Soft roof: the technology of its covering
Remember rolls of roofing paper, which dozens are put on the roofs of apartment buildings before the autumn rains? In fact, it is also a kind of soft roof, however, without resin it is ineffective, and therefore consider better modern materials. To date, there is a variety of soft roof, the technology of production of certain types of which is significantly different.
The cheapest option, of course, is a roll based on fiberglass with a bitumen-polymer coating, which makes this material akin to a ruberoid. The service life of a soft roof of this type is from 10 to 25 years( it will last as long as possible under the condition of timely repair).Fits on a solid foundation without deflections, by rolling rolls along the roof slopes overlapping, starting from the eaves. Fixation is provided by nails clogged in steps of 100 millimeters.
Membrane roofing is also a roll material, but its reliability is much higher than bitumen-polymer, and the service life reaches 50 years under ideal conditions.
And, finally, actually, a soft tile, which is a small sheet with different figured cutouts. The basis of the material is fiberglass or felt, in combination with bitumen-polymer layers. The density of this shingles is higher than that of a similar roll material, similar to the shelf life. There is one more important difference: the outer covering can be made of stone crumbs or even of the finest sheet copper. Such a tile is applied to the glue with additional fixation by nails, with a displacement of 143 millimeters relative to each other.
Soft roof: material characteristics
To use the material with maximum efficiency, you need to know its properties. Since now we are discussing the soft roof, we will consider the characteristics of this particular material. First of all, the roof must be waterproof, and it is in this respect that the bituminous polymer coating, along with soft tiles, fully meets all requirements. An important factor is the weight of the soft roof, especially when compared with natural tiles. To specify the mass of a square meter for the entire range of thickness of the material would be difficult, we note that with a layer of 3 millimeters, 1 square weighs from 3 to 5.5 kilograms, depending on the composition.
To ensure that the soft roof coating has the right time, correct installation is necessary, then even the repair will not be required throughout the operation.
The choice of a soft roof depends on many factors, and if in the area where you decide to use this material, sudden temperature fluctuations, do not doubt, the coating chosen by you will withstand them. Flexible tiles and bitumen-polymer strips are not afraid of direct sunlight, high temperatures and strong frosts. At the same time the installation temperature of the soft roof corresponds to the golden middle, it is best to lay it at + 5-7 degrees. What is noteworthy, and other climatic phenomena will not affect the structure of the material - it does not store atmospheric electricity, and with such a roof you will not hear the roar of rain on the cover.
Advantages of a soft roof and possible disadvantages
A person is looking for benefits in everything, sometimes even double. So let's find out just how beneficial it is for you to take advantage of the soft roof, if any, before other materials for the roof. First of all - resistance to corrosion. Metal tile, covered with a thin polymer layer, as well as the galvanized profile, quickly lose ground in the face of corrosive processes at the slightest violation of the protective layer. The soft roof can be damaged repeatedly during the laying process, this will not affect the reliability of the structure in any way.
We have already spoken about weight, and it is much lower than for metal coatings, which means that when transporting you can deliver much more flexible roofing material to the construction site. If you are susceptible to soft roofing, it is not difficult to find faults, for example, someone might not like that when laying it is necessary to cover the crate with a plywood, a wide edging, or a sheet pile, or chipboard. However, for the most part, the downsides of the soft roof are simply far-fetched, since the reliability of the material is proven by time.
