Modified Bitumen Roofing for Commercial Buildings

Commercial flat roofs were once exclusively the province of professionals, but new materials enable do-it-yourself enthusiasts to install Commercial flat roofs. If your flat roof is covered with gravel, you will likely need to hire a professional to reroof it. If the surface is smooth you may be able to reroof using sheets of modified bitumen roofing or EPDM (rubber) roofing.

This type of roofing is a commonly applied flat roof solution for people looking towards an easy to install solution. Modified bitumen is essentially rolls of black product that overlap one another to form a water tight barrier. These rolls are "modified" with polymers giving it rubber or plastic like qualities. The surface of bitumen roof is mostly smooth; however there are many products on the market now that come granulated. This is where some type of slag is applied often roofing granules to achieve a color match with an asphalt roofing shingle.

Installation:

Installing modified rubber bitumen roofing is for the most part a simple surface, there are essentially two kinds. There is modified roofing that uses a base sheet material and is simply a peel and stick solution. Then there is torch down. Whereas the product is rolled out and a heat torch applied which melts the asphalt on the underside of the roll and adheres it to the roofing deck. The "self stick" product has become the most popular in recent years.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Some of the advantages to modified bitumen roofing are its relative ease of installation. Modified roofs can be walked on without any special considerations. They are also suitable for flat roof systems with next to no slope required although it's always best to get the water off. Often times when the roof gets to the end of its usable life you can coat the product to prolong it usefulness.

Leaks in modified rubber bitumen systems can be hard to track down. It is not the longest lasting flat roof solution with some reported failures inside of 10 years depending on quality of installation and maintenance.

The rolls come in 36”-39” widths, and cover an area of approximately 100 square feet. Surfacing can include mineral granules, copper, aluminum, or aggregate. These systems are usually one, two, or three-ply systems and are typically torch-applied. Installation costs are less than most single-ply systems on the market today. They are available in a variety of colors, whereas EPDM is typically limited to black or white.