What Built-Up Roofing Is
Before deciding whether built up roofing fits your building, it helps to understand what it is and how it works. BUR is a distinct flat roof system with a long history and characteristic construction. Here is what built up roofing is on a Huntington commercial building.
A Multi-Ply Assembly
Built up roofing is fundamentally a multi ply assembly, built up from multiple layers rather than a single membrane. These layers are combined on the roof to create a thick, robust roofing system, which is where the name built up comes from. For a Huntington building, understanding that BUR is a multi ply assembly explains its basic nature, since it is constructed from several layers built up together. The multiple layers are the defining feature. This multi ply assembly is the foundation of understanding built up roofing, since the system is built up from multiple layers on the roof, creating a thick, robust membrane that gives BUR its characteristic strength and redundancy on the commercial building.
Layers of Bitumen and Felts
A built up roof is made of alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing felts, with the bitumen providing waterproofing and the felts providing reinforcement. The bitumen, a form of asphalt or tar, is applied between layers of felt to create the waterproof, reinforced membrane. For a Huntington building, understanding that BUR is layers of bitumen and felts explains its construction, since these alternating layers are what make up the roof. The bitumen waterproofs and the felts reinforce. These layers of bitumen and felts are what built up roofing is made of, since the alternating layers of waterproofing bitumen and reinforcing felt are built up to create the membrane, combining waterproofing and reinforcement in a layered system on the commercial building.
The Gravel or Surfacing
A built up roof is typically topped with a protective surface, often gravel, which is where the name tar and gravel comes from. The gravel or other surfacing protects the bitumen layers beneath from UV and the elements, extending the roof's life. For a Huntington building, understanding the gravel or surfacing explains a key part of BUR, since the protective surface shields the waterproofing layers. The surfacing protects the membrane. This gravel or surfacing is a characteristic part of built up roofing, since the protective surface, often gravel, shields the bitumen layers from the UV and weather that would otherwise degrade them, helping the roof last and giving BUR its tar and gravel name on the commercial building.
Why It Is Called Tar and Gravel
Built up roofing is commonly called tar and gravel because of its construction, the bitumen or tar that waterproofs the layers and the gravel that surfaces the roof. The name describes the two most visible characteristics of the system. For a Huntington building, understanding why BUR is called tar and gravel connects the common name to the actual construction, since the tar and the gravel are what people see and recognize. The name reflects the materials. This tar and gravel name is how built up roofing is commonly known, since the bitumen that waterproofs the layers and the gravel that surfaces the roof are its defining materials, making tar and gravel a recognizable description of the system on the commercial building.
A Time-Tested System
Built up roofing is a time tested system, with one of the longest track records of any flat roof system on commercial buildings. Generations of use have demonstrated its durability and performance, making it a system contractors and building owners have long trusted. For a Huntington building, this time tested status is part of BUR's appeal, since a system with generations of demonstrated performance carries credibility. The long history backs up its reliability. This time tested status is part of what makes built up roofing dependable, since its long track record on commercial buildings, longer than most flat roof systems, demonstrates the durability and performance that have made it a trusted choice for generations on commercial buildings.
Built for Redundancy
Built up roofing is built for redundancy, with its multiple plies providing a margin of protection if one layer is compromised. The layered construction means the roof does not depend on a single membrane, adding resilience that is a hallmark of the system. For a Huntington building, the redundancy of BUR is a valuable characteristic, since the multiple layers provide backup protection. The redundancy adds reliability. This redundancy is a defining characteristic of built up roofing, since building the roof up in multiple plies means that if one layer is compromised, others still provide protection, giving BUR a resilience that has long been one of its key strengths on the commercial building.
Understanding Built-Up Roofing
Built up roofing is a multi ply assembly of bitumen and reinforcing felts, topped with gravel or another surface, commonly called tar and gravel. This time tested system, built for redundancy, has protected commercial buildings for generations, making it a dependable flat roof choice for a Huntington commercial building.
Planning ahead pays off with built up roofing, since the decision between repairing an existing roof and replacing it is better made deliberately than under the pressure of a failing roof. A building owner who understands the condition of their BUR roof can plan, budget, and choose the timing rather than reacting to an emergency. For a Huntington building, this foresight turns a major roofing decision into a managed one. Huntington Commercial Roofing helps owners understand where their built up roof stands through honest assessment, so the choice between repair and replacement, and the selection of the right surfacing or replacement system if needed, can be made deliberately, protecting the building before an aging roof becomes a leaking one on the commercial property.
Learn if BUR Fits Your Roof
Considering built up roofing for your flat roof? Call Huntington Commercial Roofing at (765) 676-3491 for a free inspection of your Huntington commercial building. We handle BUR repair and replacement, and we will help you understand whether built up roofing is the right system for your flat roof.