The construction industry does not stand still, constantly developing, releasing, and offering the consumer new technologies and products for each stage of construction. Since the roof is one of the most important structural elements of the building, modern roofing materials are created to match the comfort level of the building. What are these materials, what are their properties and how to work with them - later in the article.
The roof and its covering are subjected to, perhaps, the most extreme loads from external factors in comparison with all other building structures.
In this regard, they must have some specific qualities, the set of which is wider than, say, wall materials.
The main requirements for the roof include:
- Durability of the pavement - its ability to resist physical loads, both dynamic (for example, gusts of wind, rain pressure, hail impacts) and static - the mass of snow in winter
- Water resistance - the ability to resist the penetration of moisture under a certain pressure for a given period of time
- Frost resistance - the number of freeze and thaw cycles that the roof is able to transfer without losing its protective properties
- Biological resistance - the ability to resist the harmful effects of microorganisms and decay
- Chemical resistance - resistance to aggressive substances that fall on roof structures from the atmosphere or other sources
- Sound absorption - isolation of the interior of the building from external noise
- Manufacturability - a set of factors that characterize the ease of installation and subsequent maintenance and repair of the roof
- Durability - comparability of labor and financial costs for the installation of a roofing carpet with its service life
- Architectural compliance with the general appearance of the building
An additional requirement may be a low dead weight, which reduces the cost of constructing load-bearing structures - both the roof itself and the building as a whole.
Based on this, the owner of the house and the designer determine which roofing material is better to use in a particular case.
If previously the choice was limited to a very small number of available roofing materials: tiles, slate, wood and sheet metal, as well as roofing material that was added a little later, now the range of roofing materials on the market is much wider.
If we analyze the groups of materials in which novelties have appeared in recent years, the picture will look like this:
- bituminous materials - a large number of products united by the general term self-adhesive roofing material - rolled, which does not require preliminary application of mastic, containing polymer additives in impregnation, as well as self-leveling roofs applied directly to the base by spraying or painting, bituminous tiles (shingglass) and polymer membranes
- mineral materials - artificial ceramics (porcelain stoneware, etc.)
- metal roof – euro tiles, various profiled sheets with synthetic coatings
- polymer materials - a completely new class, including euroslate, composite tiles, polycarbonate and plexiglass
With all the innovations and positive properties of promising products, the rating of roofing materials looks something like this (the market share is given according to expert estimates):
| Material class | Material | Market share | Share in pitched roofs |
| Roll roofs | Bituminous materials | 38,5 | — |
| Roofs from sheet materials | Galvanized metal (including corrugated board) | 10,3 | 16,8 |
| metal tile | 3,4 | 5,6 | |
| Asbestos cement sheets | 44,4 | 72,2 | |
| Euroslate and materials of the same class | 2,8 | 4,5 | |
| Roofs from piece materials | bituminous tiles | 0,1 | 0,8 |
| Ceramic tiles | 0,1 | 0,2 |
Source: ABARUS Market Research calculations
From the above data, we can conclude that slate remains the absolute leader in sales, and it also occupies a dominant position in the pitched roof market.
The second position is occupied by rolled materials, which, as can be seen from the table (complete absence in the segment of pitched roofs), are the absolute leader in the flat roof market.
At the same time, in technological terms, the difference between slate and bitumen products is radical: if asbestos-cement sheet has been sold for decades almost unchanged, then in the rolled sector, outdated roofing material and glass isol are actively replacing roofing materials with new ones.
Instead of obsolete impregnation from pure bitumen, composite mixtures are used, and instead of a cardboard base, synthetic canvases are used.
Roll novelties
As a substrate for modern roll materials use:
- fiberglass
- fiberglass
- polyester and its derivatives
As an impregnation, atactic polypropylene (APP) and styrene-butadiene styrene (SBS), as well as their derivatives, are used, mixed with bitumen. In obsolete materials, oxidized bitumen is also used, which. Although it surpasses ordinary bitumen in its properties, it is significantly inferior to materials based on polymer and elastomeric compositions.
ADVICE! Roll coatings are now available in various combinations of bases and impregnations, such as, for example, roofing materials offered by Unikma.Before choosing a specific brand, you should evaluate the operating conditions in which the roof will work, familiarize yourself with the properties of each material - and on this basis, choose what you need.
Almost any of the rolled materials is produced in at least two modifications: the roof is laid in two layers, respectively, the lower layer does not need a protective coating from ultraviolet radiation and mechanical stress.
Such roofing, as a rule, is made from mineral sprinkles of different colors (correspondingly coloring the roof) and fraction sizes. The reverse side of any layer is covered with powdered powder or plastic wrap.
And at the substrate layer, thus, the front side is also covered. Universal modifications are also produced (for example, Uniflex roofing material contains an indication of this in its own name) - they can be used not only for laying roofs, but also for hydro-vapor barrier of various structures.
Some manufacturers produce the same material under different indices - separately for roofing, separately - for other tasks.
ADVICE! It is not necessary to make both layers of the roofing carpet from the same brand of material. On the contrary, some manufacturers recommend combining different modifications, and even different materials. This may be due to financial considerations, or specific operating conditions of the roof.
All modern roll materials are built-up, that is, instead of the traditional mastic applied to the base of the roof, their own reverse side coating is used.
At the place of work, it is melted with gas or kerosene burners, and when laid, it penetrates deep into the underlying layer, creating a durable homogeneous carpet.
