What makes up a flat roof?

Written by No Doubt Marketing

Flat roofing materials include tar, asphalt, and rubber and eco-friendly materials such as recycled materials or plant materials. While flat roof roofing material often requires little maintenance, choosing the wrong kind of material or having it installed incorrectly can result in substantial headaches and financial loss for a homeowner.

Flat Roofing Materials

Traditionally, flat roofs have been used in thousands of homes over the span of centuries. Materials have included stone, tar, asphalt and gravel over asphalt or tar. These materials are often toxic and harmful to installers since they are made of melted coal tar and high in fumes.

More recent flat roof roofing materials include recycled or synthetic rubber materials. Green roofs can also be made of plants materials like sod or other plants.

Installation of Flat Roofing Materials

One of the frequent occurrences with installing a flat roof is that new building materials are simply placed over the old roofing material. While this practice can build up a layer of roofing material, eventually the weight will damage the roof structure. Also, with exposure to the sun, most flat roofing material will crack and leak with age. Not pulling the old roofing material off before installing new flat roof roofing material leaves a home vulnerable to potential water damage, along with damaging insulation or other valuable structures in the home.

Choosing Flat Roof Roofing Materials

Choosing the best flat roof roofing material for your home roofing project is key to making it last for a number of years and providing you with all the benefits you want from it. One factor in determining which flat roofing material is best for your home is to know what roofing material already exists on your roof before choosing a new material. For example, if you want to choose a new cool roof material, make sure your roofer knows how to install it and that mixing an old asphalt flat roofing material with a new cool roof material will not result in problems down the road.

Also, make sure your flat roof installer provides you with a detailed checklist of the items to be installed, including a vapor barrier to protect from water damage. The vapor barrier is particularly important if you are installing an eco-friendly green roof.

Ultimately, flat roofs need little maintenance, but should be inspected at least once a year to check for damage that can be caused from water pooling or from branches or other materials on the roof. These items can result in small punctures in the flat roof, which will result in water damage.

Summary

There are many different types of flat roof materials available on the market today. Some of the choices include traditional mop tar and asphalt flat roof roofing material, recycled and synthetic rubber flat roof roofing material and eco-friendly green roof roofing material. Installing and maintaining a flat roof can be done in a matter of days and inspections should be done annually to check for leaks or small punctures to the flat roof.

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