Roofing Category: Flat Roofing

Most flat roofing systems require some kind of rigid insulation under the new roofing system. The biggest reason is that all flat roofing systems require a substrate between the structural decking and the new roof system. The second and more obvious reason is for higher R-values, which building owners are asking for, and building code throughout New England is requiring. The most common types of flat roofing rigid insulation are below. For more information, click on the name of the insulation.

Built Up Roof System “BUR”  Built Up Roof Systems (BUR) are the oldest roof systems that are still being installed today, even though a new BUR roof installation is rare. They have been installed since the mid 1840’s and, like modified bitumen roofs, are typically installed in 2-5 plys. BUR roofs come in black and need to be covered by either gravel or granules to prevent cracking caused by heat from the sun. BUR roofs are installed by hot-mopping. The product itself comes in a solid form, and needs to be broken down into smaller pieces. Once broken down, the pieces are thrown into a heated kettle, where it is cooked to 400 degrees. At 400 degrees, the product turns from a solid into a liquid, where it can be picked up by a mop or bucket, and spread across the roof. After the product is spread, felt or fiberglass based paper is applied over the liquid product which, as it cools off, turns back into a solid again. Once the felt paper is applied, another layer of liquid asphalt or pitch can be applied right over it.  Note that the picture is of hot mopping a modified roof in, not a BUR. Detail work is completed in the same fashion, with all details being completed 2-5 times based on the number of ply’s in the […]

Modified Bitumen Roof Systems have been installed since the mid 1970’s. A Modified Bitumen Roof System is typically installed with 1-3 ply’s, and comes in a wide variety of colors. There are many ways to install a modified bitumen roof, but the four most common methods are cold applied (liquid adhesives), torch applied (torch with open flame), hot applied (hot asphalt) and self adhered (adhesives built into the sheet). Modified Bitumen Systems are typically seen as the next generation of asphaltic or pitch based Built Up Roofs (BUR). It carries many of the same strengths as a traditional BUR roof system, while the modified bitumen installation can be completed in a much safer and less expensive method. We typically install self-adhered modified bitumen roof systems at Chaffee Roofing due to their safe and effective installation technique. Self-adhered modified bitumen roof systems are similar to fully adhered single-ply roofs in that the entire system is adhered to the Self Adhered modified bitumen roof installations are completed by: Detail work is completed in the same fashion, with all details being completed 2-5 times based on the number of plys in the system. Benefits of an Modified Bitumen Roof Some of the benefits of Modified Bitumen Roof Systems are: Drawbacks of an Modified Bitumen Roof Modified Bitumen Roof systems have a few disadvantages, which are: Please note that […]

PVC Roofing Systems have been installed since the 1960’s and was one of the first single ply materials used in roofing. PVC Roofs come in thicknesses from .036 mil to .090 mil, can only be reinforced. PVC is typically white, tan or gray in color. A PVC membrane installation can be mechanically attached, fully adhered, Rhinobond or ballasted. Like TPO roof systems, PVC Membrane rolls and flashing membrane are heat welded together, creating the strongest bond available in a roofing system. A PVC Roof installation is heat welded together using computerized hot air equipment that reaches temperatures of around 800 degrees in the seams. For welding the seams on open membrane rolls, an automatic “robotic” welder is used that automatically sets the correct temperature, applies the perfect pressure, and sets the best speed to perfectly weld the two membrane sheets together. For smaller areas, like rooftop units and curbs, a hand-held heat welding gun is used, along with a rubber roller. These smaller detail areas rely heavily on the craftsmanship of the roofing mechanic to achieve the correct temperature, pressure and speed required for a perfect weld. Benefits of a PVC Roof PVC Roofing systems have solid strengths. Some Benefits of a PVC Roof are: Drawbacks of a PVC Roof In the roofing industry, PVC roof systems are being overtaken by TPO, because TPO holds […]

EPDM Roofing Systems have been installed since the early 1970’s. An EPDM roof system comes in thicknesses from. 045 mil to .090 mil, can be reinforced or non-reinforced, and is typically black in color, but can be white.. An EPDM membrane installation can be mechanically attached, fully adhered, or ballasted. Since the 1980’s, individual membrane rolls are typically bonded together using 3” or 6” seam tape, which is far superior to the liquid adhesives that were used prior. While not as strong as heat welded systems found in TPO Roof Systems and PVC Roof Systems, seam tape does an excellent job of bonding the two rolls together for extended periods of time. The way the bonding works in an EPDM Membrane Installation is the EPDM Roof membrane is cleaned off then primed. Once the primer is set, the seam tape is rolled over the primed area, and rolled into place. After, the two rolls are bonded together for the life of the EPDM roof system! For smaller areas, like rooftop units and curbs, EPDM membrane from the field sheet is custom cut and wrapped around the units. For corner areas, where the membrane must be cut perfectly to fit around the unit, flashing membrane is used due to its flexibility and versatility. The surrounding area is cleaned and primed first; the same way seam tape […]

Why Choose a TPO Roof? TPO Roofing Systems have been installed since the 1980’s. A TPO roof system comes in thicknesses from. 045 mil to .080 mil, must be be reinforced, and is typically white, tan or gray in color. However, if your building meets the right size requirements, a palette of colors is available. A TPO membrane installation can be mechanically attached, fully adhered, Rhinobond or ballasted. Like PVC roof systems, TPO membrane rolls and flashing membrane are heat welded together, creating the strongest bond available in a roofing system, up to four times stronger than EPDM. A TPO roof is heat welded together using computerized hot air equipment that reaches temperatures of around 1,000 degrees in the seams. For welding the seams on open areas, an automatic “robotic” welder is used that automatically sets the correct temperature, applies the perfect pressure, and sets the best speed to perfectly weld the two membrane sheets together. For smaller areas, like rooftop units and curbs, a hand-held heat welding gun is used, along with a rubber roller. These smaller detail areas rely heavily on the craftsmanship of the roofing mechanic to achieve the correct temperature, pressure and speed required for a perfect weld. Benefits of a TPO Roof TPO roof systems are rising fast in popularity for a variety of reasons. Some advantages of a TPO […]