Flexible roofing is a modern coating that contains polymer additives and bituminous resins related to composite materials. Thanks to the polymer component and bituminous mastic with special additives, as well as glass fibers, it was possible to create a new roofing that is structurally different from its predecessors. All materials have water-repellent characteristics, do not deteriorate or break down under the influence of moisture.
Varieties of soft roof
Flexible roofing is divided into main types, among them are flexible tiles, bituminous, environmentally friendly roofing and membrane. In the manufacture of the first, special fiberglass is used, which is impregnated with bitumen and supplemented with stone chips. This tile is a layer of cardboard, which is coated on both sides with bitumen. Outwardly, such material may resemble a roll coating or tiles.
Features of natural roofing
Reed is used in the manufacture of softenvironmentally friendly blood, but quite often other natural materials are used in the process. The membrane roof is based on PVC material, which is characterized by high wear-resistant characteristics. It has an excellent appearance, is not afraid of temperature changes and is not subject to fading, retaining the original color for a long time.
Technology for laying shingles: preparatory stage
If you are going to equip a roof made of flexible tiles, then you need to make preparatory work. For this, calculations are made and the amount of material required for the acquisition is determined. It is necessary to lay it with an overlap, the size of which will depend on the steepness of the roof. The surface is pre-prepared, for this a flat base or crate system is formed. To do this, you can use different materials, including wood.
Water resistant chipboard or plywood with water repellent characteristics, edged boards or tongue and groove material can be used to create solid decking. When creating such a surface, it is necessary to provide a gap of 3 millimeters between the elements to compensate for the thermal expansion of parts when external conditions change.
Plywood is fixed along the edges with nailed nails or self-tapping screws. In order to ensure a long service life of the wooden components of the frame, they are treated with antiseptics and fire retardants. It should be taken into account that the static and wind load will have an effect on the roof elements, even if they areIt is supposed to be made of soft tiles. When designing, one should take into account the height, which is determined depending on the direction and strength of the prevailing winds, as well as the amount of snow falling.
Design features
Based on this information, it is necessary to use rafters with the correct pitch and the required thickness. If the distance between the rafters is 60 cm, then the thickness of the plywood should be 1.2 cm, the plate will have the same thickness, but the thickness of the board will be 2 cm. If the distance between the rafters is 150 cm, then the thickness of the plywood and the thickness the plates will be equal to 2.7 cm, and as for the thickness of the board, this figure increases to 3.7 cm.
If the overhangs of the eaves are supposed to be sheathed with siding, then it will be necessary to install a grill for ventilation, it is also called a soffit bar. With the help of this structural element, air will be supplied to the ducts.
Installation of the lining layer
Flexible bituminous roofing can have a slope of more than 18 degrees, and you will need an additional layer of waterproofing, which is located along the end and cornice edges of the roof, because they are considered the places of the most likely moisture penetration. They should be approximately 40 centimeters wide from the edge.
It is best to bring the material to the surface of the facade.
Expert advice
According to the recommendations of professionals, the skate should also be additionally covered with insulation,providing 25 centimeters on each side. If the slope is from 12 to 18 degrees, then an additional layer under the tiles will need to be laid over the entire surface of the roof slope. This operation starts from the bottom, while it is necessary to form an overlap between the layers. The material to be rolled out is reinforced with special galvanized nails. The size of their hats should be as large as possible; fasteners should be installed every 20 centimeters. The joints must be treated with bituminous mastic to ensure tightness.
Laying shingles
If you will be laying a flexible soft roof, which is called bituminous tiles, then you need to mark the slope to determine the joining of the shingles after the window. This is true in the case when the presence of a dormer window is provided. In order for the surface color to be uniform, tiles from several packages should be used. It must be mounted in rows, following from the edge of the roof up. Work should start from the lower edge of the slope, moving towards the central part of the eaves in the direction of the gables.
