Soft roofing is a term that combines a number of flexible roofing materials with excellent consumer properties. Its piece and roll varieties perfectly protect the house from atmospheric “misfortunes” and effectively decorate the exterior. They weigh little, do not require effort in cutting and fastening. Among the advantages is the ability to lay the coating yourself.

For an ideal result, it is not necessary to have the skills of a roofer. You need skill, patience, tools and information about how the technology of laying a soft roof differs from other methods and how to properly install a roof.

Materials from the group of soft roofing coverings are modified versions of the good old roofing felt. The new developments borrow from their predecessor flexibility and lightness, which rightfully top the list of advantages. They have retained unshakable water-repellent properties, thanks to which the wooden base and rafter system last longer. The composition has been improved, due to which the period of flawless operation of the materials has increased threefold.

Based on the installation method, the class of soft roofing coverings is divided into three types:

• Roll materials, supplied in the format corresponding to the name. These include bituminous descendants of roofing felt and new representatives, such as polymer membranes. Roll coverings are laid in strips. Bituminous materials are attached by fusing, polymer materials by partial or complete gluing. With their help, they are mainly used to equip flat and gently sloping roofs with slopes up to 3º, permissible up to 9º. Rolls are in demand mostly in industrial construction;
• Roofing mastics, supplied ready-made or cold to be reheated. Sprayed or applied in a thick layer onto flat roofs, resulting in monolithic coating no seams. Reinforcing mesh is used for strengthening. The scope of application is limited to flat roofs.
• Bituminous shingles, supplied in flexible shingle tiles. Essentially, it is an improved roofing felt material, cut into relatively small sheets. The edge of the shingles is decorated with figured petals to imitate the ceramic prototype. The back side is equipped with an adhesive strip designed for attachment to a wooden base. Glued individually. Additionally, roofing nails or self-tapping screws are driven into each shingle. When a bitumen roof is heated by the sun's rays, the tiles are sintered and transformed into a continuous roofing shell.

In private low-rise construction, the piece variety is actively in demand, because flat and low-pitched roofs over one- or two-story residential buildings are built extremely rarely. Domestic buildings have a “flat” fate, but not every owner will decide to buy membranes and mastics for the roof of a barn. This means that we will pay attention to the installation of the most popular bitumen shingles.

Step-by-step installation of bitumen shingles

Roofs with any slope and degree of architectural complexity are covered with piece flexible material. True, bitumen shingles are not recommended for roofing if the slope angle is less than 11.3º. The material is produced by numerous manufacturers. Each of them strives to provide their own products with unique qualities and properties beneficial to the installer.

Despite some differences, the technology for installing a soft roof follows the same scheme. There are small nuances, but they are not important.

Rules for preparing the base

Flexibility is an advantage and disadvantage of bitumen coating. On the one hand, it allows you to significantly speed up the process. After all, it takes a little time and a minimum of effort to form junctions, drill pipes, and arrange valleys and cornices. On the other hand, due to the flexibility of the material, a continuous sheathing is required so that the bending shingles rest entirely on a solid, level base.

You can build a continuous sheathing before installing a soft roof:

• from OSB-3 boards, recommended based on budget cost and sufficient strength;
• from sheets of moisture-resistant plywood marked FSF;
• from tongue-and-groove or edged boards, the humidity of which should not be less than 20%.

Sheet material is laid in a staggered pattern brickwork. It is important that there are no cross-shaped joints. It is necessary that the weak areas where the slabs join are evenly distributed over the counter-lattice. Gaps of 2-3 mm should be left in the seams, which are required for the free movement of the rafter system during temperature fluctuations.

The boardwalk is installed parallel to the roof overhangs. Also take a running start if the length of the board is not enough for the slope. The place where two boards meet on the slope should be supported by a counter-lattice beam, and four nails should be driven into it. Ordinary boards are secured with two nails on both sides. They must be laid so that there is a gap of 3-5mm between the longitudinal elements. Before work, edged boards are sorted. Those that are thicker should be distributed at the base of the slope, those that are lighter should be sent to the top.

Ventilation is the key to impeccable service

The excellent water-repellent properties of the bitumen coating are due to the tiny number of pores that can allow moisture and air to pass through. A reliable hydro-barrier works in both directions. Raindrops do not penetrate inside the roof structure, but steam does not escape outside. If vapors do not have a clear path, condensation will accumulate on wooden roof trusses and sheathing. Those. a fungus will develop, because of which you will have to say goodbye to a durable roof.

For long-term, impeccable service, it is necessary to install a roof ventilation system that includes:

• vents designed for air flow in the eaves area. In addition to the influx, they must ensure the free movement of air from bottom to top along the planes of the slopes. Vents are open channels formed by sheathing and counter-lattice;
• ventilation gap between the bitumen roof and the insulation laid on top of the vapor barrier. Designed for washing the insulation with air flow;
• holes in the upper zone of the roofing pie. These can be either the ends of the slopes that are not closed at the top, or specially designed vents with a plastic trunk that resembles a miniature chimney pipe.

Ventilation must be arranged in such a way as to prevent the formation of air pockets in the under-roof space.

Laying insulating carpet

Without exception, all manufacturers of asphalt shingles strongly recommend laying an additional waterproofing carpet before installing shingles. The list of materials suitable for carpet is usually indicated in the instructions. The products specified or similar in characteristics are approved for use.

Replacement is highly undesirable, because a composition incompatible with the coating will prevent the bitumen layers from joining into a monolith and will contribute to swelling. Polyethylene excluded. Ruberoid too, because the service life of a flexible roof is longer. It is unreasonable to lay less durable material under a coating designed for 15-30 years of operation.

