Do you have a building, home, garage, treehouse or workshop that requires roofing? If yes, then the most cost-effective roofing material you can DIY (Design it yourself) is rolling roofing. You may have heard about the most popular roofing materials such as asphalt shingles, cedar shakes, metal roofing, and clay tiles. But roll roofing is slightly different–and durable. You may have seen houses with elongated roofs, that is roll roofing. Often roll roofing appears to look like asphalt shingles.
Roll roofing is an asphalt-based oil product that comes in a roll of 100 square feet; like a carpet roll. You can DIY by directly laying it on the structure and can secure it to various components. Roll roofing is a lightweight material on a roll. A ballpark of one square foot weights 76 pound. Roll roofing material is a brittle product. It is very affordable and easily available in the market. Homeowners love to buy this because it is appealing, low-cost and the installation DIY-savvy. Therefore, roll roofing has become the first choice for homeowners. You can buy it from any home improvement store if you require rolling roof material. However, there are pros and cons to be considered:
Pros
- Pocket friendly
- The simple and easy DIY-installation
- Weightless Roll
Cons
- More vulnerable to damage and cracks compared to other materials
- Less solid than shingles
- Less appealing material appearance-wise
- Longevity of only 6 to 8 years max
Install Roll Roofing in Few Easy Steps
If you are looking for a budget-friendly roofing material that is easy to put up, then DIY roll roofing is an excellent replacement option for your home and garage. Here are few east steps that you need to follow to successfully install roll roofing.
Assemble materials
First, gather all the necessary tools and equipment for the installation process. Ensure you have all materials and tools on the checklist of things needed to install your roll roofing. It can be purchased from any hardware store or home improvements outlet. Make sure you have the following equipment, tools and supplies:
- Hammer
- Broom to push
- Measuring tape
- Meter stick
- Trowel
- Utility knife
- Gloves
- Tin shears
- Chalk-line
- Nails to be used for roofing
- Nails flash
- Flashing
- Primer
- Roll roofing
- Cement used for roofing
- Ladder
Roof measurement
Once you have tools and equipment, determine your roof size and take correct roof measurements. Calculating the roof’s dimensions is significant to determining how many rolls of roll roofing you will need to buy. Measure the width and length of the roof’s surface. Following that you will multiply the width and length. This is how you calculate the square footage and the number of rolls required. Just to be on the safe side, it is highly recommended to spend 6-12 per cent over the estimate as cutting requires a perfect fit on the roof’s edge.
Preparation of roof and cleaning
Next step is cleaning the roof. For this, always put all the roofing material inside the roof roll and lay it down on the ground. Whilst material should not be more curled afterwards; only then start washing the roof.
Use a push broom to remove any floating debris on the top surface. If you find nails hanging from the wood, sheath them to the ground. Ensure you have enough of a base to put the roll roofing over. Roll roofing is traditionally installed on the wood sheathing. This is mostly done to prevent the leaks.
Logically and from a technical standpoint, it is possible to lay the roll roof on existing shingles. However, with almost any roofing task, it is advisable to avoid double layering instead of opting for an uncluttered foundation.
The drip edge flashing before installing the roll roofing is a great idea to consider. Drip edges target the areas along the roof edges to block water from getting inside through the roof material. It is recommended to use roofing cement and nails to attach the flashing to the lower edge of your roof.
Marking the chalk line
Keep a measuring tape in your backpack as you will be needing it several times. Whenever you start installing the roofing, do know the roofing is usually installed vertically.
Make an optimal use of the measuring tape and chalk line to draw the measurement at 35″ from the lowest part of the roof and trace it with the chalk line. Utilize meter stick to ensure the chalk line is smooth and even across the roof.
Roof cement layering
This is the most important step. You will apply roofing glue according to working order. Always wear gloves whenever mixing up and applying roofing cement. Spread it all along the edges over the workspace until it is one-quarter of an inch in thickness. Apply the glue to each horizontal piece before joining the first roll to ensure it stays within the defined chalk lines.
Rolled roofing cutting
Generally a cutter should be used for a perfect size roll roof cutting. caberlin 0 5 Set it up in an extended vertical strip. The strips must be cut to 35 inches in width longer than the roof length as roofing sheets need immense pressure with the tool knife.
The first layer of the rolling roof
Once you cut down the right side of the first layer, it is essential to ensure the edges are in alignment. The first sheet should be laid out slowly, stretching to avoid wrinkles or any air-filled bubbles. At the same time, it should be over the entire roof length up to the highest spot drawn through chalk lines. It is significant to roll the roofing in wet cement to secure it. Once you have the cement secured layer ready, now is the time to nail the cement layer for additional security. Nonetheless, use the galvanized nails for roofing as an abrasive instrument for hitting.
Give the roof a final cleaning
The last step is to clean the roof for a final touch. Sweep the roof followed by detailed cleaning of any dirt, shred, or particles. Ensure that there is no dirt, mud, nails and twigs around. Once you have cleaned the roof and sprayed it with a water hose, now it s time to relax and enjoy.
How to install roll roofing without nails?
Torch-down roofing is one of the most secure methods to put up roll roofing without nails. However, for similar kinds of roofing material, it’s recommended to use a propane torch to heat the roofing layers to fix them to the ground permanently. Be very careful and vigilant while doing so. If any splits and cracks are found, fix them using plastic cement. Install roof flashing made of metal at these places so that it is watertight. Besides paint primer on the roof, it allows the metal to flash on the roof to adhere tightly to the roofing surface. Spread the felt on the top and secure it using cap nails. After every 6 inches, the felt should be perfectly placed. Start from the lower end of the roof to roll it up to the top of the roof. Cut it in line to the edge of the roofing with a utility knife. Apply heat to the meeting point of the felt and rolling roof. While heating, it will bond to the felt-set roofing layer, slowly melting into the place to adhere to the top felt. Keep applying layers the same way until you have completely covered the roof’s flashing.