TL;DR

Modified bitumen roofing is durable, flexible, and ideal for flat or low-slope roofs, especially in industrial and commercial buildings.

It provides excellent weather resistance, making it suitable for extreme climates and roofs with heavy foot traffic or rooftop storage.

Installation is easier with industrial adhesives, offering a safer process compared to older heat-based methods.

While durable and energy-efficient, it may not be the best choice for roofs prone to ponding or those requiring lightweight materials.

Modified bitumen roofs offer excellent waterproofing and insulation, but can be heavy and more costly to install than single-ply options.

Key Benefits of Modified Bitumen Roofing:

• Durability: Modified bitumen is renowned for its exceptional lifespan and resistance to wear and tear, making it an ideal choice for industrial and commercial buildings.
• Flexibility: The addition of polymers ensures flexibility, even in extreme temperatures, preventing cracks and leaks.
• Easy Installation: Modern installation methods utilize industrial adhesives, providing a safer and more efficient process compared to older techniques, such as heat welding.
• Weather Resistance: Its resistance to UV rays, heat, and cold makes it a reliable choice for regions with extreme climates.

Modified bitumen roofing originated from traditional built-up roofing systems, evolving to provide improved performance and longer durability. It is particularly well-suited for buildings with flat or low-slope roofs, such as warehouses, factories, and commercial buildings with heavy foot traffic or rooftop storage facilities.

Applications of Modified Bitumen Roofing:

• Flat or Low-Slope Roofs: Its flexible nature makes it perfect for roofs with low slopes, which can sometimes cause water pooling and leakage.
• Heavy Foot Traffic Areas: Modified bitumen is ideal for roofs that require withstanding constant foot traffic, such as rooftops with HVAC units or storage areas.

Protect Your Business with Modified Bitumen Roofing

As a Texas business owner, you work hard. You carefully consider how to manage your business, and you take pride in its success. 

Along the way, you’ve been forced to learn about a lot of things outside of your original expertise. You had to learn enough IT to keep the business running. You also need to learn about real estate, property, insurance, and other related topics.  To top that list, you’re also responsible for your building’s roof. It’s a lot to know, but thankfully, you have resources like Redline Roofing to help fill in any knowledge gaps. With that in mind, we would like to take a moment to introduce you to modified bitumen roofing.

What Is Modified Bitumen?

Modified bitumen is a common choice for industrial roofing. It is a multilayer roofing option designed for roofs with low slopes. It doesn’t belong on pitched roofs. Instead, it is ideal for a flat roof with a mild slope that manages water runoff.

The key to modified bitumen is in the layers. The layers consist of asphalt, polymerized rubber (or thermoplastic), and fiberglass reinforcement. All of these layers go above an insulation layer, making this a robust roofing option. Modified bitumen is very strong, making it ideal for roofs that support storage or experience heavy foot traffic.

How Is Mod Bit Roof Installed?

Most of the layers in modified bitumen are pre-manufactured into rolls. Once the insulation layer is established, the first layer of modified bitumen is rolled across the roofing substrate. It is fastened using industrial adhesives. Older versions of modified bitumen would use welding or other heat applications, but these days, adhesives are considered safer and more reliable.

Each layer is attached to the previous layer, and finally, the asphalt is put down as a final topping layer. Asphalt alternatives are available for roofing that aims to maximize thermal efficiency or other specific aspects of the roof.

When Is Modified Bitumen Best Used? 

As stated before, modified bitumen is ideal for large, flat, industrial rooftops. The best options will be un-walled roofs that allow for easy water draining. While modified bitumen can handle some ponding, it is designed primarily for roofs where ponding is not a common occurrence. 

When it comes to rooftops in use, modified bitumen is often the very best roofing option. It is extremely durable, making it ideal for rooftop storage, and the asphalt layer makes for safe footing. That is why it is preferred for rooftops with frequent foot traffic

What Are the Pros and Cons of Modified Bitumen?

There are many aspects to modified bitumen. The multilayer design has several advantages and disadvantages. Below, you’ll see the most prevalent options of both to help you better decide whether this might be the right roofing choice for your building.

Of course, you can always consult an expert to have a comprehensive conversation and gain a deeper understanding of your roofing options. Until then, here’s the quick list to help you see what modified bitumen has to offer.

Pros

In most cases, the benefits of modified bitumen outweigh the drawbacks, which is why it is such a popular roofing choice. First, it is extremely durable. The multiple layers are difficult to puncture and crack, and each layer provides redundant durability to the whole roof. By that same token, modified bitumen is very waterproof. As long as ponding isn’t an issue, these roofs very rarely leak, as each layer provides a watertight seal.

As mentioned earlier, modified bitumen is ideal for rooftop storage and foot traffic, making it one of the safest roofing options in both cases. It is also flexible, which makes it unlikely to fracture even in the face of extreme temperature ranges. Additionally, modified bitumen is also energy-efficient. The multiple layers provide good insulation, and depending on the type of modified bitumen chosen, it is possible to achieve high solar reflectivity, thereby reducing heat costs during the warm months.

Cons

Although modified bitumen can be highly effective, it’s not ideal for all roofs. Because it has multiple layers, it is a heavy roofing option, and that can disqualify it as an option for many roof designs.

It also struggles with ponding. Infrequent ponding is not a problem for modified bitumen, but other materials are better suited for rooftops that lack clear water drainage. Frequent ponding can prematurely wear out modified bitumen, leading to various roofing issues. Modified bitumen is not highly flammable, but there are roofing options that are even more flame-resistant.  Lastly, modified bitumen installation is more involved than single-ply roofs. This can raise the installation costs for a new roof.

Redline Roofing Is Here to Help

If a modified bitumen roof sounds like it might be right for your building, contact Redline Roofing today. We’ll discuss all of your options so that you know what is available and how to get a great deal on the perfect roof for your building.