It is unlikely that there will be such an owner who refuses to have the roof of his house covered with reliable, but at the same time affordable roofing material. And if you plan your own installation correctly, the construction will not only be well protected from possible damage and bad weather, but it will also save a significant amount of money.
The innovative material, which is a flexible tile with a bitumen base (it is also called roofing tile), has similar qualities. Of course, such a roof can not be called the easiest for independent manufacture. However, at the same time it is not the most difficult. One has only to understand the technological wisdom of installation, and high-quality performance of such work will be quite realistic.
Innovative material
Flexible tiles are small sized flat sheets. Such a roofing material has one curved edge. Its basis, as a rule, is fiberglass or fiberglass. However, there are types of flexible tiles that are made on organic cellulose, that is, felt. The base of such a roofing material is coated on both sides with an impregnating composition, the main component of which is bitumen.
The front part of the flexible tile is sprinkled with a basalt granulator painted in a certain color. Sometimes, mineral dye acts as a dye. This or that color of a tile is given by special technologies thanks to which it remains for many decades. The powder present on the roof tile gives it a more beautiful appearance, and also protects the surface from various atmospheric phenomena, increases its wear resistance and neutralizes the negative effect of ultraviolet radiation.
Sometimes it happens that in some places the sprinkling simply disappears. Such a defect only happens with materials from the economy segment; moreover, it is easy to eliminate it with glue and mineral chips of the corresponding color.
Positive features and disadvantages
Flexible tiles can be laid on a single and multi-pitched roof. Due to the fact that this material is small and flexible, it is simply indispensable for arranging roofs of complex shapes (multi-slope, domed, round). In addition, this coating looks great on buildings of various styles of architecture.
Among the positive qualities of flexible tiles can be distinguished:
- durability (about 30 years);
- a significant range of operating temperature, which allows the use of such material in both southern and northern countries;
- resistance to ultraviolet radiation;
- undemanding to special care;
- ease of installation, which eliminates the need for specialists;
- low weight, which rafters of a small section can easily withstand;
- a small amount of waste remaining after installation;
- high degree of maintainability;
- good adaptability to changes in the geometry of the building that occurs when it shrinks;
- the ability to withstand strong gusts of wind (with additional strengthening of 6 nails);
- good heat-saving and soundproofing properties;
- resistance to acids, as well as to the negative effects of lichens, mosses and fungi.
Among the shortcomings are noted:
- high price;
- greater consumption of materials required for the arrangement of the crate.
Where to start installation of the roof?
Soft material for roofs is used for slopes with a slope above 12 percent. If the roof is flatter, then there is a high probability of leakage at the joints. How to lay a flexible tile in this case, if there is a desire to apply it?
With small roof slopes, it is necessary to spread a continuous special lining carpet on the crate, which helps to protect the top layer from moisture.
In recent years, soft material has gained great popularity. However, not all developers know how to lay flexible tiles. The instruction for its installation clarifies that such material should be placed on the crate, which has differences from the usual one, arranged for a metal tile or ondulin.
A kind of foundation designed for flexible tiles is Mauerlat. The rafter system is based on it.
How to lay a flexible tile? It should be borne in mind that these
roof slabs do not like bumps, elevations, unnecessary bends and protruding nails. In this regard, the Mauerlat bars must be laid horizontally. Moreover, for the lines that connect the ends of the Mauerlat at the ends of the building, an angle of 90 degrees must be observed.
How to lay flexible tiles? For it, it is necessary to prepare either a solid base, or knock down the crate with gaps of no more than 0.5 cm. This is where the difference between this system and any other similar system ends. Otherwise, an exemplary roof tile made of flexible tiles consists of a vapor barrier film laid on the rafters, over which a heater follows. Further on the roof is a waterproofing film, OSB plate and lining carpet. This whole construction is completed with a soft roofing material.
How to lay a flexible tile on an iron roof? To do this, you need to level its surface. Of course, flexible tiles can be laid on top of existing material, but in this case, its ridges will be visible visually, and the presence of air gaps near them will reduce the life of soft plates. Using the option of leveling the surface, a crate of slats or OSB sheets is laid on top of the iron.
The bases for the roofing material can be different. Let's consider them in more detail.
Solid crate
This is the first version of the base, which is made of grooved or edged boards, butt-fastened or with small gaps. It is advisable that whole boards be laid without splicing. If this arrangement is impossible, the joints should be located above the rafters with careful fixing of the edges. When solving the question “How to lay flexible roof tiles?”, Height differences cannot be allowed. Otherwise, the tile laid on such boards will accumulate water, and therefore there will be a high probability of its leakage.
Arrangement of plate material
The basis for flexible tiles can be done differently. In this case, on the crate made of unedged or edged boards, slab material should be laid. It can be moisture resistant OSB, DSP, GVL-boards or plywood. The thickness of such sheets should not be less than 9 mm.
