Bituminous waterproofing

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 This article does not cite any references or sources. (January 2008)
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.
This article or section is written like an advertisement.
Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view.
Mark blatant advertising which would require a fundamental rewrite in order to become encyclopedic for speedy deletion, using {{db-spam}}. (January 2008)
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can. (January 2008)

Contents

[edit] Bituminous roofing and waterproofing membranes

Bituminous waterproofing systems are designed to protect residential and commercial buildings throughout the world. Bitumen is a mixed substance made up of organic liquids that are highly sticky and viscous, and are extremelly waterproof. This substance is therefore ideal for waterproofing any material, and perfect for use on flat and built-up roofs.

A man applying a bituminous membrane to a flat roof.

The large rollers used to pull the felt through the manufacturing process.

The rolls of the base product being pulled through a saturation tank.

[edit] Roofing felt components

Bituminous membranes are made up of more than one product:

Bitumen - Mixed with a filler (limestone or sand) component such as sand. Polymers are added to the bitumen such as APP (atactic polypropylene) a plastic additive that gives rigidity and tear resistance, or SBS (styrene butadiene styrene)a rubber additive that gives more elastic benefits.

Base Products - Polyester, fibre glass, rag fibre (hessian), and paper. These products are bought in roll format and are pulled through the bitumen mixes on huge rollers. The base product becomes saturated in huge tanks by the tar like bitumen substance, creating rolls of waterproof material.

Mineral - The small granules are added to the top of the felt, decreasing the products fire vulnerability.

Mineral being added to the top surface.

Thin, transparent film - This product is added to the base of the felt during manufacturing on all torch-on products. This stops the felt from sticking to itself when rolled up during the packaging process.

[edit] Bitumen products

Bituminous roofing products are perfect for the waterproofing of roofs on buildings as they move with the structure as they are not too rigid, and they do not absorb water. Bitumen is a hydrocarbon and is created naturally from crude oil. It is a useful carbon store and does not generate greenhouse gases. The membranes are therefore a sustainable way of storing carbon on the Earth's surface.

There are many other advantages of using bitumen waterproofing products:

  1. As well as protecting buildings, bituminous roofing products can be in harmony with their environmental surroundings as different mineral finishes can be applied to the top surfaces. Green roofs are also becoming more popular as the carbon footprint issues become more apparent.
  2. The products have an extremely long life span, with most membranes having BS (British Standards) marks against each product name.
  3. The fumes given off during installation are not harmful to human health and there is low noise pollution during application.
  4. Bituminous membranes protect insulation and can reflect harmful sun rays. New products also contain photovoltaic cells that can produce solar energy.
  5. Bitumen is not water soluble, non-biodegradable, not classified as carcinogenic and does not release harmful toxins.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

  • Bituminous Membranes Article [1]