The technology for laying an insulating carpet under flexible tiles includes two options, depending on the steepness of the roof:

• Installation of a continuous carpet on pitched roofs with an angle of inclination from 11.3º/12º to 18º. Rolled waterproofing is laid in strips, starting from the overhang, moving towards the ridge. Each strip laid on top must overlap the previous strip with its own ten cm. If it is necessary to join two sections in one row, they are laid with an overlap of 15 cm. The overlap is carefully, but without fanaticism, coated with bitumen mastic. The insulation strips are attached to the base with roofing nails every 20-25cm. Strips of barrier water-repellent protection are laid on top of the continuous carpet in valleys and overhangs, as well as around roof junctions. Then the ridge and convex corners of the roof are equipped with the original insulating material;
• Laying partial insulation on pitched roofs with a slope of 18º or more. In this case, the valleys and overhangs are protected with bitumen-polymer material, and only the edges of the gables, ridge and other convex corners are covered with strips of insulating carpet. Insulation, as in the previous case, is used to border the intersections of the roof with communication pipes and roof junctions. Bitumen width polymer barrier along the overhangs 50 cm, in the valleys it is equal to 1 m, so that each of the protected slopes has 50 cm. When laying around junctions and pipes, the insulating strip is partially placed on the walls so that the material covers 20-30 cm of the vertical surface.

The installation of a flexible roof with partial waterproofing is allowed by manufacturers, but there are no ardent supporters of this method among them. Naturally, on steep slopes less precipitation is retained, but the circumstances are different: ice, slanting rain, etc. It's better to play it safe.

The bitumen-polymer carpet for valleys is selected to match the tiles. A slight deviation from the color of the coating is allowed if there is a desire to emphasize the lines of open grooves. It is advisable that the valleys be covered with a continuous strip of barrier insulation. But if joining of two pieces cannot be avoided, it is better to arrange it in the upper part of the roof with an overlap of 15-20 cm. There is the least load. The overlap must be coated with bitumen mastic.

Protection of gables and eaves

The perimeter of the roof is equipped with metal strips. They are needed to protect weakened areas of the sheathing from moisture and as roof design elements. The planks are laid edgewise on the edge of gables and overhangs. The edge line should coincide with the roof outline line. Fasten with roofing nails in a zigzag pattern every 10-15 cm.

If there is a need to join two planks, they are laid with an overlap of 3-5 cm, at least 2 cm. The pediment planks overlap the eaves at the corners of the roof. In places of end and joining overlaps, fasteners are hammered in after 2-3 cm.

Most flex roofing manufacturers recommend installing both types of metal protection over the underlayment. However, the developers of the Shinglas brand recommend placing cornice strips under the carpet, and pediment strips on top of it. Before installing gable and cornice strips on the plank sheathing, they also advise first nailing the block and then attaching metal protection to it.

Formation of passages through the roof

Chimneys crossing the roof, communication risers, antennas, and private ventilation openings require special arrangement. They create a potential hazard in the form of an open path for water leaks. Therefore, before installing the covering, the roof penetration areas are covered with sealing devices or systems. Among them:

• Rubber seals designed to cover small diameter points. Holes for antenna, for example;
• Polymer passage elements used to equip roof intersections with sewer and ventilation risers. They are produced specifically for arranging roofs. The passages are simply attached with nails to the continuous sheathing. Bitumen shingles are laid on top, which are actually trimmed around the passage and fixed with bitumen mastic;
• Plastic adapters for your own roof ventilation. The holes are closed with vents, a ridge element with channels for removing fumes, and perforated devices for cornices.

Rules for arranging large passages chimneys worth considering separately. In addition to the threat of leaks, they are also a fire hazard. Chimneys are sealed in several stages:

• the walls of the pipe are protected with parts cut from asbestos-cement slabs according to its actual dimensions;
• A triangular strip treated with a fire retardant is installed around the perimeter of the pipe. To make it, you can split the block diagonally. A baseboard is suitable for replacement. The chimney plank is not attached to the sheathing! It must be fixed on the walls of the pipe;
• lay flexible tiles, placing the shingles on the strip;
• Parts are cut out of the valley carpet according to the dimensions of the pipe with the installed strip. The width of the parts is at least 50 cm. The patterns are attached with a 30-centimeter overlap to the pipe walls using glue or bitumen mastic. First, glue the front part, then the sides, and finally the back. The lower edge is placed on top of the laid tiles, the upper edge is inserted into a groove on the pipe wall;
• Finally, the multilayer insulation system is secured by installing a metal apron and treating the joints with silicone sealant.

There is a simpler and cheap way: the parts of the insulating lining of the pipe are cut not from carpet, but directly from galvanized metal. Then half the stages of work will disappear by themselves.

Wall junctions are sealed using a similar method. Only there is no need to install asbestos-cement protection, and the protected surfaces must be plastered and treated with a primer before installation.

Rules for laying eaves shingles

In order to create guidelines for the installer, it is better to first mark the roof with coated construction lace. Horizontal lines are applied in increments equal to five rows of flexible tiles. Verticals are struck in increments of one shingle.

After preparing and marking the roofing surface, you can safely begin laying flexible tiles, following the algorithm:

• The first to be installed is the cornice row of tiles on the overhang. You can take a special ridge-eaves tile or cut out the starting element yourself by trimming the petals of ordinary ordinary tiles. You need to step back 0.8-1 cm from the edge of the metal cornice strip and glue the cornice shingles. For gluing, you need to remove the protective tape from the adhesive layer and coat the remaining areas with mastic;
• the laid eaves tiles are secured with roofing nails in increments equal to the width of the petal. When hammering, the wide head of the hardware must be strictly parallel to the surface continuous sheathing. Distortions are unacceptable. Hammer the nails at a distance of 2-3cm from the top edge of the shingles. The fixation points must overlap the next row of roofing;
• The first row of flexible tiles is laid. It’s better to start from the center of the slope to make it easier to align horizontally. You should retreat 1-2cm from the bottom line of the starting row and glue it using the already proven method. Nail with four nails at a distance of 2-3cm from the groove between the petals;
• It’s also more convenient to start installing the second row from the middle. But the shingles must be moved so that the tab is above the groove of the first row of shingles and the attachment points are completely covered;
• The upper corner of the tiles laid next to the pediment is cut in the form of an equilateral triangle with sides of 1.5-2 cm. pruning is needed to remove water.

