Soft roofing is a practical, inexpensive and technologically justified solution for roof decoration. They perform both the basic tasks of an insulator and protective functions, protecting structural elements. There are many options for such flooring, but the most popular is the rolled roof, characterized by an elastic structure. It also has different versions, differing in performance, size and purpose.
Roofing cake structure
Classic roof decking involves the creation of a rigid frame on the surface of the prepared rafter structure. The bearing base is formed by beams and battens made of wood or metal. Supporting elements can be constructed from concrete racks on which the rafter structure is laid. What place in this system will be occupied by the device of a rolled roof? This coating in private construction is rarely used and asminimum requires preparation of a flat surface. Typically, such flooring is used in the arrangement of industrial, public and multi-storey private buildings.
Roofing provides protection for the concrete platform of the roof, solves the problem of sealing, insulation from moisture and insulation. For this, substrates are formed, fitting protective elements are arranged, and putties with adhesive solutions are also used. In this regard, flat roll roofing is good because it easily covers large areas, requiring minimal financial costs and physical effort.
In the structure of pitched structures of private houses, this type of roof is also used, but not in all types. It can be a traditional roofing felt or bituminous flooring, which creates a protective and insulating coating on a previously created substrate. As for the upper part of the “pie”, depending on the type of roof chosen, it can be represented by additional processing based on plasticizers, sealants and paint and varnish protective mixtures.
Performance properties of roll roofing
The roof must have reliable protection against mechanical damage, penetration of cold, wind, rain and moisture. Soft roof decks are not ideal as a complete solution - in particular, they are not able to provide the same structural goals as hard roofing like shingles or metal profiles. In this case, the isolating function will be the main one. Thanks to its elasticity and strength, rolled roofing materials fitroof surfaces with the capture of difficult areas. As a result, cold bridges are completely eliminated, noise and waterproofing increases.
Special attention should be paid to a small mass. Again, compared to traditional hard coatings, soft flooring gives a minimal load on the rough base - even thick roll materials with several protective layers weigh about 200-300 grams per 1 m2.
The only drawback is related to the environmental qualities. As part of the roll roofing, chemically unsafe components can be used. This factor should be especially taken into account when using the coating in the southern regions, where the sun's rays can provoke the melting of the material with the release of toxic substances. But these qualities do not apply to all roll coatings, as manufacturers tend to use "clean" components, thus expanding the scope of the final product.
Types of bases
Roll roof coverings can have their own load-bearing frame, and sometimes they are made without it. Baseless materials as a compensation layer receive an increase in binder mixtures and the inclusion of special fillers that make the structure more rigid. As a rule, this is a soft rolled roof treated with astringent organic mixtures. In other cases, a special base, frame or substrate is used, which acts as a protective carrier base.
One of the most popular materials that perform the task of the base is fiberglass. Its widespread use is due to its affordable price andversatility in terms of styling possibilities. But you should not count on the increased technical and physical qualities of fiberglass. If it is the requirements for strength and reliability that come to the fore, then it will be more profitable to install a rolled roof based on fiberglass, which is several times superior to fiberglass in terms of structural rigidity.
The base is also made from polyester materials. In terms of strength, they correspond to fiberglass, but at the same time they are distinguished by elasticity and reliable adhesion to roofing impregnations, which also increases the sealing effect. In rare cases, the substrate is foil, cardboard and asbestos fibers, but these are specific budget solutions that have a narrow scope.
Types of binder
The next and main layer in the structure of the roll coating, which determines the "working" or functional qualities of the material. In most cases, the core of the paintings is bitumen in various modifications. In its pure form, such mixtures (as before tar) are rarely used. Mostly, these are combinations with polymer additives that provide the coating with thermal resistance, the same elasticity, sealing, etc.
So, it is worth starting consideration of binders with the so-called artificial rubber. This is a combined mixture of sturol-butadiene-styrene, the heat resistance of which reaches 100%. This option deserves attention if it is planned to lay a roll coating on a roof with a separate substrate. The finished flooring will be able to withstand shock loads, optimally adhere tosurface and maintain tightness.
Another type of bitumen-polymer-based roofing is an atactic thermoplastic sheet. In addition to the function of insulation, this coating is characterized by resistance to infrared and ultraviolet radiation. High elasticity is out of the question, but cycling resistance makes atactic coatings a worthy choice for industrial and public roofs.
Tile roll roofing
On the one hand, this is a transitional class of coatings that combines the qualities of traditional flexible roofing, and on the other hand, it is a rigid rolled coating, which also demonstrates the properties of strength and elasticity. Such flooring is used on pitched roofs when installing a single-layer roofing on a solid wooden flooring. In this case, the slope angle can be from 3° or more. In other words, if soft roofs are used mainly on flat roofs for industrial use, then, provided that a strong plank roof is created, it is quite possible to lay tile sheets on private houses.
