Intensive roof gardens are just the opposite. These types of flat roofs are typically installed on residential homes because they are light weight. One example of this type of plant is succulents. Extensive roof gardens are made up of smaller plants that don’t require a lot of water.

Extensive roof gardens are what you probably think of first when I say roof garden. There are two types of roof gardens Extensive and Intensive. You can also check out my other article which goes over all the advantages and disadvantages that come with a roof garden. It allows you to get the best of both a garden and reliable flat roof. To learn more about Modified Bitumen, you can click this link to view the Pros and Con’s list of using Modified Bitumen as a roofing material.Ī roof garden is an Eco-friendly alternative flat roof option. This reduces potential fire risk and toxic fumes that can come from the heat adhesive.

Cold adhesive: Bitumen that is liquid at room temperature is used.

Heat adhesive/welded: This usually involves a propane torch to melt the bitumen and seal it together.

Upon removal of the plastic the layers stick down and seal when the sun hits it.

Self-adhesive: This means that each layer has a sticky backside that is covered in plastic.

There are 3 different ways the cap layer can be adhered to the top of your flat roof. The same type of granules used on shingles. The top layer or the cap is made in a similar manner to the base layer except for the cap is coated in a layer of granules. The base is made out of a sheet of either fiberglass, non-woven polyester, or a combination of the two that is covered in the modified bitumen. The base layer provides waterproofing and a surface for the cap sheet to adhere to. Modified Bitumen roof system contains two layers the base and cap. It also turns into a gooey paste when melted.ĪPP modified Bitumen is more of a “plastic ashpalt” because it is firm and more brittle than SBS, but melts into a free-flowing liquid like hot wax. SBS modified Bitumen is more of a “rubber ashpalt” because it is more flexible and elastic than the APP. The two types of polymers used are Styrene-Butadiene- Styrene (SBS) and Atactic Polypropylene (APP). Modified Bitumen is when a polymer is added to Bitumen or asphalt to change the properties of it. What is Modified Bitumen flat roof material? To find out more about why this roof system is still used today you can check out this other article I wrote about the Pros & Cons of EPDM Roofing. This makes it slightly newer than BUR systems but not the most modern flat roof material. The water proofing qualities that make it great for your car also make it great for a roof system.ĮPDM started to become popular during the 70’s after Built-Up-Roof Systems. EPDM rubber is the same type of rubber that used to seal up car doors, trunks, and windows. You may be surprised to find out that most of you interact with EPDM rubber everyday without realize it.

This roofing material is a single ply flat roof material that can be installed in several different ways. The Terpolymer is composed of three different Monomers, hence the “M” in EPDM. Special Thanks to Carlisle SynTec for this image.ĮPDM stands for Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer. Learn more about Built-Up Roofs by checking out this other article the Pros & Cons of Built-Up Roofs So a 4 layered roof would last about 20 years. I good rule of thumb to follow is that you will get about 5 years for every layer used. Generally, the more layers you add the longer the roof will last. You can think of this roof system as converting your entire roof into one giant shingle. This roof system works much like an asphalt shingle because its composed of layers and topped with gravel. While the gravel protects the layers below it from UV damage, impact damage, foot traffic, and other potential damaging sources.įun Fact: Another name for this type of roof material is the “tar and gravel roof”. The layers of fabric and bitumen keep water out and protect the base of the roof.

The last layer of the roof is topped off with gravel. The layers work together to make your roof water tight. A Built-Up Roof system is composed of layers of various fabric materials and asphalt.

Different types of roofs