Initially, the row is set in such a way as to provide a distance of about 3 centimeters between the beginning of the eaves tile and the lower edges of the tile petals.
The end element, from which the laying of the second row begins, must be positioned in such a way that a pattern is formed. This will overlap the mechanical fasteners of the previous row. Along the edge of the gable cornice, an element should be cut off, and thenprocessing with bituminous glue to a width of 10 centimeters.
If, considering the types of flexible roofing, you have chosen its bituminous variety, then you should start laying by removing the protective film from the shingles. After each tile is fixed to the base with 5 nails, the next layer is nailed to the previous one. In the future, the tiles will be glued together and glued to the crate under the influence of solar heat.
Tips for laying shingles
Soft shingles should meet the wall where the roof slope meets the vertical surface. To do this, in the designated place, it is necessary to strengthen the triangular-shaped rail, on which the soft roof is laid. A strip of a valley carpet is located on top, and then it is glued with bituminous mastic. The runway should extend 30 centimeters onto the wall, and in areas with heavy snowfall, the run-in should be increased.
On top of the resulting junction, it is necessary to overlay a metal apron, and then cover it with bituminous mastic. When soft tiles are laid, the chimney outlets are sealed in a similar way. If a brick pipe in cross section has the shape of a square with a side of 0.5 meters, then it is recommended to arrange a groove behind the pipe, which will prevent the accumulation of snow. To pass through the roof of the antenna, as well as pipes, communications and sealing of passages, pass-through elements designed specifically for flexible bituminous tiles should be used. They are fastened with nails.
Recommendations for laying tilesShinglas
If you have chosen a flexible roof "Shinglas" to carry out work on the arrangement of the roof, then it is important to consider that each package is designed for 3 square meters of surface. This is true, taking into account all the necessary overlaps when laying. Approximately 80 grams of special roofing nails will go per 1 square meter. Installation work is accompanied by the use of mastic, an increase in consumption does not lead to an improvement in adhesion. The end parts will take about 100 grams per 1 linear meter. On the valley carpet you will need 400 grams per 1 linear meter. As for sealing the joints, you will need 750 grams per 1 running meter.
If you decide to use large-panel flooring for the base, then its installation should be carried out taking into account the expansion of the seams, you can fix the material with self-tapping screws or special nails.
When such a roof is laid on a solid wooden deck, it is important to pay attention to the fact that the annual rings are oriented with their bulges upwards. It is not recommended to use wet wood, but if there is no other option, then the end of the edged or tongue-and-groove boards on each side must be fixed with two self-tapping screws.
Membrane roof installation: ballast method
As mentioned above, a flexible roof can be a membrane, which can be fixed in different ways. One of them is the use of ballast, which facilitates the work. This technology is applicable when the roof slope is less than 15 degrees. The membrane is mounted onsurface, after the material is leveled and fixed around the perimeter by welding or glue. In those places where the membrane will adjoin the vertical elements of the roof, it must be carefully fixed.
Such a flexible roof provides for the laying of ballast, its best type is river pebbles, the average fraction of which is from 20 to 40 millimeters. You can use gravel, as well as rounded crushed stone. Ballast must have a weight of 50 kilograms per square meter or more. If you have prepared ballast for work in the form of unrounded gravel or broken stone, then the membrane sheet must be additionally protected from possible damage. To do this, the installation of a flexible roof is accompanied by the laying of a non-woven fabric, the density of which is 500 grams per square meter or more.
Sometimes professionals use special mats.
Cost
If a flexible roof is used for work, the price should be of interest to the consumer. The manufacturer "Shinglas" presents bituminous tiles for sale in several series. For example, Finnish tile is cheaper than other varieties, its price is 219 rubles per square meter. Most of all, you will have to pay for the laminated variety, one square meter of which costs 514 rubles. In the middle price range there is a classic series of this material, the warranty period of which is 15 years. The average cost of such material is about 340 rubles per square meter.
