Tar and Gravel roof repair and replacement is a service offered by Arcamm Roofing, Insulation & Eavestrough within Toronto and surrounding areas.
A tar and gravel roof comprises of layers of tar paper and asphalt adhered with molten asphalt applications. The laminated layers receive a top finish of gravel, a little of which will become embedded within the hot asphalt, and a little of which will lay loose on the roof’s surface. The gravel’s purpose is to protect the asphalt from the damaging effect of exposure to sunlight. Also, it offers a nice finished look if maintained well. Its life expectancy is two decades.
The complexities will arise while doing replacement or repair, or addressing poorly performed past repairs. Houses which are 30 – 50 years old certainly will have had a little roof work done. Within most instances, several generations of gravel and twill have been applied. It’s a problem for numerous reasons– mainly that gravel and tar doesn’t do well with several layers.
The process for subsequent roofing layers includes sweeping the loose gravel from the roof and applying new layers of hot asphalt and tar paper. If the fresh roof is walked on, the roof membrane likely will be punctured underfoot. As the membrane receives a hole, even a small one, moisture may get between the roofing layers, expand in the heat, and cause a division between layers, referred to as a blister. Especially in cool weather, the blisters will become very brittle and exposed to more damage by foot traffic. If the blister is broken, a massive water retaining pocket will be opened, and increase the odds of leaks.
