Monday, December 29, 2008

Roof Types

Different types of roof have different slopes within the same building. Many traditional buildings incorporate different types of roof within a single composition. For example, a building with the primary mass under a hip may have a central projecting bay with a gable end and a front portico with a pediment. The type and shape of the roof on your home can help determine how well it will perform during a severe windstorm. Don't use the same pitch for each roof! Each type has its own characteristics and should have different slopes:
Gable Roof:
The gable roof is a very popular type of roof. The gable roof is easy to build, sheds water well, provides for ventilation, and is applicable to a variety of house shapes and designs. A gabled roof has two slopes that come together to form a ridge or a peak at the top, each end looks like the letter A. Homes with gabled roofs are more likely to suffer greater damage, such as collapse of the end wall from high winds because they are often not braced properly during construction.
Hip Roof:
The hip roof is slightly more difficult to build than a gable roof, but is still a popular choice. A hipped roof is one that slopes upward from all sides of the building. Because of its aerodynamic properties and construction techniques, most hipped roofs will perform better in windstorms than the second roof type: a gabled roof. It does not provide for ventilation as well as some other roof designs and increases the chance for leakage due to the hips and valleys.
A-frame Roof:
The A-frame provides not only a roof but the walls as well. Originally, it was used for cottages, but in recent years has been applied to homes, churches, and other structures.
Flat Roof:
A flat roof is the most economical roof to build, but does not add much to the design of most houses. It requires a "built-up roof covering rather than conventional shingles. A built-up roof consists of layers of roofing, felt, tar topped with gravel. Actually, most so-called flat roofs are pitched 1/8 to 1/2 in per foot to aid in drainage. The flat roof is popular in warmer areas of the country where wide overhangs are desirable for shade and where little or no snow falls.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Roof Coatings And Their Benefits

A monolithic and fully adhered liquid that is applied over the roofs is called roof coating. It is applied over the regular roof system. That is why it acts as a covering or a top layer over the traditional roof. This asks for many features that a roof coating must possess. As it is the outermost layer therefore it is also the most exposed layer.

That is why, it is manufactured in such a way that it is able to tolerate a lot of environmental factors like UV and infrared, temperature extremities like rain, hail and the physical damage caused due to these factors. It is very elastic in nature which enables it to endure the temperature extremities without cracking. Hence roof coatings if applied properly over the roofs can provide maximal protection to the roof from these deteriorating factors, ultimately extending the life of the roof.

The advantages that roof coatings deliver cannot be ignored. The foremost benefit is repairing roof leaks. In this way it reduces the cost of re roofing. In addition the reflective nature of roof coatings greatly reduces the cooling cost because these coatings reflect the heat and sun rays, generating a cooling effect. Also these coatings are sometimes used ornamentally. Where roofs are exposed and visible, the roof coatings results in providing a cosmetic effect.

Among many types of roof coatings which are available, the most common ones are polymer-modified acrylic elastomers and polyureas, asphalt cutbacks and emulsions, silicones, SPF and high-performance urethanes. White roof coatings, tinted roof coatings, elastomeric, aluminum and metal roof coatings are also few broad categories of roof coatings.

Elastomeric roof coatings are very versatile and can be applied on a large variety of roofs such as single-ply, metal, asphalt, polyurethane foam or concrete roofs (CSPE, EPDM, TPO, PVC). This compatibility feature is very useful and makes it prominent among other roof coatings. An elastomeric roof coating creates a uniform, seamless and durable surface that remains flexible even at low temperatures. It is very adhesive in nature and provides excellent UV protection for polyurethane foam. Its highly reflective nature not only reduces the cooling costs but also prevents premature degradation. Elastomeric coatings can be employed both in construction phase and the maintenance phase.