by Roofer911.com |
Although they sound sci-fi scary and make you wonder what alien home planet that they hail from, thermoset roofing systems were developed right here on good old Planet Earth and have been around for decades. In fact, roofing contractors call them “rubber roofs”. What they are referring to is a roof with a waterproof synthetic rubber membrane with hot-air welded, liquid adhesive or taped seams that is either fully adhered to the substrate or held down with ballast or battens. The rubber membranes come in five subcategories and are referred to by their initials since their formal names are mouthfuls.
The most common synthetic rubber membrane used is EPDM which stands for Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer, which is a combination of ethylene and propylene compounds derived from oil and natural gas. EPDM roofs are usually black but do come in white and are used mainly for flat-roofed homes or large commercial buildings since the membrane sheets come as wide as 50 feet. Other membranes are Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene (CSPE), Epichlorohydrin (ECH), Neoprene (CR) and Polyisobutylene (PIB).
Most low maintenance, low repair thermoset roofs do not get surfaced although river rock ballast is used when the membrane is not adhered to the substrate. The river rock has the added advantage of being sun reflective and hail damage resistant resulting in even less roof repair calls for the building owner. River rock ballast adds an additional 10 lbs. per foot to the roof’s load.
Finally, thermoset roofing systems can provide an ideal surface for rooftop decks and gardens since pavers can be used instead of river rock as ballast.
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