Flexible tile, installation - do it yourself or invite masters?

The construction market provides a large selection of a variety of materials for the roof. Here you can choose any necessary shingles, both natural and flexible, to stop on a copper rebate or purchase a roll roofing material. But in spite of this variety, bitumen flexible shingles continue to be in great demand. Its installation is quite simple.

This material is based on fiberglass, it is impregnated with bitumen on both sides. A special glue composition is applied from below. An additional protective layer of granulate of various rocks is deposited from the external side, subject to sediments. Now there are many companies in the market that produce these products. It is called in different ways, different in color, has different patterns, but it is still a flexible tile. Mounting of each species, regardless of its name, is the same.

Flexible tiles are produced in the form of small sheets, on which several tiles are made. Different firms release their form, give the material different names, but in fact the differences here are quite small. What is the difference between flexible shingles? Installation, as well as the preliminary calculation of the number of required sheets is carried out the same. The difference can only be in the upper layer and those components that are used to impregnate the canvas. This can be simply a bitumen or bitumen-polymer mixture. For the top powder, crumb from basalt is most often used, but in some cases it can be slate.

The huge advantage of soft tiles is its durability. It is not subject to rotting, it does not affect weather conditions. To positive qualities can also be attributed to installation. Flexible shingles do not require special tools for styling. It is enough to have a hammer and nails. Everything else has already been taken into account in the development of this material.

If you want to give the roof an attractive appearance, then your main assistant will be flexible tile. Its installation is also facilitated by the fact that, in addition to flat sheets that are attached to the roof slopes, special plates are produced to seal the joints and corners. This greatly simplifies and facilitates the entire laying process.

The installation instructions for flexible tiles include several basic points that must be taken into account. First of all, you need to calculate the number of sheets correctly, taking into account the configuration of the roof. In addition to conventional plates, it is necessary to purchase skate-cornice tiles, which can be bent. After all the measurements and calculations, flexible shingles are bought. Installation starts from the bottom of the roof.

Before laying the bituminous shingles (it is also called soft, or flexible), it is necessary to conduct several preparatory stages. First of all, this is the preparation of the foundation, on which the tiles will then be laid. For this purpose, it is necessary to use flat surfaces. It can be plywood, stove or just a board. The thickness of the material used depends on the pitch of the roof rafters. The bigger it is, the thicker the base should be. For a better performance of the roof, a backing layer can be used. This can be any roll material used to insulate the roof. It can be laid on the entire surface of the roof or on the cornices, joints and skate.

The laying of the flexible shingles depends on the pattern of the shingle, but in any case each next row overlaps the lower one. The plate is fastened with nails, which are then closed by the upper row. Places of joints, overlaps and joints can be additionally protected with a sealant. Although flexible shingles do not react to weather, it is better to pack it in the summer. Under the influence of solar heat, the lower adhesive layer melts, resulting in a uniform construction.