You can continue laying shingles according to the linear principle, i.e. laying down a whole row, one after another. You can use the pyramidal method with “building up” from the middle of the slope to the edges or diagonally.

Two ways to construct a valley

Two methods have been developed to form a valley:

• Open gutter device. Row tiles are laid to the valley axis on both adjacent slopes. Only the nails stop driving at a distance of 30cm from the axis. After laying the coated cord, valley lines are marked on the slopes, along which the coating is carefully trimmed. The width of the valley is from 5 to 15 cm. To prevent damage to the soft roof during cutting, a board is placed under the tiles. The corners of the tiles located near the valley are trimmed to remove water, then the back side of the covering elements is coated with mastic and glued.
• Closed gutter device. The tiles are laid first on the slope with the smallest slope so that approximately 30 cm of material is located on the adjacent slope. The shingles are secured at the top with nails. Afterwards, the second slope is covered, then a line is beaten on it, 3-5 cm away from the axis, along which cutting is carried out. The corners of the tiles are cut to remove water, and then the cut loose elements are glued to the mastic.

The nuances of laying tiles on a ridge

Upon completion of the installation of the tiles on the slopes, they begin to arrange the ridge. Ventilation ducts the body of the sheathing must be left open, so a gap of 0.5-2 cm is left between the tops of the slopes. To ensure ventilation, the ridge is equipped with a plastic aerator. It is not very attractive, so for the sake of aesthetics it is decorated with universal ridge-eaves tiles or shingles cut from shingles.

Nail the tiles with 4 nails. Each subsequent element must cover the fasteners of the previous one. The tiles are mounted on the ridges from bottom to top. The ridge is arranged in the direction of the prevailing winds so that the open areas turn to the leeward side.

In detail the process of installing a soft roof with explanations step-by-step technology The video will demonstrate the styling:

No particular difficulties were found in the construction of a soft roof. There are technological features. If you strictly follow them, you can easily do the installation yourself with excellent results.

In recent years, roofing using soft coverings has become increasingly popular, since this material has many advantages. In addition to excellent operational and technical qualities, such a roof can be installed by yourself, without the involvement of experienced craftsmen.

Soft tiles are light in weight, have an attractive appearance, a high degree of tightness, a long service life, and a low price. It can be installed on roofs of various configurations. Raindrops do not knock on the surface of such a roof - only a quiet rustling is heard.

Features of soft tiles

The basis of this modern roof covering is fiberglass sheets impregnated on both sides with rubber bitumen, which is characterized by moisture resistance and tightness. Thanks to the above properties, installing a soft tile roof has become so popular.

The presence of a special coating on a flexible roof increases wear resistance and prevents rolled products from sticking together. has proven itself as an ideal coating for structures if their angle of inclination is at least 11 degrees.

Tools for installing flexible roofing

If desired, a home craftsman can carry out the work of arranging a soft roof alone. In this case, the maximum slope of the slopes has no limitation.

Before laying soft roof need to prepare:

• hammer;
• trowel for working with mastic;
• durable gloves;
• cornice and end strips;
• ridge-cornice strip;
• roofing nails;
• waterproofing carpet;
• sealant;
• mastic.

Arrangement of the ventilation system

This system is intended to ensure the circulation of air masses, which is required to prevent the formation of condensation at the base of the roof structure. If you neglect the ventilation system, over time the wooden rafters will begin to rot, and in the cold season, ice and icicles will become a constant occurrence.

Its constituent elements are: a base with a thickness of at least 5 millimeters, air gaps between it and the waterproofing layer, vents and outlets. When creating natural ventilation, special openings are arranged, placing them evenly.

How to lay underlay carpet

Metal is used to make cornice strips. These elements serve to protect the edge of the sheathing. Installation of the eaves strip of soft tiles on the overhangs of the eaves is carried out on the lining. Pediment strips are also made of metal, which are fixed at the ends of the roof.

The valley carpet serves to additionally protect the roof from atmospheric precipitation. This material is selected taking into account the color scheme of the flexible tiles. In places where leaks most often occur, and these are eaves overhangs, valleys, and end parts of the roof, it is advisable to lay a lining layer.

In this case, the installation is carried out in a certain direction - from bottom to top, and an overlap is observed, equal to 10 centimeters in the transverse direction, and 15 centimeters in the longitudinal direction. The joints between the sheets are usually lubricated with bitumen mastic.

Ridges and valleys should be strengthened by 25 and 50 centimeters, respectively. At the same time, a lining layer is installed on both sides of the valleys, and along the eaves overhangs and ends it is laid to a width of at least 40 centimeters.

The underlayment must be nailed to the base using galvanized roofing nails at intervals of 20 centimeters.

Preparatory stage before installation

It starts with preparation. The base on which the flexible tiles are to be installed should be made solid. Since soft tiles do not have sufficient rigidity, they require durable sheathing. For the base, you can use moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of 9 millimeters, OSB, edged or tongue-and-groove boards.

Material for sheathing should be purchased from winter period, and use in the summer. In this case, the width of the boards should not exceed 100 millimeters. It is better when the base material has the same thickness. The moisture content of lumber should be a maximum of 20%. The planks are laid staggered, maintaining a gap of 10 millimeters.

The roofing pie must be made with the following layers:

• waterproofing laid on the rafters;
• thermal insulation from mineral wool, if you plan to install an attic;
• roofing waterproofing carpet, mounted on the outside of the base with an overlap.

The nuances of installing flexible tiles

There is a certain technique for how to properly lay a soft roof if the work is done independently:

1. First of all, this requires dry weather, in which the temperature environment does not fall below plus 5 degrees. If installation is still carried out in winter, the tiles are kept indoors at room temperature before installation begins. You can also use a hot air burner.
2. A shingle - a sheet of soft roofing made from several tiles - is attached to the surface with nails or using a self-adhesive layer available on back side tiles Under the influence of sunlight, the sheets begin to be soldered both to the base and to one another. If the temperature outside is sub-zero, this process does not occur and, accordingly, the insulation does not turn out to be of high quality.
3. Tiles should be used from 5-6 packages at once, choosing one shingle at a time in order to avoid significant differences in shades if it becomes necessary to restore the roof with products from a different product batch.