Actually, why is this type of roof called tiled? This is an exclusively decorative accent in the form of a pattern that imitates the classic "brick" texture of the roof. At the same time, piece roll roofing, produced in the form of additional and sheet elements, shows the opposite example. In their format, they resemble tiles, and the structure of the material comes from the same soft roof with some reinforcement of the binder. When choosing a tile covering, it is necessary to take into account the increaseweight (up to 4-5 kg/m2) and the use of protective and decorative layers. The front side is usually covered with coarse-grained colored bas alt sprinkles, which creates the illusion of a real tile or brick coating with a pronounced texture.
Fused roll roofing
A modern type of soft roofing, which can also be used as an independent waterproofing. The target objects are buildings of various enterprises and, more importantly, engineering structures like tunnels, bridges and foundations.
The structure of this type of soft roll roofing is represented by the bitumen-polymer components discussed above - in fact, artificial plastic, resistant to biological destruction processes, climatic and mechanical influences.
The principal feature of welded coatings is the laying method. Rolled materials, depending on the type, can be fixed with fasteners, glue or clamps, followed by sealing of the joints. In turn, roofs made of welded rolled materials are laid using the soldering method with thermal exposure. However, this technique deserves a separate discussion.
Installation technology
At the first stage, the foundation for future styling is being prepared. A feature of soft roofing sheets is an increased sensitivity to the properties of the bearing surface - especially when it comes to roofing without a foundation. Preparatory measures will consist in cleaning the working area,dirt removal, degreasing and leveling. As for the admissibility of mounting on different types of surfaces, concrete, metal and wooden floors can serve as the base.
Laying of rolled roofing is usually carried out using primers - these are bituminous welded mixtures, which, under the influence of high temperature, acquire a fluid state, and after solidification, fasten the joined materials. As a working tool, a construction knife is being prepared for cutting the canvas, a marking tool and a gas burner, which will be soldered.
The most crucial stage is the direct laying and joining of the laid out rolled sheets. Each segment is heated with a mixture of primer in the temperature regime specified by the instructions for a particular material. The flame is directed along the bottom surface of the roll. As a result, the bituminous roller should reach the edges of the cutting blade, which will allow the material to be glued with high quality. Depending on the slope of the roof, the installation of a rolled roof is carried out in one or two layers. As a rule, one- and two-layer "pies" are used on steep slopes, and flat roofs are the most demanding in terms of mechanical protection, so they should be covered with three layers.
Covering maintenance and repair
Immediately after completion of installation operations, the first revision of the coating is carried out, which will identify weak or simply unusable areas. This is usually done by eye. The roofer inspects suspicious places that give themselves out as swellings, dents,stretch marks and other signs of defects. If such signs are found, the roll roofing should be repaired, for which a small supply of a similar canvas, a primer and a gas burner are initially prepared.
When repairing, first of all, cutting of the site is performed. A small cutout is made with a mounting knife, under which an empty, non-glued niche opens. It is empty areas without bituminous fixation that will be targeted from the point of view of restoration. After determining the parameters of the empty area, a web cut is made along its edges. Next, a primer is applied to the area, after which the patch is laid with a burner. Moreover, its size should be such that the material, in addition to the open area, also captures an additional 10-15 cm along the edges.
Dismantling operations may be required in case of renovation of the roofing. One of the disadvantages of the same deposited fabric is the difficulty of its elimination. In the process of dismantling, one cannot do without the melt of the binder on which the coating was laid. As the docking points are warmed up by the burner, a phased dismantling of the rolled roof is carried out, including using a special tool. Professional roofers use wall chasers for cleaning difficult areas, but you can get by with cutting down the flooring with an ordinary ax. The material collected in this way is thrown away and can no longer be used.
Roof Manufacturers
The initial level of coatings is represented by Isolux products. This is a roofing material worthabout 200-300 rubles. per 15 meter roll. This flooring, in addition to the affordable price tag, is praised for its versatile set of insulating and protective properties, sufficient tensile strength and durability. But for a private house, this option is hardly suitable due to environmental insecurity and the complexity of laying on a pitched roof.
In every sense, the TechnoNIKOL coating will become a universal solution. The company offers soft and flexible decks characterized by users as durable, aesthetically pleasing and easy to maintain. Separately, a worthy function of insulation and sound insulation is noted. At the same time, TechnoNIKOL roll roofing costs an average of 500 to 1200 rubles per roll.
Another popular roofing manufacturer is Ruflex. In terms of cost, the products of this company correspond to the analogues of TechnoNIKOL, and the users themselves note special emphasis on the decorative properties of such coatings. Suffice it to say that the assortment includes a wide range of specialized models for decorating roofs with mansards, for asymmetric structures, eco-style options, etc.
Conclusion
It cannot be said that roll decking has completely replaced traditional hard roofing. The private sector is considered to be the most problematic segment for promoting soft surfacing. Manufacturers of roofing materials are mainly fighting for it, improving manufacturing technologies. The problem of roofing from rolled materials in relation to a country cottage, for example, is thatit is more likely to act as an insulating substrate. But the roof will require additional physical reinforcement in the form of boardwalk or metal profile protection. In extreme cases, you can initially choose models with improved protection in the basic structure. As for the use of this type of roofing in industry and high-rise construction, due to the presence of a solid concrete base in such buildings, only one function of an insulator will fall on the soft flooring. And it is quite enough for the successful operation of a flat roof.
