Advantages of a tar and gravel roof.
Tar and gravel roof vs shingles.
Bur built up roof and membrane systems.
The angle of the roof many of these roofs are made of poured tar and gravel.
The old tar and gravel roof type has been used on relatively flat roofs for over 50 years but many newer systems and specific material types including modified membrane systems are becoming increasingly available in residential applications.
What are tar gravel roofs or built up roofs.
Of all the flat roofing options a tar and gravel roof is the most economical.
Built up roofs or burs also called a tar and gravel roof is a well established and popular style of flat roof that is made up of alternating layers of roofing felt or fiberglass and asphalt that is applied with heat which combine to make a long lasting sturdy roofing system.
Because granule loss is one of the signs that a roof is getting older it is used by inspectors as a gauge of roof condition and a way to estimate additional roof life.
In the early 1900s organic asphalt shingles became the primary roofing option and dominated for the next 70 years with little innovation.
Also a tar and gravel roof is very rugged and safe to walk on.
Some other aging clues are curling at shingle corners lack of tab adhesion and broken off pieces as the shingles get more brittle with age.
Most companies that don t like tar and gravel roofs base their underwriting decision on the fact that it cost more to replace this type of roof than a standard shingle roof.