BITUMEN OR COATED?

Which system will give you the best results in a roof waterproofing project?

With asphalt membrane we achieve a greater thickness of waterproofing compared to coated materials, but with coated materials we achieve a single waterproofing membrane without joints.

But let's take a closer look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems:

Bitumen waterproofing    

Advantages 

• Large sealing thickness.
• Long lifespan (a combination of good application and material quality is a basic requirement).
• Application on lightweight substrates (foam concrete, lightweight concrete, percrete, perlite, etc.).
• Writing samples is a waterproofing system which has been applied for several decades with numerous projects and applications. 

Disadvantages

• Difficult to apply where there are many vertical elements on the roof (railings, solar bases, etc.)
• Creating waterproofing membrane with many joints and connections.
• Substrate transpiration (the use of a vapour diffusion layer and ventilators is necessary).
• Basic requirement is the existence of slopes on the roof.

If you are interested in learning more about the technical characteristics of, asphalt membrane click here.

Waterproofing by coating

Advantages 

• Creation of a single waterproofing membrane (monolithic construction) without joints and connections.
• High degree of reflection of solar radiation (especially with the addition of INSULADD).
• Waterproofing of surfaces regardless of the number of vertical elements on them. 
• Possibility of upgrading the system, even for the installation of table seats (especially in polyurethane systems with the addition of a protective coating).

Disadvantages

• Short duration of effect if the appropriate consumption based on specifications is not applied. 
• Reduced application possibilities in lightweight concrete (foam concrete, lightweight concrete, perlite concrete, etc.).
• Ignorance of technical characteristics and quality of results (unfortunately there are people who promise results inversely proportional to the properties of the materials).

If you are interested in learning more about the application of coated waterproofing materials, click here.

These are some general observations, regarding the selection of the optimal system to apply to a roof waterproofing project.

The condition of the surface and the use of it plays an important role.