How to put flexible tiles on OSB and other boards? According to the instructions, such a substrate must be bonded so that the seams located in one row must overlap with the other. In order to compensate for the expansion due to temperature fluctuations between adjacent sheets, a small gap (from 3 to 5 mm) can be left.
Features of the installation of the lathing
How to lay a flexible tile? Due to the fact that the material is not affected by mold and fungi, it does not deteriorate and does not rot. However, it is laid on wood, which is damaged by high humidity. What needs to be done in this regard? All wooden structures must be treated with antiseptic impregnations. However, this is not all.
In order for wood to serve for many years, it must undergo natural ventilation. To do this, between the waterproofing layer and the base under the roof slabs, it is necessary to leave gaps of 5 mm. Sometimes a counter-grill is arranged for this, to which the base is fixed. In addition, special ventilation openings are made around the perimeter of the roof, placing them in overhangs. To prevent birds and insects from entering such openings, they are covered with nets.
Features of work at different times of the year
How to lay a flexible tile? It must be mounted on a clean, dry and even base. At the same time, work is carried out in several stages. It is advisable to start them in the warm season, at an air temperature of more than five degrees above zero. This will allow the coating to become airtight, which will create certain comforts in work. This condition is desirable to observe because when exposed to sunlight, the bitumen is heated. Such a process allows it to be fused with plates into a single whole. Only in this case, the coating, which consists of individual sheets, turns into a monolith.
How to lay a flexible tile in the winter? If you need to work in the cold season, you will need to use infrared heaters or heat guns. Only in this case will it be possible to warm up the material so that the installation conditions are close to summer. But do not lay flexible tiles in extreme cold, even if there are heaters on hand. In order to avoid downtime, you can do the installation of building roof structures, the device of wooden flooring and laying of thermal insulation.
Additional waterproofing
This is the first stage of installation of flexible tiles. A layer of additional waterproofing is laid in the valleys, along the overhangs, as well as in places adjacent to the building, on skates and skylights. Such a layer will serve as additional insurance against leaks in places where the greatest accumulation of water will be observed.
The waterproofing carpet is fixed with roofing nails in increments of 40 cm. On the lower edge, this distance should be more frequent (10 cm). The second layer should be laid on the first. In places where there is an abutment with a wall or pipe, the material should go into them by 5-10 cm.
This task does not stand before those who solve the question "How to put flexible tiles on the gazebo with your own hands?". After all, there will simply not be a pipe in this case.
Installation of cornice and end plates
This is the second stage of work on laying flexible tiles. It is necessary to protect the ends and cornices from water leakage. To preserve the material of the roof, it is necessary to fill the cornice strips along the entire roof overhang. They are fixed with nails, which are hammered every 10 cm. Moreover, one of them should be located at the bottom of the bar, and the second - at its top, and so on. The adjacent strips are stacked with an overlap of 5 cm.
According to the same scheme and with the same interval, end plates are placed. Their installation begins in the lower part of the roof with a gradual movement to the ridge.
Laying end carpet
In places where roof slopes are joined (in valleys), a special protective carpet should be placed. It has a greater thickness than the waterproofing coating, due to the required protection of the slopes, where significant water flows pass. The end carpet should be rolled out from top to bottom and fastened with nails every 10 cm. A similar covering is also important when the question “How to put flexible tiles on the roof of an octagonal gazebo or any other with a multi-pitch roof?” Is solved.
Fixing the cornice strip
Consider the fourth stage of laying flexible tiles. This material is similar to the main one, but it does not have a curly lower part. The cornice strip is the starting one and is designed to form a flat lower edge around the entire perimeter of the overhang. The work of this stage should not be missed by those owners who decide the question "How to lay flexible roof tiles on the gazebo?"
On the back side of the strip is a protective film. It must be removed and placed this element, departing from the bend of the cornice strip 1-2 cm. After laying the strip should be pressed. Then it is nailed at the perforation and at the edges.
Installation of tiles
This is the fifth stage of the construction of the roof. Pre-prepared packages with tiles should be located under a canopy or indoors. At the installation itself, they are transferred to the building under construction. It should be borne in mind that the material in different bundles, as a rule, is slightly different in color. In this regard, it is recommended to open 4-6 packs at a time. You need to take sheets of them alternately. In this case, the roof will turn out to be more voluminous, and stripes of different shades will not be especially visible. This condition must also be fulfilled when the question “How to lay flexible roof tiles on a hip roof?” Is resolved.
Laying of the material begins from the center, gradually moving to the ends. The lower edge of the first row of tiles is flush with the cornice strip. The upper edge of the flexible tile should cover such a strip a few centimeters.
Next, lay out the second and subsequent rows of tiles, arranging them so that the ends of the cuts are at the level of the cuts of the previous rows.
Horse
This is the final stage of installation of flexible tiles. The skate is closed after all skates are completely covered with roofing material.
At this stage, either a special tile is used, or an ordinary tile is cut into individual fragments. The second option is cheaper, because the price of a special ridge tile is two times higher than usual.