor with EDPM roofing treatments is the ease of application, and ease of repair - assuming you have professionals doing the roofing.
BUR Flat Roofing (Built-Up Roof)
The BUR (built up roof) is an old standard that is still used on some building, and it has it’s advantages and disadvantages as well. The advantage of the BUR type roofing system is the cost factor – this is arguable the cheapest possible flat roofing system, but if you want to have a superb job, you still have to pay for experienced crews, and quality materials.
There was a time when the crushed river stone rock was the standard used for ballast, and and it was simply tar paper layered between layers of good old tar. This is the kind of roof you can smell right down the block when it’s being installed. This kind of roofing treatment has been responsible for many on-the-job injuries, and many a garment has met it’s demise due to the handling of tar.
There has been a change in the roofing industry though, and instead of the standard black tar paper, modern roofing companies are now using various different fiberglass membranes instead – this helps with durability and weather repellent realities. There is a down side of course to everything in life, and there a few things you have to consider before going ahead with a standard tar and gravel flat roof treatment.
A BUR roofing system can weigh A LOT, and the roof you are treating must be extremely well build, and often times the roof’s structure has to be bulked up to handle the extra load. Another factor is that leak investigation is difficult, along with the fact that this system should be installed by professionals.
Modified Bitumen Flat Roofing Solution (Torch-On)
A two-ply or single-ply, modified bitumen flat roofing solution is discussed on the Torch-On description found here, basically this is a fairly fast application solution as is carried out by the professional roofers heating the product(s) with a propane torch as they role the matting out over the length of the roof in wide strips.
This kind of flat roofing solution is quickly advancing becoming a favoured system as it’s quick to install, extremely durable, and repels the sun like no-one’s business. Also, with the different matting advancements made in manufacturing labs, the quality and lasting power of a modified bitumen roofing system is getting even better.