Selection of bitumen-polymer composition

Before the soft roof is laid, a mastic is selected that will create a continuous elastic surface that can withstand different types of impacts on the base. According to the technology of laying a flexible roofing surface for installation roll material on the roof you need to use hot and cold mastics.

Cold bitumen-polymer compositions are used for arranging the internal layers of the roofing structure, and hot ones are used as the outer covering. Cold mastics include bitumen and roofing felt, and hot mastics include roofing felt and tar.

The process of preparing bitumen mastic

Mastic can be purchased at the store, ready for use, or you can make it yourself. This will require bitumen, which makes up approximately 80% of the composition, and filler. Take 2 parts bitumen and 1 part filler, resulting in a cold mixture. The bitumen is heated to 180 degrees and diesel fuel and filler are simultaneously prepared. The contents of the two boilers are mixed after the water in the bitumen has evaporated.

To prepare hot mastic, bitumen is first heated in a boiler to 200 degrees, and then filler is slowly added to it. During the process, the temperature of the mixture should not be less than 160 degrees.

Soft roof technology

When a soft roof is laid - step-by-step instruction from the manufacturer will tell the home craftsman how to do it:

1. Before starting installation, wooden surface treated with a mixture of bitumen and diesel fuel.
2. Next, the base is slowly covered with mastic, glassine and roofing felt are laid. The work is carried out starting from the middle of the cornice and moving towards the ends. Before installing soft tiles, remove the film protecting the adhesive side from the shingles. roofing material.
3. After applying a layer of cold mastic, wait 12 hours and cover the base with another layer. When hot mastic is used, the layers can be built one after another. Each tile is nailed with 4 to 6 nails.
4. When laying rolls, an overlap of 7–10 centimeters wide must be observed. Each subsequent top row is positioned so that the installation joints of the previous one are covered. In this case, the new layer being laid is displaced.
5. Excess material is cut off along the edges of the slopes.

How to properly lay tiles around ventilation pipes

Joints near pipes or antennas require insulation and careful fastening of coating materials. Installation can be done easily, but only with the use of pass-through elements. Without these components, the coating will not be sealed. Before laying a flexible roof, you should mark the places where you plan to place ventilation and pipes.

Then you need to create holes, and then glue the edges of the lining material around them using mastic. Top surface The carpet is smeared with the mixture in accordance with the contour of the elements, glued and fixed with nails. Tiles are placed on top of the mastic. Experts recommend treating the junction of the upper part of the passage element with flexible tiles with special sealants.

When the process is brought to the ridge line, the installation of a soft roof involves the use of ridge elements that need to be bent over it, fixed with mastic and secured with nails.

Soft roof repair

How often the need for repair work on the roof will arise depends on the condition of the base on which the tiles are installed. Cement screed and elements made of wooden lumber react differently to the roofing - the nature of the damage depends on this.

First of all, determine the need for roof repairs. To do this, assess the extent of damage. If there are holes in the rolled covering, they need to be filled with mastic. Repair work on this type of roof is carried out in a cleaned area.

Since a special coating is applied to the rolled material, the surface to be restored should be thoroughly cleaned. Crumbs can be removed using process oil. To clean roofing felts, anthracene oil is used, and for roofing felt, solar oil applied to a rag or brush. As a result, the coating will be removed and the surface will be softened, which is important for further repairs.

Then they move on to the main stage. In case of minor defects, the use of a patch and ordinary mastic will be sufficient. But this method is not suitable when all layers of the coating are broken.

When simultaneous damage to several layers is detected on the roof, this area is cleaned of old mastic and accumulated dirt, then dried. Next, they begin to prepare the mastic mixture, to which sand or sawdust is added.

The resulting composition is used to putty all places of damage so as to even out their edges. The mastic should extend beyond the repaired area by at least 10 centimeters. Using hard brushes and brushes, the mixture can be applied even to hard-to-reach places.

If renovation work If they are carried out on a small area, then using a regular spatula will be sufficient. If air bubbles appear in the roofing, repairs are carried out in the same way as they were done with a regular hole. The main thing is timely identification of leak locations.

If cracks appear in the roof covering material, it must be cut down to the bottom layer. Then they clean the damaged area from debris and mastic, dry it and fill it with new mastic. When the cracks are small, they can be repaired without cutting them using a patch and mastic.

If small cracks appear on a large area of ​​the roofing surface, it is prepared for repair and covered with heated mastic.

After completing the restoration of the integrity of the soft roof, it is necessary to renew the layer of topping to prevent overheating of the material and, as a consequence, melting of the mastic. To do this, first smooth the surface and cover it with sand. The coating that does not adhere to the roof will be removed on its own over time.

To complete without any problems installation work yourself, you need to follow the manufacturer’s instructions explaining how to properly lay flexible tiles. You should also follow the recommendations regarding the selection and preparation of mastic. Then the soft roof will last a long time, maintaining its tightness.

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Last revision: 12/03/2014

Currently, there is a fairly large number of roofing materials for roofs that have a long service life and high-quality technical characteristics. However, it is worth paying special attention to soft roofing made from bitumen shingles. It is a multilayer material based on polymer bitumen, reinforced with fiberglass and covered on the bottom with a film or sand layer, and on the outside with a mineral powder of basalt or slate. Flexible tiles have high heat resistance and a long service life.

