The arrangement of a soft roof is by far one of the most successful technologies for the use of modern materials in the construction industry. This article will talk about the device of this type of roof, its composition, varieties and proper installation.
The device of a soft roof today is widely used in construction all over the world to cover the roofs of residential and industrial buildings. Not only the operational characteristics of the erected roof, but also the attractiveness of its appearance depend on the material chosen for coating.
The following materials for covering soft roofs are most widely used in the construction of residential buildings:
- Soft roof tiles, such as iko soft roof;
- Sheet soft roofing, such as soft roofing - ondulin;
- Rolled soft roof;
- Membrane flat roof.
The composition of the material for a soft roof also often includes a special waterproofing membrane made of modern polymeric materials, insensitive to sunlight, temperature fluctuations, and also to such a phenomenon as acid rain.
Roll materials for soft roofing are most often used when covering flat surfaces. These roofs form a continuous coating layer that provides fairly high-quality insulation.
Soft roll roofs are treated with a polymeric bitumen coating on the outside, and a layer of bituminous mastic is deposited on the inside, due to which this type of roofing is sometimes called welded.
The composition includes several layers of roll coating, securely attached both to each other and to the roof surface, thanks to the use of bituminous mastic.
When building a country house, dacha, cottage or non-residential building, the question arises of what kind of soft roof should be used for it - a membrane, roll, etc.
In order to make the right choice, you should study in detail what each specific soft roof is like - the pros and cons, the composition and various characteristics that allow you to correctly and competently choose the best option for covering the roof.
The composition of the material for covering the soft roof
Currently, the production of soft roofing materials is carried out in two main directions - bituminous and roofing materials.
Ruberoid has been used for quite a long time. In this coating, the roofing material is glued into a carpet, consisting of 3-5 layers and fastened with bituminous mastics.
However, there are certain disadvantages of a soft roof made of roofing felt, the main of which is the rapid destruction of this coating under the influence of various environmental factors, therefore, soft roll roofing, which is based on rubber-bitumen materials such as HMF, isol, is gaining more and more popularity lately. brizol, etc.
Modern bituminous soft roofing contains various polymeric materials that make it resistant to decay, oxidation, exposure to sunlight and moisture. It has been widely used in recent years for the construction of both residential buildings and technical structures, as well as for finishing the roofs of garages.
The soft bitumen roof structure also includes various components and lathing, which is the basis for the installation of the roofing.
Types of soft roof
Polymer-bitumen soft roof is currently produced in two main forms:
- Roll soft bituminous roofing;
- Soft bituminous tile.
Flexible soft bituminous tiles are a modern material that allows you to make a beautiful and fairly light coating, the slope of which is 12 degrees or more.
And the device of a standard roof from
Despite the rather high cost of the material, the bituminous shingle soft roof cake has a number of significant advantages, such as high elasticity and long service life.
It should also be noted the low weight of this material, which allows it to be used when covering such roof elements as end parts, cornice overhangs, valleys, and also the ridge, with a roof slope exceeding 18 degrees.
The degree of elasticity is slightly lower than the elasticity of rolled soft roofs, which form a continuous coating on the roof surface, but this is compensated by the fact that when bituminous tiles are deformed, the coating structure remains the same continuous.
The inner side of this material is treated with a special bituminous self-adhesive compound, and the outer side is covered with granulated basalt and slate, which increase its strength and enhance both additional resistance to negative external influences and allow it to be given a wide variety of color shades.
During the operation of the roof, separation of the topping from the surface of the roofing can occur, resulting in the formation of “bare” surface areas, which can be easily corrected with glue and additional topping.
Useful: in order to avoid fading of slate and basalt dressing, its coloring is carried out by a thermochemical method.
Preparation for soft roof equipment
When the required roofing material is selected, it is necessary not only to prepare the equipment for soft roofing, but also, first of all, to calculate the amount of roofing material required to cover.
This calculation can be performed independently, which will require the following parameters:
- Covered roof area;
- The angle of its inclination;
- Length of valleys and cornices;
- The length of the end parts and the ridge of the roof;
- The number and size of penetrations along the perimeter of the roof.
Calculating the exact amount of material required to cover a soft roof can be quite difficult (especially when calculating parameters such as a soft roof wind bar), so it is recommended not to do it manually, but to use a computer to calculate.
Special calculator programs can be found on many construction sites on the Internet, where the calculation of a soft roof is similar to the calculation of the amount of other materials for roofing.
In addition to the material itself, you will need the following elements:
- Lining carpet;
- strip for eaves;
- Self-adhesive carpet for valleys;
- Tiles for skate;
- Elements with the help of which the ventilation of the soft roof is carried out;
- Glue and nails for attaching soft roofing to the roof surface.
Important: if soft tiles were cut in advance, when installing soft roll materials, it may be necessary to use a special cutter for soft roofs.
For the manufacture of nails for the installation of a soft roof, a special technology is used. . Such nails are equipped with notches on the sides, preventing them from loosening, leading to the fact that the roof lags behind the base over time.
It is also necessary to correctly select the length of the nails, which should be sufficient to not only penetrate the top layer of the material, but also slightly go beyond the border of the crate, in order to avoid “popping out” of the coating, causing involuntary dismantling of the soft roof.
At the moment, the construction market offers a wide range of soft roofing materials that differ in textures, sizes, colors, etc.
They are united by a number of advantages over other materials:
- High resistance to high and low temperatures;
- Good sound insulation;
- Resistance to corrosion and decay;
- Effective sealing of the coating.
It should also be noted the environmental safety of this material, as well as the absence of condensation of atmospheric pressure charges.
There are a number of rules and requirements that soft tiled and rolled roofs must meet - SNiP, etc., compliance with which will allow the material to last more than fifty years.
The disadvantages of this material include a rather complicated installation procedure, which seems invisible against the background of positive characteristics, but still deserves detailed consideration.
Installation of a soft roof
Various defects and shortcomings of a soft roof occur during operation, mainly as a result of improper installation of the structure.
The most common mistakes include:
- Missing or difficult ventilation - soft roofing is faced with the flow of bitumen;
- Incorrectly equipped vapor barrier, causing rotting of the roof structure.
Particular attention should also be paid to the installation of the most vulnerable sections of the roof, such as ridges, valleys, junctions and cornices.
Defects resulting from mechanical damage, loss of dressing or overgrowing with moss are fairly easy to eliminate: special chemicals are used to remove plants or moss, and the dressing is restored manually.
Incorrect installation of the lathing, as well as insufficient tightness of the valleys and penetrations, can lead to irregularities in the soft roof.
The “petals” formed on the surface of the soft roof indicate an incorrect fastening: do not nail at the very edge of the part, be sure to observe a certain indent from the edge.
Life time roll roofing directly depends both on the correct selection of components and material, and on the correct assembly of the structure. To further extend the life of the roof, you should strictly adhere to certain rules.
For example, in hot weather, you should not walk on a soft roof and use shovels or other tools that can damage its surface when cleaning debris from the roof - it is recommended to use a soft broom for this.
Various metal debris such as nails, bolts, etc. should be removed by hand, which helps to avoid leakage due to wiping of the roofing material.
In addition, it is also important to monitor the proper condition of the attic space, preventing the formation of high humidity and steam condensation on it, as a result of which swelling and cracking of the lathing may occur, as well as damage to the roofing.
It is also important to inspect such a structure as soft top, twice a year (autumn and spring) in order to eliminate emerging minor defects.
To repair more serious damage, it is recommended to resort to the help of qualified specialists, especially since when installing a soft roof, a long warranty is usually provided, which is usually from 10 to 25 years.
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