Bitumen membrane

A bitumen membrane is a roll of polymer-modified bitumen with a polyester or glass-fibre reinforcement inside. It is laid on the roof in overlapping strips and heated with a torch, so the underside melts and bonds to the slab and at the seams. It has been one of the most common ways to waterproof flat roofsFlat roof (roof terrace)The flat concrete roof on top of a building. It is the most common kind of roof in Greece and the part that takes the most sun and rain. in Greece for decades.

It stands up to foot traffic, so it suits roofs that are used. Some types have mineral chippings on top that protect them from the sun. Its weak points are the seams between sheets and the corners at the parapetsParapetThe low wall around the edge of a flat roof or balcony. The joint between it and the floor is one of the most common places for leaks., which need careful work.

Over the years the sun dries it out: it wrinkles, tears and comes unstuck, and water gets underneath and spreads. Once a membrane has come loose over a large area, patching rarely solves the problem, and it is usually stripped off before new waterproofingWaterproofingThe work and materials that stop water getting through on flat roofs, balconies, bathrooms, basements, planters and tanks. goes on.