Features and Benefits

Among the main technical characteristics, which compare favorably with other materials, the following can be distinguished:

1. Plasticity and flexibility, thanks to which you can lay out roofs of a wide variety of geometric shapes without any restrictions. The material will always fit tightly without losing its properties when bent.
2. Minimum amount of waste, since the tiles have small sizes, which allows it to be used more efficiently.
3. To cover a roof with tiles, one person is enough, since its weight is relatively small.
4. Frost resistance down to -45 0 C and heat resistance up to +110 0 C, which makes it possible to use it regardless of the type of climate.
5. High speed and ease of installation.
6. The smooth surface allows you to build roofs with a minimal slope to the horizon.
7. When various precipitation falls on the surface of the tiles, there is completely no noise.
8. The ability to not only choose any color for the roof, but also lay out the image in the form of a mosaic.
9. High safety when lightning strikes the roof of a building, since the material does not conduct electric current.
10. Lack of sail.

Calculation of roofing material

Before covering the roof with a soft roof with your own hands, it is necessary to carry out calculations of building materials to correctly draw up cost estimates. Soft roofing differs significantly in design and installation method from other materials and has its own nuances. The first thing you need to measure and calculate is the surface area of ​​the roof.

For rectangular roofs, the calculation is simple; just multiply the length by the width of each area, and then add up the resulting areas. If the roof has a more complex shape, you need to visually divide it into several simple shapes, calculate their areas, and then add them up. After this, the number of packages that will need to be purchased with a margin of about 3% is calculated. Knowing the total area, the corresponding number of rolls of lining carpet is calculated.

Since specially shaped tiles are used on ridges and cornices, you should calculate their lengths at the second stage in order to buy ready-made ones, rather than waste time cutting solid ones and thereby increasing the amount of waste. Based on the lengths of the gables and cornices, you should also buy the corresponding metal strips.

The third stage is the calculation of consumables. To fasten the tiles, nails are usually used, the number of which is determined by dividing the total roof area in square meters. m by 10, resulting in the mass of fasteners in kilograms. The amount of glue is determined based on the sum of the following lengths in meters: end lengths divided by 10, end parts of the roof divided by 5, and places adjacent to the roof walls divided by 1.4.

Note! All calculated values ​​should be increased upward. For ease of calculations, you can make a drawing based on the measurements.

Installation requirements

Laying bituminous shingles should begin on a carefully prepared surface. In addition, the roof base must meet the following requirements:

1. The sheathing must be strong and rigid to allow maintenance work to be carried out, as well as to withstand the weight of snow and ice. That's why maximum distance between adjacent transverse boards there should be no more than 150 mm and correspond to the length of the tile element. The size of the boards should be 100 x 15 mm. The distance between the longitudinal boards should be equal to two intervals between the transverse ones.
2. The humidity of the boards should be less than 20% and they should be well ventilated.
3. Due to thermal expansion, a gap of 5 mm should be left between the boards.
4. When laying on wooden OSB panels, the seams must coincide with the rafters to strengthen the structure and prevent the sheet from breaking.
5. All wooden parts are treated with antiseptic agents.

Note! A prerequisite is to ensure high-quality roof ventilation in order to prevent ice from freezing on the surface of the tiles, reduce the temperature of the sheathing in the summer, and ensure optimal ventilation. Therefore, ventilation openings should be left at the maximum height to create exhaust, and at the bottom for the influx of air masses.

You should not start laying the lining and tile layers at temperatures below +5 0 C, since the self-adhesive layer will not be able to grab and stick with sufficient strength, and it also increases fragility and there is every chance of damaging the roofing material. In winter, you can carry out work on installing sheathing, insulation, and waterproofing. But if urgent commissioning of the facility is required, then you should purchase or rent special heating equipment that can evenly warm the roof and ensure high-quality setting of the layers. This process is quite complex and requires a lot of experience, so you should not undertake such work yourself in winter, but it is better to wait for warmer weather, or entrust the work to professionals.

Note! A special lining layer must be laid under the flexible tiles, which simultaneously serves as a strengthening and waterproofing layer. It is a material based on fiberglass, coated with bitumen or polyester, with protective coatings in the form of a silicone film on the bottom and a basalt layer on top. Its thickness can be up to 2 mm.

Depending on the angle of inclination, the lining is installed in different ways: up to 18 0, it is laid over the entire surface of the roof, and at a higher angle, in order to save money, it is laid only in the end, eaves and ridge parts. The material is laid starting from the bottom of the roof and ending with the top. Alignment occurs relative to the end and cornice parts. After this, it is secured with nails in the lower part in increments of approximately 200 mm, which ensures sufficient sealing. The next layers are formed by overlapping the previous one by about 100 mm.

Note! In order to protect the cornices from moisture penetration, metal cornice strips should be installed on top of the lining layer.

Laying tiles

Laying the roof with roofing material begins with a cornice with finished tiles. It is laid end-to-end along the slope of the roof and secured with nails. To prevent color unevenness due to the use of elements from different batches, they should be mixed. The tiles can be laid in two ways: at an angle and along the plumb line of the roof.

The first option uses hexagonal row tiles, which are installed from the middle of the roof overhang and ending at the ends of the roof. The first row is laid so that its lower part is located at a distance of 10 mm from the cornice. Each element is secured with 6 nails.

The joints should be covered with the next layer so that the caps from the fasteners are not visible on the surface. The rows are laid at an angle of 45 0. At the ends along the edge, gluing is carried out at a distance of approximately 10 cm from the edge in a uniform layer with a thickness of up to 1 mm. Before applying glue, the surface should be cleaned and degreased. The setting process can last up to 5 minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.

In the second option, rectangular tiles are used. The first row is laid along the cornice line in such a way that the joining points overlap. Each element is nailed with four nails. Subsequent rows are formed by overlapping the previous one. This installation option is the simplest.

Ridge tiles in both versions are laid lengthwise from left to right, overlapping with a distance sufficient to overlap the fasteners and with the base glued. In the end parts it is also necessary to install aerators designed for ventilation. In places where the material borders the heated surfaces of heating pipes, sealing rubber and insulating strips should be used.

Conclusion

Laying tiles is quite profitable both from an economic and operational point of view. A roof covered with flexible material will meet all modern building requirements and standards.

