| If you have a flat roof dwelling or building, then | | | | very strong, tear resistant and will avoid any other |
| choosing the traditional shingling materials will not be an | | | | abrasive damage. Unlike the old style tar and gravel |
| option. Flat roofs offer some unique challenges when it | | | | roof, the torchdown process is pretty much odor free. |
| comes to replacing or installing a new one. They often | | | | Tar and gravel roofing has been around for many |
| will cost a little more money than a regular sloped roof | | | | years, and with good success. It is a process by which |
| design, but not choosing the right one will cost you | | | | a combination of asphalt and tar are spread, covering |
| dearly in the future. There are a couple of options that | | | | the entire surface, then a gravel mixture is placed over |
| you can choose from, the old style tar and gravel, and | | | | top. This gives it a water resistant surface and a life |
| a new process called torchdown. | | | | span of around 15 years. The one big drawback with |
| Torchdown roofing is like rubberized asphalt that | | | | this type is the fact that the fumes can be |
| comes in large rolls. Each one is rolled out across the | | | | overwhelming. Some people have actually had to |
| roof and a torch is used to melt it directly onto the | | | | move out of their house while the new roof was being |
| existing sheathing. The torchdown also melts each | | | | installed. |
| piece together totally eliminating any and all seams. | | | | Although the tar and gravel rough tends to be about a |
| This helps it form a water tight barrier that will eliminate | | | | thousand dollars cheaper for an average sized job, by |
| leaks from the small amounts of water that tend to | | | | choosing the torchdown variety you’ll be getting a |
| gather on flat roofs. Made of modified bitumen | | | | much better overall finished product, and you won’t |
| combined with high quality resins, they are also | | | | have to deal with those obnoxious fumes. Be sure to |
| resistant to the harmful UV rays of the sun. | | | | choose you roofing contractor wisely, as there have |
| Torchdown roofing has an estimated life span of | | | | been reports in the past of fires being started by |
| about 20 years, and is virtually maintenance free over | | | | some inexperienced roofers laying the torchdown |
| that time. The combination of materials used makes it | | | | style. |