Specifically there are two main reasons to use a ballasted roof system.
Why put stones on flat roofs.
2 to break up the rain into fine mists and keep the noise level down.
What are tar gravel roofs or built up roofs.
The stones force it to stay put.
A built up roof bur sometimes called a tar and gravel roof is a tried and true style of flat roof.
Both factors can extend the life of your flat roof.
All three types of flat roofing cost 250 to 350 per square 100 square feet but prices vary according to region and size of the roof.
This is the protective cover that keeps the layers of tar and bitumen from deteriorating in the weather.
We had to replace a big portion of our flat roof recently.
Here alternating layers of roofing felt usually fiberglass and hot applied asphalt are combined to create a long lasting roof system.
For mineral based felting the pebbles are there to help protect the felting as ballast depending on the fitting type and to help prevent water pooling aparantly.
These small stones are worth more than their weight in the protection they offer for underlying roofing materials and the barrier they provide to external elements like ultraviolet rays and harsh weather elements.
The first is to protect the underlying layer of roofing materials on built up roofs burs and the second is to secure or weigh down the roofing material as is the case with single ply flat roofs.
We used on a flat roof bitumen mastic to plug a hole we then painted with a water proof roofing paint.
Contractors and builders use gravel on flat roofing for two primary reasons.
No stones for us as it was a bay window.
Flat roofs usually come with a 10 to 20 year warranty but can last 25 years if you build the roofs right and maintain them using commonsense rules.
But as said the stones help the roof from bubbling etc from the sun.
A layer of gravel or small stones is applied on top of the final coating of asphalt to protect the roof from the elements including.
There are different types and weights of gravel used on flat roofs for these purposes.
The gravel prevents sun hail errant baseballs etc from damaging the membrane the all important moisture seal created by the tar paper and tar.
The chips act as a barrier between non solar reflective felt and the sun basically help prolong its life span of the felt if its green mineral on your new roof you will not have to chip it as the minerals are solar reflective.
Built up roof bur the traditional hot tar and gravel.
Gravel to protect built up roofs.
Stone is also used as a ballast for single ply membrane roofing.
3 to protect the roofing felt from perishing and heat melting the bitumen.
Having a large flat roof this is something that i pondered on too.
There are several reasons flat roofs have stones.
On more expensive mebrane rooves you dont need pebbles.