People often live with the misconception that waterproofing should only be done if you’re living in a rain-fed region. This is wrong because waterproofing helps prevent mold and mildew from penetrating the walls and floor. Moreover, you can save a lot of maintenance costs that arise due to seepage issues.
Recently, there are many new liquid products available in the market to waterproof a flat roof. Solvent-free or water filled with resins is some of the most common options. However, the high-quality Bitumen membrane waterproofing is by far the best option.
When it comes to waterproofing services, bitumen roof paint and membrane is one of the most affordable and convenient methods to work on your roof. If you can safely work on the top of your house, you won’t need a professional to perform this task for you.
How do The Bitumen Water proofers work?
Bitumen membranes are the cheapest options available in the market. When using this methodology, it is recommended that you start off with a primer. Bring a good quality bitumen roof paint and a sunlight reflective coating. These are some important materials, you can also bring a scrim, which isn’t mandatory.
Additionally, it is recommended to have your surface cleaned and properly dried first, and proceed by applying a very thin coat of bitumen primer to set as a base. You’ll find two variants of Bitumen paints in the market; the water-based and the solvent-based. Both of them work fine, however, the solvent-based is better because it dries faster to help in recoating and it waterproofs your roof quicker in comparison to a water-based solution.
The benefit of using bitumen is that it’s compatible with almost everything- asphalt, concrete, cement, and even metal sheets.
The Space Bitumen Paint Covers
Generally, the bitumen paint covers a 1-meter pet litre in a coat. So for instance, if your flat roof is around 12m2, two full coats can do the job for you. A 25-litre big drum will be enough to cover the whole area.
How Long Does The Bitumen Roof Paint Last?
The often asked question is how long will the bitumen coating last? There isn’t any objective answer to this question, because this mostly depends on your roof. Better the condition of your roof, the more years Bitumen paint will survive. Let’s say if your roof is filled with cracks, or the wood beneath is starting to rot, chances are, in this case, that the bitumen won’t last for long. 12 months or so will be the maximum period you can expect before feeling the need to have it done again. However, if your roof is well-maintained, you may forget about the next maintenance session for years.
For cracked roofs, you can also use scrim, use the bitumen coat twice or make use of the solar reflective coating.
Coverage Of Bitumen Primer
The bitumen primer is made to enhance the bond adhesion of bitumen membranes with a lot of different kinds of substrates. The dilute solvent in the primer evaporates quickly which helps in fast and strong bonding with the base. Spread the primer to the whole area and make sure the coating is thin, with no puddles. If there are cracks, the coverage will be reduced, but it will still cover around 6m2 per litre.
How To Maintain Bituminous Waterproofing Sheets
When renovating your rooftops, it is very important that you carefully analyze the condition of your roof before choosing the right product.
If you have a big roof that is smooth and free of cracks, you may use polymer-bitumen membranes, despite overlapping with the membrane that already exists. However, you should choose water-based bituminous membranes when overlapping on existing membranes because it helps in adhesion and properly bonding the two membranes.
It is recommended that you use liquid membrane if the roof surface is old and irregular.
Sunlight Reflective Paints And Coatings
There are several benefits of using a solar reflective paint on a roof coated with bitumen membrane. First and foremost, the sun reflective coating protects your surface from the harmful intense UV light which will prevent your sealant to dry out. Moreover, heat will not penetrate your place and it also increases the look and feel of your roof. Generally, when you apply a solar reflective paint, it’s very bright and shiny, but over time, the color fades and it settles down a to a nice-looking grey color. The paint has a nice coverage as well, you can expect to cover around 10m2 in a litre.
