The fact that roofs are waterproof (or are supposed to be) is something that is often taken for granted. In all honesty waterproofing a roof is harder than it looks—especially with traditional materials like shingles and wood. Thankfully, recent years have yielded a wide range advancement in waterproofing and insulation products. These products are engineered to fulfill several important requirements at once. In today’s highly regulated and competitive construction environment, it won’t do to have a roof that simply keeps out water, but doesn’t last very long or leaches dangerous chemicals.
The heart of a good waterproofing system is a reliable membrane that will resist rainfall and moisture, and also help drain water efficiently towards the gutter without pooling. Membranes can be hot-applied or cold-applied, and consist of such materials as rubberized asphalt, self-adhesive bitumen, Boston EPDM Firestone roofing, PVC, or multiple layer built up bituminous roof systems. Before the start of each job Eagle Rivet consults with their customers and help them decide on what type of membrane would help the roof achieve maximum longevity and performance.
A membrane is just one part of the roof; in order to protect it, it needs to be encased in several layers of roofing material, which can be anything from shingles to engineered materials to asphalt or gravel. With residential roofs, there may be numerous architectural elements such as dormers and gables that need to be worked around, in order to avoid any gaps or leaks. It’s important to contract a company that knows what it’s doing, since once a membrane has been installed, it’s fairly difficult to repair.