Have you already covered the roof of your house with bitumen shingles? Tell us about your experience with soft roofing by leaving comments on the article.

Video

Watch two videos on installing bituminous shingles:

Reading time ≈ 4 minutes

The use of flexible tiles allows you to give any building a stylish and modern look. You can carry out the work on your own: there will be no difficulties when laying insulating layers or roofing material. The complexity and duration of the work depends only on the shape of the roof, its size and design.

Diagram of a soft roof structure

Where does the installation of flexible tiles begin?

To lay bitumen shingles with your own hands, you will need to create a solid foundation - a rafter structure. It is made of timber with dimensions of 150×50 mm. The distance between adjacent rafters is about 60 cm. The arrangement of the elements determines the future roof structure. But regardless of the size or angle of the slope, the installation of a soft roof will be carried out without any problems. After constructing the rafter system or before assembling the structure, it is recommended to treat the lumber with an antiseptic.

The next stage is vapor barrier of the roof. The layer is installed from the attic (attic) side. Fastening the rolled material starts from the ridge, parallel to the cornice.

TO truss structure the layer is attached with a construction stapler. Each new layer is superimposed on the previous one with an overlap of about 10-15 cm. The joints are secured with foil adhesive tape.

Insulation of soft roofs

Laying of mineral wool insulation is carried out from the outside. The first layer of insulation sheets will be located between the rafters (perpendicular to the eaves). Before laying them, you will need to perform rough sheathing on the attic side. Optimal thickness The insulation layer for the central region of Russia is about 15-20 cm (2 sheets of insulation).

This two-level installation of insulation almost completely eliminates cold bridges.

A layer of vapor diffusion membrane is fixed on top of the insulation. Such a “multi-layer” installation of a soft roof with your own hands will prevent dust from getting onto the mineral wool and prevent the accumulation of precipitation on the insulation.

The material is laid parallel to the cornice with an overlap of layers of 10-15 cm. Additionally, about 15-20 cm of the membrane should extend beyond the insulation contour at the bottom. The material is fastened with a construction stapler, the joints are connected with self-adhesive tape.

Preparation of the ventilation chamber and installation of flexible tiles

The ventilation layer between the base of the roof and the insulation must be at least 5 cm. This is enough to normalize the temperature and remove wet steam. The second layer of counter beam is installed parallel to the rafters.

For work, lumber with parameters of 5x5 cm is used, the distance between adjacent supports is 30 cm. Fastening is done with gaps of 5-10 cm, as shown in the attached photos. Next, the work on arranging and installing a roof made of soft tiles is carried out according to the following step-by-step instructions:

1. A moisture-resistant OSB board is fixed on top of the counterbeam (with a gap between the sheets of 3-4 mm, excluding differences in height of 2 mm).

3. Waterproofing material is laid (transverse overlap - 20 cm; longitudinal overlap - 10 cm) with seams sealed with bitumen mastic.

4. The roof is marked, the soft roof is laid and fixed with rough galvanized nails.

Today, soft roofs not only occupy a leading position in the market, but have become a real discovery for designers and architects. Many styles customized solutions and the possibility of easy implementation on a complex roof structure - what more could you want? The main thing is to achieve absolute tightness between the shingles, on which the durability of the entire coating depends. And the installation of flexible tiles itself will be within your power, believe me, even if this is your first time encountering this type of work!

Therefore, if you carefully read our tips, you will be able to cover even a large roof with the help of one more person. The fact is that even in the factory, shingles are prepared for gluing by applying special solution on bottom layer, and they even make four holes so that you know exactly where to drive in the roofing nails. And now we will tell you about all the intricacies of working with soft roofing.

Once the roof frame is ready, install the vapor barrier as a continuous carpet with inside roof, without gaps, and secure to the rafters using wooden planks. You will then attach the inner lining of the attic to these same planks.

Now take care of the vapor barrier. If the attic is cold, then all the moisture will come out of it on its own, using natural ventilation. But in the case of a residential attic, a vapor barrier is necessary. For this purpose, an additional strip is stuffed on the rafters, a vapor barrier film is rolled out with an overlap and taped with special tape (regular tape is not suitable!).

Next, lay the selected insulation on the outside of the vapor barrier film, preferably staggered. Cover the top with a windproof membrane and secure with bars, which will also later serve to create ventilation channels.

As a result, you should end up with a “layer cake” like this, as roofers like to call it:

We have prepared for you detailed master class, how and in what order everything should happen:

As you noticed from the photos above, laying flexible sheets on the curved lucarnes was not difficult!

Step 2. Installation of continuous flooring

To install flexible tiles, a rigid solid base is required. Therefore, mount a solid carpet of plywood or OSB boards on the prepared sheathing, with a gap of 3-5 mm, which is necessary for deformation from temperature and moisture, and secure it to the rafters with self-tapping screws.

The main requirement for a base for flexible tiles is a flat area and the ability to fix the shingles with nails. Suitable for this purpose are sheets of glued wood shavings like plywood or tongue and groove boards laid end to end. Only the board should be as dry as possible so that waves do not form during drying. But it’s a big mistake to use only the sheathing itself, albeit more frequently, for a soft roof, because already in the first season the entire roof will simply go in waves. And photos with such problems become a real asset for manufacturers who scare their customers with such errors.

Once the base is ready, reinforce the eaves overhang with metal strips. These are laid edgewise on the edge of the base and secured with roofing nails, in increments of 150 mm, in a checkerboard pattern:

Step 3. Selecting and installing the substrate

Now is the time to take care of waterproofing. It is necessary in such difficult places as abutments, joints and valleys. Here the canvases are laid from bottom to top with an overlap of 10 cm in the longitudinal and 15 cm in the transverse direction:

We recommend that you use a specially designed underlay rather than roofing felt or similar material, as is sometimes done. The fact is that they and the finishing roofing coating have different service life, and even conditions of use!

And such an attempt to save money will soon lead to swelling of the entire roofing carpet. In addition, no manufacturer will provide a guarantee for a roof that contains materials from third-party manufacturers.

