Membrane roofing - technology and installation of membrane
Building technologies and trends in the construction of the roof are constantly changing, barely keeping up with the advent of new materials and production methods. It is not surprising that those roof covers, which were considered practical, reliable a few decades ago, are now fading into the background, giving way to more technological, durable solutions. Thus, the membrane roofing practically supplanted the old-type rolled materials used to overlap flat or low-slope ramps, due to its strength, elasticity, tightness. In this article we will describe in detail the characteristics of PVC, TPO and EPDM membranes, as well as the technology of their installation.
Virtues
Membrane roofing is a modern method of constructing flat and low-sided roofs with the help of modern polymer roofing materials, the multi-layer structure of which qualitatively distinguishes them from the roll coatings of the past generation (roofing material, roofing paper, glassine). Roofing membranes made of PVC, TPO and EPDM are suitable for roofs of any shape and configuration with a slope of 0 degrees. Experienced roofers note the following advantages of membrane technology:
- Mechanical strength. The use of more elastic polymers makes membrane materials more resistant to mechanical damage, resulting in increased service life of the coating.
- Elasticity. Roofing membranes are much more elastic than roll roofing materials based on cardboard, so they facilitate installation of the coating on structures of complex shape.
- Tightness. The technology of laying the membrane roof makes it possible to obtain an almost monolithic, hermetic finishing layer without heating.
- A light weight. The low mass and small thickness of the membrane allows you to repair the old roof without dismantling the structure.
- Convenient mounting technology. Laying roofing membranes made of PVC, EPDM or TPO is performed at any time of the year without the use of heating equipment. Moreover, laying can occur on any type of base.
Note! The obvious advantage of the roof membrane is the ability to overlap a large roof area in a short time without reference to weather conditions or ambient temperature.
Types of membranes
The appearance of roofing membranes is associated with the development of the chemical industry and the desire of construction workers-technologists to introduce the excellent qualities of synthetic rubber in waterproofing coatings. The production technology of membrane cloths from PVC, TPO, EPDM allows to receive a tight finishing layer of a roof with the minimum quantity of joints. Since the membrane property basically determines the polymer on the basis of which it is manufactured, they are divided into the following groups:
- PVC membranes. These roofing covers are made from a durable, resilient, temperature resistant polymer, known as polyvinyl chloride. Material based on PVC is cheaper than analogs based on other compounds. Membrane roofing made of PVC, in contrast to analogs, has a light color, due to which it reflects more than 20% of the sun's rays and is less heated.
- EPDM membrane. This group of membrane webs is made of ethylene propylene diene monomer, which more often appears under the term “synthetic rubber”. They are more expensive than PVC-based materials, but due to the reinforcement and elasticity of the polymer, they serve more than 50 years.
- TPO membrane. This type of membrane roof is made of thermoplastic olefins, to which are added antioxidants, plasticizers and synthetic rubber. Such manufacturing technology allows us to obtain a more durable, durable and flame-resistant material.
Note that the membrane roof has a multi-layer structure, each layer of which gives the material a certain property. The working layer of the membrane is responsible for the elasticity and tightness of the coating, and the protective layer for the strength properties and resistance to UV light.
Mounting methods
Due to the composition and form of release, installation of a membrane roof on roof structures with a slope of 0 degrees is allowed. Skilled craftsmen note that this option is optimal for a flat, flat, operated and low-slope roof. The thickness and weight of the membrane cloth is 1.5-2 times less than that of traditional roll materials, so their installation takes less time and effort. The technology of fixing the coating depends on the type of membrane, the type of base and the design of the roof. The following methods of fastening cloths are used:
- Ballast mount. This method consists of using a ballast material (pebbles, expanded clay), which is scattered over the membrane laid on the base of the roof, to fix the web on the ramp.
- Glue fixation. To fix the membrane roof, you can use a special adhesive composition. The polymer sheet is glued to the base of the roof without manufacturing mounting holes, so that the tightness of the roof is not broken.
- Fastening by thermowelded method. Another way to fix the membrane roof is to glue the fabric using heating equipment. Under the influence of high temperature, the polymer roofing material is soldered to form a monolithic, almost seamless coating.
- Mechanical fixation. A less common method of fixing the membrane roof is fastening with fasteners (nails, screws, brackets). The use of this method is undesirable, since it provides for the manufacture of a large number of mounting holes that violate the roof tightness.
Important! Experienced roofers recommend mounting the membrane roof using a thermowelded or adhesive method. But. It is worth remembering that the result of fixation depends on the quality of the preparation of the surface of the base of the roof to work. To improve the adhesion between materials, the base must be cleaned of dust, dirt and grease.
