The Advantages of Rubber Roof Shingles

Rubber roof shingles are very environmentally friendly, as can be made from recycled tires. Tires are turned into a powder, then moulded into the shape of a shingle. These shingles can then be dyed in a number of colours and textures in order to mimic other roofing materials like wood or slate. Rubber is far more resilient and adaptable than plastic imitation shingles. As well as this, rubber is able to reflect UV rays, resist heat and cold, and is not susceptible to mould damage. While being highly fire resistant, rubber is still a flammable material. You can get a special coating which will improve the fire resistance even more.

Rubber shingles come in a standard three-tab design that is very easy to install, and is easily accessible because you can walk on it during installation without peaking.

Disadvantages of Rubber Roof Shingles

Because rubber shingles only became available in the last ten years, most roofing contractors are not very familiar with them. This means that installation costs are normally higher than for other types of shingles like wood or slate. You also need to make sure that the secondary materials you use are of the highest quality because rubber shingles last for up one hundred years. You don’t want to have to be replacing the secondary parts of your roof. Secondary materials include bituminous mempane along the edges and heavy duty aluminum or copper for the flashing. This need for high quality material also adds to the cost of installation.

Rubber shingles can give off a “new tire smell” when first installed because of the fact that they are made from recycled tires. This is not a huge problem, however, as the smell will fade away within a few days.

Over all the benefits of using rubber shingles for your roof far exceed the drawbacks, which are slight and easy to remedy. Rubber shingles can give you the appearance of wood or slate without the high cost, and convey the added benefits of durability and long life.

The Rise of Rubber

Rubber has grown in popularity in recent years. Rubber shingles are available for those who want their roofs to look more traditional, but rubber mempane is the most commonly used material for those with flat or gently sloped roofs. It comes in sheets or rolls, and allows people to seamlessly cover their roofs. Rubber mempane roofing is known as EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer) and can be bought in a range of thicknesses. Forty-five millimetre EPDM is appropriate for most flat roofs, but in areas with higher chances of puncture or tears (for example, if there are overhanging tress) you may need sixty millimetre or ninety millimetre EPDM.

EPDM was formerly used only in hoses, tires, and other moulded products. In the 1970s it began to be used as a roofing material, and has become very popular in the last decade. As of February 2007, it has a 22% market share among roofers, making it the most popular roofing material.

Rubber Mempane Roofing for Your RV

Rubber mempane is becoming increasingly popular as a roofing material for RVs (recreational vehicles). It has gained in popularity in recent years because, as with flat roofs, its lightness makes it very easy to install. Compared with traditional RV roods, which are made of fibreglass or metal, rubber does have some drawbacks, such as the danger of being town by overhanging branches. RV owners should clean their rubber roofs at least twice a year with war soapy water, and apply two coats of UV protection spray. There are kits available that contain everything you need to install and maintain the rubber roof on your RV. These kits contain the rubber mempane itself, the adhesive needed to fix it to the roof, and butyl tape to seal the edges. Most RV supply stores will sell these.

Liquid Rubber Roof Coatings

Liquid coatings are most commonly black, white, or grey, but can come in other colours to match up with the original colour of your roof. You can apply them with a brush or roller, just like paint, and you can add multiple layers depending on how thick the coating needs to be. These qualities make liquid coating much more versatile than sheet coatings. Liquid coating can increase the life span of a rubber roof by up to twenty years if done correctly.

It’s important that you make sure the surface is even when applying liquid rubber coating. Just like with paint, an uneven application can make your roof look awful. It can also result in water pooling in the ridges of the coating, making it harder to evaporate and reducing the effectiveness of the coating. However, the durability of liquid rubber coatings means that this reduction in effectiveness is not a huge problem. It is always good, though, to take that extra care and get the best result possible.

The Use of Sheeting for Coating Rubber Roofs

You can also get rubber roof coating in the form of rubber sheets. For a price, you can get the sheets custom made for the specific shape of your roof. A less expensive option is to simply buy the generic sheets off the shelf. They should be laid in a grid pattern, with the edges overlapping to prevent leaks between the edges. This type of coating is easier to apply than the liquid form, although you will need a special primer and adhesive to ensure it sticks properly. Care must be taken to lay the sheets in absolute flush with the original roof surface in order to prevent air bubbles.

What You Will Need

Apart from the roofing material itself, there are a few things you’ll need to install your insulation: a utility knife or scissors, bonding adhesive, a paint roller to apply the adhesive and a broom to sweep away any debris. You should also wear a pair of gloves at all times, and some kind of eye protection. If you are installing a rubber roof on top of an existing roof, you’ll need some sort of plywood base board to put underneath the rubber. This board should be sanded, completely clean, and dry in order to make sure it bonds properly with the rubber. If you want to attach the rubber to vertical surfaces like walls, you’ll also need some metal strips to attach it properly. Cheap aluminium termination bars can be purchased for this purpose.

