Roofing question--ping nailshooter.

Backalong you gave me a suggestion that seemed eminently sensible concerining the use of SBS on the roof of a shed attached to a garage. Well, I spent the last month pretty much tearing down the shed and rebuilding it and now it's ready for a roof, so I went out to get an unsanded nonadhesive base ply for SBS and found that no such is sold north of Baltimore, at least not under any brand name that I can identify.

So, checking the GAF site I find that Liberty can be applied to ASTM D226. The local code also requires that ice and water shield or an equivalent be applied directly to the decking on a low slope roof section.

The local guys generally if they use Liberty apparently put Liberty cap directly on Weather Watch.

Now, I have a roll of Deck Armor, which I was going to use for underlayment on the main part of the roof. Deck Armor meets D226 structural requirements. What I'm thinking about doing is putting Weather Watch down on the shed roof to meet code, then Deck Armor over it and Liberty Base and Cap on top of that, using the Deck Armor as the base layer instead of the StormSafe or Liberty Base MA products that are purpose-made for that use but which are unavailable here.

Am I shooting myself in the foot to do that? The only real risk I can see is if the Liberty Base doesn't stick to the Deck armor and if that happens then I get to pull it off and replace it with somethine else--if it's not stuck down then that shouldn't be all that horrible a job. I wouldn't expect to be an issue though--the adhesive on shingles will stick to it so I'd assume that the Liberty Base would as well.

The alternative is to have a friend in Atlanta get a roll of StormSafe or Liberty Base MA and send it to me. I'd rather avoid that though.

Reply to
J. Clarke
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SNIP

No matter where you are there has to be a sensible solution available locally. Can you refresh my memory as to what the final exposed roofing was to be? Was it shingle?

What is the final pitch?

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

Liberty cap sheet.

1.5 inches per foot.

Thanks.

Reply to
J. Clarke

I wondered if you changed it as you mentioned shingle in the second post.

Not at all. I had to take a moment and check on that as roofing vendors sell materials that are engineered for different regions. They blend the products they use differently to resist the problems of the area (for example, it is already 100 degrees during the day here, but it won't snow, and may never freeze this year) and sell the under different product names.

The 3 ply roof you specified should work great if you install it exactly as you described. Any experienced roofer would be pleased with your detailing.

A couple of notes on the installation.

The ice&water shield/barrier around the perimeters directly adhered to the deck is good. The Deck Armor is good (this appears to be a treated polyester reinforced scrim as opposed to a cotton fiber asphalt dipped product) but it will need help. As you build your bases, it is just like building your house. The next layer up is only as good as the layer below it.

Since this is a small roof, I would not go to the expense of the plastic capped nails for the Deck Armor to secure it to the deck. But it must be secured well as the "base" for the SBS base sheet. Buy a box of 1 1/2" or 2" tin caps and nail off the roof with your nail gun (or by hand) with your nails not being more than 16" inches apart. If you have wind concerns, shorten that distance to no more than 12" apart with tin caps under every nail. We usually staple the sheet down with the tacker and then go back and tin cap the material. Don't be stingy with your nails and tin caps as they will actually be holding the roof in place. When you work your perimeters, put the nail/tin caps no more than 8" apart to lock down the wind affected areas.

We actually put small roofs on (less the ice&water which isn't needed here) using 30# felt as the first base to dry it in, then a water repellent polyester scrim sheet (from a lot of manufacturers) then the cap sheet on top.

We have found a couple of things that really make the roofs last well, and don't cost much to do. We double the base sheet. This provides a little more roofing underlayment to move and work with the roof, and it helps the surface weather better. I honestly don't know why, but I got that detail from Allied Signal/Honeywell many years ago, and it works great. We stagger the laps on the underlayment so that no joints, horizontal or lateral, are ever in line or even close. We nail the first layer lightly enough to hold it in place, then nail the snot out of the second layer.

We also nail the lap edge of the cap sheet that is covered by the next sheet. You will have a "selvedge" edge which is the top of the roll. Nail this down (we use a gun) even though it is self adhered. Nails go 6" (!) apart along the selvedge and are covered by the next sheet. This is especially important when you have even a minor slope, but at

1 in 12, you could probably nail every 8".

Next, we don't use official/recommened SBS perimeter metal edge. We had nothing but problems with it, so it isn't used unless specified. We found that the SBS will shrink as it grows old and will recede from the perimeter of the SBS edge, causing leaks. We use 2X2 drip edge (a standard material), nailed every 16", each joint lapped 6" and sealed with adhesive (NP1 or Sonneborn) before securing the lap joint. This is actually a pretty standard commercial detail. Make sure you prime all the metal or your SBS will come up in just a few months. Run your cap and base out an inch from the metal.

Should you decide to add venting to this, if you use a turbine, prime the metal and install the SBS on it. Then come back and caulk with NP1 around the collar. Trust me on this one. If you add ridge vent, lap all the way over the ridge to have a dry lap. Cut your slot, and use shingles to finish it off, not SBS.

armor > and if that happens then I get to pull it off and replace it with somethine

I wouldn't > expect to be an issue though--the adhesive on shingles will stick to it so I'd > assume that the Liberty Base would as well.

Oh, don't worry about that. You will be surprised at how well it will stick! If it is a warm day, you will think you are applying bubble gum.

One more thing. When you are ready to start installing your base sheets, take out the cap sheet and roll it out on the driveway (NOT the yard - the moisture will screw it up) and leave it out in the sun for an hour or a little more. Let it get good and warm, but not too hot to handle. Rolling it out on the driveway allows it to relax from being tightly wound on the core, and it will all but eliminate wrinkles and seized spots.

When applied, you may have a spot that doesn't adhere for one reason or another. Buy a tube of roofing tar in a tube, lift up what you can in the offending spot and shoot it with the tar. Put a weight in the spot and wait a week. It will be adhered.

SECRET ROOFER TRICK: If you get a bubble, don't worry. Make a tiny hole in the bubble and try to step on it to make it adhere. The hole will let out the air in the bubble, and then you can put a tiny spot of sealer on the hole. But for a stubborn bubble, take a sharp blade in your utility knife and cut a small slice into the bubble on one side. This is a vent; cut a slice large enough to get your caulk gun nozzle into it on the other side of the bubble. Squirt adhesive into the hole, making sure the vent is open. Work the adhesive across the bubble towards the vent hole. That should take care of it.

Good luck...

Let me know how you do!

Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

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