The same method allows you to qualitatively repair old roofs made of rolled materials, while the new coating is applied in just one layer.
Due to the high flexibility roofing welded materials, provides reliable coverage for such traditionally weak areas of roll roofing as adjoining and vertical sections.
Strange as it may seem for a non-professional, but there are budget and elite solutions on the roll market. For example, the roofing material Linocrom belongs to the first class.
This is a bitumen-polymer product, but with modest performance characteristics. However, in any case, its quality is higher than that of any of the pure bituminous materials, especially if a fiberglass-based modification of Linocrom is used.
Important information! All welded materials of the new generation are produced on the basis of synthetic cloths. This provides them, first of all, with biological stability and prevents decay. Together with increased elasticity (and therefore the absence of cracks and breaks), this makes them much more economically advantageous compared to cardboard-based materials, even at the extremely low price of the latter.
In general, despite all the latest advances, roll materials still occupy the last place in terms of service life among all types of roof coverings.
Nevertheless, if earlier the same roofing material had to be changed at least once every ten years, now, for example, for the same Isoplast roofing material, manufacturers claim a service life of 15, or even 25 years.
In any case, there is no reasonable alternative yet for flat and low-pitched roofs - so homeowners need to choose from what is available.
New ceramics
Classical tiles are always in price, their durability and solid appearance continue to inspire respect. However, we should not forget about the disadvantages - first of all, this is low manufacturability in the production of laying, and an extremely high load on the supporting structures.
Progress has reached this type of coating, one of the oldest on the market. New ceramic roofing materials have appeared, produced using porcelain stoneware technology, and imitating classic tiles.
One of these types of coatings is ardogress.
This material imitates natural slate, has a thickness of less than a centimeter, and greatly facilitates the roofing.
In terms of “life expectancy”, it is comparable to ceramic tiles, does not fade, and is more technologically advanced during installation - one or two holes for self-tapping screws are left in it during production.
At the same time, the appearance of the finished roof is almost indistinguishable from natural slate, despite the fact that the product costs much less.
Important information! Metal, and especially mineral coatings (like the same ceramics or its derivatives) compare favorably with other classes in that they are non-combustible roofing materials. They have an increased fire resistance, and it is almost impossible for fire to penetrate through such a roof from the outside.
Polymers are the roofs of the future
Various synthetic materials are gaining more and more popularity in the market. Judging by their potential in terms of performance and manufacturability, it is only a matter of time for them to take the first positions in the roofing segment.
More than others on hearing now:
- Euroslate - a material made of mineral or fiberglass impregnated with bitumen or polymers (one of its varieties is ondulin)
- Composite tiles - a material similar in composition to euroslate, but which is a strip that imitates a row of several interlocked tiles
- Polycarbonate - a polymer with a cellular structure, high light transmission and excellent sound and heat insulating properties
The attractiveness of these materials for households is obvious: they are light, and therefore do not require powerful supporting structures. And the same polycarbonate in some cases (for example, in rounded roofs) can even act as a self-supporting structure.
The durability of polymers is at least as good as most metal and mineral coatings. Plastics have strength at the level of metal coatings.
They are very technologically advanced - when installed, they are easy to fit into any form of roofing, installation (subject to regulatory requirements) can be carried out even by a beginner, and repairs are not difficult.
At the same time, laying is carried out in the usual ways for all sheet materials - along a wooden crate, with an overlap of horizontal and vertical rows.
The cost of installing such roofs, according to a combination of factors (delivery, installation, subsequent maintenance), is in the lower price range. Aesthetic properties, as a rule, are beyond praise.
new metal
A relative novelty in the market of metal coatings can be considered a metal tile - it has been produced for only a few decades.
Also, not so long ago, various profiled sheets began to be produced with a protective coating of polymers. This increased their service life and made the metal roof more aesthetically attractive.
By and large, we can say that nothing fundamentally new has appeared in this segment, with the exception of the above, as well as the fact that a large number of shaped parts are produced for metal tiles.
This greatly simplifies the installation process, and increases the service life. After all, now adjunctions and other areas can be covered with factory-made products, and not made by hand directly at the construction site.
In the rest, the installation is carried out according to the proven crate system, and other qualities of the materials remain the same.
What's under the roof?
But the biggest changes in recent years have been in support materials. After all, even the best coverage needs reliable helpers.
Their role is played by roofing materials - films for various purposes, and heaters, as a rule - sheet (slab) or soft (roll or slab).
All existing materials perform the following functions:
- vapor barrier
- thermal insulation
- Waterproofing
Moreover, vapor barrier (protection of external structures from moisture coming from inside the building) began to be actively used not so long ago. Insulating materials are represented by films - which completely block any air exchange on both sides of themselves, and membranes - which ensure the passage of moisture in one direction.
In the context of the use of modern thermal insulation materials, especially from mineral and fiberglass, ensuring normal air exchange and removal of moisture from the under-roof space is a very important task.
Engineers also understand this, so the materials used under the roof are endowed with all the necessary properties.
In recent decades, the roofing materials market has been developing by leaps and bounds.
And along with traditional solutions, a lot of fundamentally new materials have appeared, possessing previously unthinkable properties. Everyone is free to choose what is closer to him - technologies that have been worked out for centuries, or revolutionary products.
But the fact that modern housing construction is changing its habitual appearance right before our eyes is pointless to dispute, and the future is for novelties.
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