Rubber Roof Installation Step By Step

If you have black rubber roofing, it’s best to install this on a cool dry day with lots of cloud cover. It can’t be too cold, though, because the late bonding adhesive needs a temperature of at least 10®C for at least 48 hours after application. If the day is too hot and sunny, the rubber mempane can heat up very quickly because the black rubber will absorb the heat from the sun. Since rubber is very heavy, it’s a good idea to have another person there to help you lift it.

Rubber roofing material comes in rolls of up to fifteen meters wide to thirty meters long, so you shouldn’t need to do a lot of cutting and shaping in order to fit it to your roof. You should be able to cover most roofs seamlessly.

You can now start installing your rubber roof. Begin by sweeping off any dirt or debris from the surface of the roof. Once this has been done, you can start applying the latex bonding adhesive with the paint roller. Make sure the adhesive is put on evenly in order to prevent air bubbles forming under the rubber. Lay the rubber roofing over the adhesive, and use the broom to make sure it lies flat and doesn’t wrinkle. After about half an hour, the adhesive should have bonded, and you can sweep it again with the broom, starting in the middle and moving outwards. Trim away any extra rubber with the scissors or knife, and put latex tape over any seams that may exist. If you have a flat roof, then this is all you need to do to install your rubber roofing. If your roof is oddly shaped, and has pipes and other fixtures that you need to work around, it may be a good idea to get professional advice. Hardware stores should be able to offer advice on any special equipment you may need, and answer any questions you may have about the installation.

Sealants for Rubber Roof Repair

Minor repairs can be made to your rubber roof by applying a liquid sealant, or a special rubberized tape. Tubes of rubber roof repair sealant cement typically come in 10oz sizes, and contain oils mixed with the liquid rubber that help it to penetrate and fill any cracks that may have appeared. Very server damage might need the replacement of the entire roof, but this is rare.

Tape can also be used to help in rubber roof repair, but you’ll need a special sort made especially for rubber roofs. These will be made from a mixture of resin and rubber, and has a very strong adhesive on the back which is able to withstand extreme temperatures. It is resistant to UV rays and will not deteriorate due to the impact of weather. Liquid rubber sealant comes in a wide range of colours so you can match it up with the original colour of your roof.

The Effect of Cleaning on Rubber Roof Surfaces

A 1992 US Army study on the results of cleaning methods for rubber roofs concluded that droplet of dimethyl formalmide, commonly abbreviated to DMF, applied with an eyedropper, can adequately indicate the bonding condition of aged rubber roofing. You need to clean away all contaminants so that the original colour is restored before applying any patches.

While cleaning rubber roofs in preparation for repairs, make sure you regularly chage cloths in order to avoid re-depositing dirt on the surface. The recommended cleaning method found by the army’s study was to use a wire push attached to an electric drill, which applied forceful abrasion to the surface of the roof.

This study demonstrates the strength and resilience of rubber roofing. A rubber roof can be restored to a near new condition by simply cleaning it. A good clean will allow patches to be applied, meaning that even if cracks or tears appear, a rubber roof can last a lifetime.

Advantages of Rubber Roofing

Rubber roofing has many benefits which make it a better choice than flat felt roofs. Felt roofs are easily damaged, and this results in a high risk of leaks. Rubber roofing is far more resilient than felt, and can last for up to fifty years without needing replacing. It is also suitable for a wide range of temperatures and climates, from the freezing cold to the intensely hot. Rubber is very low maintenance, often requiring a simple application of a rubberized solution available at any hard ware store.

Rubber also has a class A fire rating, meaning that it will be favoured by insurance companies and will add value to your home. Rubber can also lower the cost for your heating and air conditioning bills, as its insulation properties allow rubber to absorb heat in winter, and discharge it in summer.

Rubber is also much lighter than slate roofing, and is the cheapest single layer roofing material available, making it highly cost-effective.

Disadvantages of Rubber Roofing

Rubber roofing does have some drawbacks. Modified bitumen roofing, mistakenly described as rubber roofing, has caused builders and inspectors problems in the past. There is also only a very small margin of error for contractors installing rubber roofing. If it is not installed correctly, rubber roofing can have as many leaks as felt roofing. Most manufactures will supply certification to ensure that their rubber products are installed properly, however. You can also make sure that the contractor you hire is properly qualified. If you are doing the work yourself, the two things to need to watch out for is that every seam is flush, and that there are no holes.

Rubber roofing was first used in the seventies. Those first rubber roofs are beginning to reach the end of their life spans now, so there could be previously unseen problem which will now start to arise. For the time being, however, rubber roofing remains one of the most economical and durable options for flat roofed homes.