Your house roof can leak in rainy or snowy weather if its surface is flat or slightly sloped. You must prefer the torch-down roofing method if you cannot reconstruct the roof with enough thickness and sloppiness. Multiple membranes are sealed together by using the propane torch.
It helps in locking the roof and preventing water leakage. You may not realize that water leakage is a serious problem, and you must be concerned about it. This method works well for houses with flat or slightly sloped roofs. But before you implement it in your building, it is better to know more about it, like its benefits, the process of installation, materials, etc.
In the following write-up, you will explore detailed information on roofing and how it is beneficial for your problems. Once you understand the installation method and materials, you can go ahead and implement them on your house.
Roofing Overview
It is a roofing technique that involves propane torch use. Many bitumen-type membranes are properly attached and sealed together using a propane torch’s heat. After the entire process, one will get a roof, i.e., water-sealed, and there will be no risk of damage by water leakage. The roofing system is available with two as well as three-layer membranes.
In a double layer, a base along with a cap sheet is used. But in three layers, these two sheets are used along with the coarser cap sheet. The double layer is cost-effective but does not last longer than the three layers. You can expect better fire safety, durability, energy saving, etc., features from three-layer roofing. If you want to implement such a technique in your house, you must call roofing contractors.
Roofing Benefits
Water Resistance
When water stands longer on the roof, it can cause severe water leakage and other hazardous problems. This roofing technique helps keep water off the ceiling as a water-resistant material. The seams as well as membranes are waterproof and well-sealed with heat by a propane heating torch. It needs to be installed by a professional to prevent drainage and protect the building structure.
Flexibility
When there is a change in the temperature, the membranes automatically keep expanding and contracting. But it happens without causing any cracks. Your house roof will be rigid in all temperatures due to high flexibility. The thickness of the sheet is approximately 3 to 4 mm, which is way more than other options.
Durability
The high flexibility feature makes this roofing durable and lasts longer. It stays in the same condition for 18 to 20 years without any repair or maintenance. The materials used in this technique are water-resistant. It can withstand any temperature and be stable for many years.
Energy Efficiency
Your house roof will be well-protected from UV rays. It will also help in maintaining the temperature of your building. It will stay cool in summer and warm in winter. You do not need to spend money on electricity bills. There is no need to install any heating or cooling system in your house.
Fire Resistance
There is no risk of fire if you install such a roofing type. If you prefer a membrane of three layers, it includes a cap-granulated surface layer. It helps in protecting the surface from fire. Your building would remain safe even if any fire hazard happened on your property.
Reduced Harmful Fumes
As compared to moping on asphalt, you can experience fewer fumes if you prefer the torch-down. It is essential to do the coating once a year to keep the material safe and make it durable for many years. Undoubtedly, the coating can be unpleasant because it releases odor and fumes. But comparatively, it is less harmful and pungent.
Easily Repairable
It is quite easy to fix a damaged roof than other materials for roofing. It is quite simple to roll on, and one can seal it quickly. The repair process is also cheap; you can ask professionals to do this for you.
Materials for Roofing
Rolled sheets are available for this process, which comes in two as well as three layers, as already discussed. You can choose the desired layers per your budget and ask the company to install them. When it comes to materials, it consists of membranes.
You can get up to five layers: a thermo-fusible type of film, bitumen, polyester materials, and a coarser mineral layer. The asphalt compound is bitumen that is completely mixed with rubber-made or plastic-made additives.
APP is a flexible plastic bitumen membrane, perfect for both low and high temperatures. But SBS is a rubber type of bitumen with a low-melting point, perfect for self-adhering roofs.
Roofing Installation
- If you live in a place with a cool climate, it is necessary to add insulation. By using screws, insulation is added and glued. Insulation is the initial step of installation.
- After complete insulation, the professional will put the vapor barrier to prevent condensation. It is a necessary step that needs to be done before the new roofing.
- Now, the support surface and overlay board need to be installed. On this board, the membranes will be well-glued.
- The initial layer will be placed and glued over the overlay board by using the propane torch adhesive heating method. ‘
- Another layer needs to be rolled and stuck on the first layer. When the cap sheet is pressed well on the base sheet, both fuse together and create a water-resistant seal.
- In the three layers case, the third membrane layer will also be glued similarly.
- Once all the layers need to be installed perfectly, the professional will flash for proper and deep roof penetration.
The Bottom Line
Torch-on or torch-down roofing is an amazing method to protect your house from water leakage and other hazards. Before implementing it in your house, it is better to know all the details. If satisfied with the details, you can go ahead with the installation process by calling professional contractors nearby.