There are many benefits to choosing a built up roofing system for your home or business. Built up roofing (BUR) systems are known for their durability and long-lasting performance. They can withstand extreme weather conditions and protect your property from damage. Built up roofing systems also offer excellent insulation properties, which can help keep your energy costs down. If you are looking for a roofing system that will provide you with years of trouble-free service, built up roofing is (still) an excellent choice.

Kettle warming the hot tar before a BUR install

BUR systems are the oldest of today’s modern day low slope roofing methods. You know what they say, It it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. These roofing options can also be customized to meet your specific needs. Built-up roofs typically consist of 2-3 layers of roofing felt (plies) sandwiched between bitumens adhesion (hot tar). The plies become welded tight when mopping the bitumen melt (hot tar), creating a waterproofed stack of membranes when dry. Depending on the size of your roof and foot traffic regularities, you’re able to add-in granules prior to applying the final reflective coatings or choose to apply a granulated cap sheet to the top layer of your felts.

Another example of a Built Up Roof, very common in Arizona, is a Self-Adhered Modified Bitumen BUR. This is a much cleaner installation. No tar kettle needed, no asphalt fumes, and no drips from the 450 degree bitumen liquid.

Self-Adhered roofing systems are innovative applications that provide superior waterproofing performance along with a sturdy rigidness to the roof with much less chances of membrane cracking. Commonly referred to as “Peel and Stick” these systems typically consist of 1-2 layers of Self-Adhered base membrane & 1 layer of Mod-Bit Granulated Cap sheet.

Though it is not necessary to apply roof coatings to the top cap sheet, if you live in Phoenix or Tucson Arizona, it comes highly recommended for energy savings and solar reflectivity.

Once dry and adhesions are cured, a minimum of two layers of Acrylic Coating are applied onto the black water-tight substrate. Note ALL roof coatings (Acrylic, Silicone, Polyurethane, Butyl, etc.) offer their own benefits; however roof coatings are NOT intended to be waterproofing materials. They are intended to provide reflectivity from UV degradation. It should be a no-brainer to choose the brightest white you can get on your Arizona built up roofing system.

The alternative to multi-ply Built Up Roofing is a single-ply roofing system. Though single-ply roofing systems appear to be innovative, they carry more cons than pros in the state of Arizona. Learn more about single-ply roofing in our blog.