By the way, until recently, lining carpets were practically not used in Russia, and even today many people try to cheat. This is logical, because by the time the roof is built, it often turns out that the planned budget for the entire house is not enough, and concessions have to be made. But, if you want to lay roofing tiles and forget about it for many decades, then do not give up such an important element.

There is always a risk that water will penetrate into the under-roof space, especially in such difficult places as bypassing chimneys or contact with an installed antenna. There are also emergency situations when strong winds lift shingles during a rainstorm.

Moreover, choosing a roofing carpet is not difficult, because... it is subject to the same requirements as tiles: to be resistant to temperature changes, provide reliable waterproofing and last a long time. A modern market provides many options, both imported and domestic. Moreover, many factories in Russia today operate on European equipment and the quality of their products is not inferior to their foreign counterparts.

In general, underlay carpets come in two types: self-adhesive and with mechanical fixation. Self-adhesive ones are laid mainly in valleys, and mechanical ones are rolled out over the remaining roof area and fixed with galvanized nails:

Here is the process of installing a regular roofing carpet, which will need to be fixed with bitumen mastic:

Here is an example of working with a more modern self-adhesive roofing carpet:

So, a self-adhesive waterproofing carpet is ideal for a valley. And, if the slopes have a slope of more than 18 degrees, then consider laying the carpet in all places of probable leaks, and these are: ribs, ridges, gable overhang and all exits of roofing elements.

But on a roof with a slope of 12 to 18 degrees, you will need a continuous waterproofing carpet. Before this, we recommend placing a self-adhesive bitumen-polymer material, for example, “Barrier”, on the eaves overhangs, and at the same time strive to ensure that the carpet itself is without overlap - continuous along the entire length:

Also insulate ventilation passages and areas around them in advance. skylights and chimneys. Before installing the flexible tiles, coat all the passage elements with bitumen mastic yourself - it’s not difficult.

Before you begin laying shingles, you will also need to strengthen the eaves overhangs. They need to be fixed with roofing nails in increments of 10-15 cm. Here is an educational video lesson on this topic from the company:

Step 4. Selecting fasteners

To secure shingles, you will need special nails with wide heads. It will be extremely important to nail them so that the head is in the same plane with the surface of each shingle, and at the same time does not “crawl” into it. In addition, nails for soft tiles must be galvanized.

Nails for installing soft tiles are divided into the following types:

• Tar paper nails. Their tip is so sharp that when buried in the bitumen layer, they do not violate its integrity. Such nails are produced galvanized or without a protective layer at all. Of course, unprotected ones are the cheapest, but at the same time they are not at all practical and quickly begin to rust. These are only suitable for assembling furniture or constructing temporary sheds.
• Rough nails. They have special teeth on the working rod that are directed towards the cap. These are not easily driven into wood, although it is quite difficult to pull them out even with a nail puller. And most often, during the dismantling process, the heads of rough nails are simply cut off - and that’s it. They fix the roofing so tightly that they are more often used for slate than for soft roofing.
• Club nails They have longitudinal grooves and jumpers on the working rod, and they are less suitable for soft roofing.

We recommend that you use galvanized rough nails with a head diameter of 8-9 millimeters as roofing nails specifically for flexible tiles. They also produce special nails for bitumen shingles, and they differ from their standard counterparts.

These are made from strong steel wire, which is automatically cut into equal pieces, then the workpiece is sharpened on one side, and riveted into the shape of a hat on the other. If you find these on sale, you can buy them.

But it is important that the nails themselves comply with GOST 4030-63: the diameter of the rod is 3.5 mm, and the diameter of the head is at least 8 mm. The thing is that when working with concrete shingles, the most unpleasant moment is when the nails, with the next blow, simply sink into the bitumen layer and thereby violate the integrity of the coating. But the expanded cap will not be able to “sink” so easily. And the larger it is, the better it will hold the shingles, which is why high-quality nails for flexible tiles resemble a pushpin. Moreover, for single-layer and two-layer tiles you will need nails with parameters of 30x3.5 mm, and for three-layer tiles - 45x3.5 mm.

By the way, some would-be builders don’t understand why they can’t just heat up sheets of soft tiles and glue them to the flooring, why exactly nails and all the fuss associated with them? In fact, the use of open fire on such a roof is prohibited due to basic considerations fire safety. So, forget about this risky idea and rent an automatic appliance.

Step 5: Place the starting strip

Now let’s move on directly to laying flexible tiles. It starts from the starting line. As such you can take:

• a pattern from ordinary tiles, for example shingles with cut petals, if you are working with collections " Tango" or " Trio»;
• universal ridge-eaves tiles, especially if you work with “ Chord», « Sonata" or " Jazz».

If it's more convenient for you to start with the eaves tiles, lay them on top of the metal strip, stepping back a little from the bend. Next, nail it down, but keep in mind that the longer and steeper the slope, the greater the indentation from the point of inflection should be:

Here's what laying the starting strip looks like in practice:

Step 6. Installation of different types of shingles

Now let's unpack the shingles. The main requirement for their installation is dry, warm weather, because it is undesirable to lay bitumen shingles at temperatures less than +5°C, because in areas where it will need to be bent, it will be difficult to avoid cracks.

If you still have to fasten shingles in such conditions, then preventive maintenance will be needed: the sheets are heated with a construction hairdryer and bent to metal pipe about 10 cm in diameter. But it's better not to do that.

Calculating the required number of shingles is not difficult: take one sheet, measure the area that will be visible, find out the area of ​​the slope and divide the second by the first. Here is valuable advice on how to calculate and prepare flexible tiles for installation:

Of course, if you have a diamond eye, you can get by with detailed calculations, but the marking lines serve as excellent guides along which you can align the tiles both vertically and horizontally. Especially if you are laying soft roofing for the first time.

Believe me, tearing off several sheets and reattaching them to fix a jamb is not the most fun. And absolutely without markings, if some element is embedded in the roof or the overall geometry of the slope is broken. Tools such as a hammer, a plumb line and a level will help you in this matter.

