Flat Roofs With Rocks On Top

Gravel is used on flat roofs for two reasons.

Flat roofs with rocks on top.

On many flat roof low slope commercial buildings it s common to see gravel on top of the roof. Flat roofs usually come with a 10 to 20 year warranty but can last 25 years if you build the roofs right and maintain them using commonsense rules. Yet for historic modern style buildings like this old house s cambridge tv project flat roofs are at the core of the architecture meant to reflect the broad horizontal lines of the natural landscape. Go for a more modern material like epdm membrane which can withstand sun rain and low temperatures.

Of course you don t need to live in a modern house to deal with a flat roof. Metal is one of the most popular materials used for flat roof replacement. Membrane roofs are attached in a variety of ways. Metal specifically aluminum is known for its durability.

For a start there are no tricky gable end spaces to try and navigate when opening up the upper levels in flat roof houses plus you can use the roof itself as an outdoor terrace which will be a. Epdm and neoprene roof seams are fastened by adhesive and pvc roof seams are heat or solvent welded. Modified bitumen built up roofing. To protect the underlying layer of roofing materials as is the case with built up roofs burs.

Tar has a low melting point. Flat metal roofs can last for almost 35 years in ideal conditions. Flat roofs aren t architecturally logical as rain and snow will shed much more quickly off a sloped roof. There are two main types of burs or tar and gravel roofing systems modified bitumen roofs which are a mix of asphalt and rubber with a layer of gravel on top and ballast roofing which is a different style of larger gravel applied on top of a single ply roofing system.

Plus it has the added advantage of reflecting heat from the sun which keeps energy costs down. In a typical tar and gravel roof which by the way is gradually being supplanted by gravelless roof systems you put down a layer of tar paper then tar and finally gravel. Many older style flat roofing systems are stuck in to place with bitumen and have gravel on top to protect the waterproof material from harsh uv sunlight. To weigh down or secure the.

Talk to ten roofing contractors and you ll get ten answers on what the gravel is for but this seems to be the consensus. Don t go thinking that modern houses with flat roofs only look good though as these innovative designs actually have practical properties as well.