As we have already said, usually, for convenience, ready-made shingles are marked with small holes in the factory so that you know exactly where to hammer the nails. If there are none (for example, in the cheapest collections), then simply step back 2-3 cm from the edge and be guided by this illustration:

In each case, the place where the nail is driven will directly depend on the shape of the cut of the tile itself. It is only important that each nail simultaneously pierces both the lower and upper edges of all sheets, and if you are laying flexible tiles on slopes with an angle of 45°, then top corners The shingles also need to be fixed additionally.

The entire procedure for laying flexible tiles is not complicated, here are the instructions for the process itself:

1. Before installation, mix shingles from several sticks to minimize variations in shade. The fact is that even in one mail the color can differ so much that you will be surprised, and such incidents will be very noticeable on the roof.
2. If the slope is long enough, start laying the tiles from its center and level it horizontally. And the second row is already shifting the shingles to the left or right by half a sheet. Shift the third and all subsequent rows relative to the previous one, also half the petal, left or right, depending on which direction you initially chose.
3. You need to start laying tiles on a slope with a lesser slope, and you should approach a steeper slope by at least 30 cm. On a steeper slope, it is recommended to knock off the chalk lines so as not to get lost. Now cut the tiles on a more slope along this new line, and after fixing, coat them with bitumen mastic where there is no self-adhesive layer on the back side.
4. Lay the tiles from bottom to top, moving away from the edge of the drip edges. Here you will need to lay special ridge-eaves tiles. By the way, you can replace it with a regular one if you cut the petals.

Now secure the shingles. An automatic tool is good for this, especially if it runs on electricity. The main thing is that when choosing a model, take care of your own safety: the trigger mechanism should be comfortable, with protection against an accidental shot and the ability to remove a stuck nail without any risk. After all, usually a hammer is more intended for small household work, and professional roofers rarely use it.

The only point: if the special roofing nails do not fit the gun, take a ready-made clip of nails with a wide flat head. They differ in that they are interconnected thin wire. This kind of tape is inserted into the chamber and the nail is fed one after another. This is much more convenient when working at heights: you don’t need to look for bunches, you don’t need to expose your fingers to the blow, and the fastening itself will be of better quality than when you are already too tired on the 501st nail. The main thing is to follow the basic technology: the nail must be driven in strictly perpendicular to the plane of the shingle.

Remember, if some shingle was not securely fixed, then over time it will loosen its fastening and fly off with a gust of wind. And the nail itself, lifted by the wind, will tear the sheet, shaking the neighboring one. And all this will lead to leakage and necessary repairs. Of course, it will not be possible to completely avoid problem areas, which is why periodic inspection of such a roof is necessary.

Now let's look at the features of installing shingles different types. So, from a single-layer tile before installation you need to remove protective film, which is always located on both sides of the shingle. Why is she? The fact is that this roofing covering is transported by ordinary trucks both in the heat and in the heat, but we are still talking about bitumen.

But in collections with such cuts as “ Dragon tooth", there is no film, it is only important to choose a beautiful pattern or lay it chaotically, simply mixing shingles.

And how exactly to work with each type of shingle cutting, the following illustrations will help you:

Next, if you have to work with a complex roof, you have two ways to lay shingles: segmented and seamless. In the first method, divide the corner or cone into equal segments, and lay each of them separately. And in this way, cover the entire roof. The seamless method is more complicated: here it is important to make the correct marking of the slope and navigate according to it. Think and choose the one that seems more convenient to you.

Step 7. Fastening the tiles in the valleys

And now – about the most problematic areas of the roof. You can organize the valleys, namely the internal curves of the roof, in two ways: open and closed, which is also called the undercut method. The main thing is then to make a triangular strip at the junction of the roof and the wall and place tiles under it.

In addition, if the wall is brick, it must be plastered and treated with a bitumen primer. The upper part of the junction must then be covered with a metal apron, which must be secured and inserted into the grooves, and then sealed:

Step 8. Laying ridge and spine tiles

Next, we will understand the concepts of ridge tiles. As you might guess, these are the shingles that cover the ridge of the roof. All other tiles are called ordinary tiles. By the way, spine tiles are obtained when the ridge-cornice tile is divided into three parts, or they are cut out from ordinary ordinary tiles using the perforation method.

To correctly lay the spine tiles, use a cord to mark off the dimensions of the future ridge - these are two stripes along it, and lay the spine tiles from the bottom up. Then secure the shingles with nails on each side and make sure that the overlap of the overlying shingles overlaps the nails by 5 cm.

Stacked ridge tiles from the side that is opposite to the so-called wind rose (you can find out about this from your neighbors or from the wind map). Then everything is the same as during the laying of the ridge. If there is no self-adhesive layer in the right places, coat it with mastic.

Now let's move on to the ribs. Here the ordinary tiles should be cut so that there is a distance of 3 to 5 mm between adjacent slopes:

Here's another great tutorial that walks you through the details of the process:

And another example of neat work:

Step 9. Finishing work with additional elements

And finally, finishing work. The installation of flexible tiles is always completed by installing a ridge aerator. To do this, a special groove is cut along all the slopes, and an aerator is inserted into it. It is fixed with nails and covered with special ridge tiles.

Also, special additional elements are made for soft roofing - these are the lower parts of the roof passages, which are popularly called “skirts”. And to prevent snow from accumulating behind ventilation and chimney pipes, especially when their cross-section exceeds 50x50 cm, you need to organize a groove. In short, you will need the following elements:

So, your roof is ready, and all that remains is to properly care for it. To do this, once every six months, use a soft brush to sweep away all small debris, leaves and branches, from the roof. The main thing is not to use sharp tools, because it is important not to scratch the basalt chips. And clean your gutters and funnels from time to time.

Fortunately, a roof made of flexible tiles is highly repairable: it is enough to heat the damaged area, remove it and lay new tiles. It's just a matter of one day!