Base flashing
Two-ply flashing up walls and parapets fastened at the top.
Flat Roofing
Modified Bitumen Roofing Rahway, NJ
A roofer in Rahway can install, repair or replace a modified bitumen roof, the layered asphalt membrane often called torch-down, and match the method to the building and its fire risk. Dial (908) 562-6861 to talk through modified bitumen with a local roofer.
Modified bitumen is asphalt with rubber or plastic polymers mixed in, made into reinforced rolls that go down in two or more layers. The two main types are SBS, which is rubbery and flexible in cold weather, and APP, which is more plastic-like and is usually torched. With two or three plies, the finished roof is thick and puncture resistant.
How the sheets are applied matters as much as which sheets are used. Torch-down uses an open flame to melt the back of the sheet onto the layer below, which makes strong laps but calls for strict fire safety near wood and insulation. Self-adhered and cold-adhesive systems avoid the flame and are often chosen for homes and occupied buildings.
Mod bit fails in predictable ways, which helps when you call. Watch for raised blisters, alligator cracking, bare patches and open laps, especially near walls and drains. Also mention any past coatings or cement patches, which the roofer will need to deal with.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Rahway roofer may also recommend flat roof replacement or flat roof repair.
Dealing with this in Rahway, NJ right now? Call (908) 562-6861 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
What a mod bit roof job involves
Each layer of a mod bit roof has its own job.
Inspect the roof
A core cut and a walk of the roof show how many layers exist and whether moisture is trapped. That decides between a tear-off and laying new plies over a sound, dry existing roof.
Tear off old roofing
Old roofing is removed where needed, rotted decking is replaced and the surface is swept clean. Where the roof ponds, tapered insulation is added to move water off.
Put down the first layer
A smooth base sheet goes down first, fastened or adhered depending on the deck. Laps are offset so seams in the cap sheet do not land on seams below.
Install the cap
A cap sheet with mineral granules is applied over the base sheet. At torched laps, a small bead of melted asphalt should show along the edge, a sign the seam has fused.
Flash the walls
Parapets and curbs are flashed with mod bit plies, then capped or counterflashed with metal. Edge metal, drain flashing and pipe flashings complete the system.
Keep a fire watch
If any torching was done, the crew stays on watch after the flame goes off to make sure nothing is smoldering. A final walk checks laps, flashings and drainage.
What is included
What a mod bit roof includes
Insulation
Rigid boards with tapered crickets so water reaches the drains.
Granulated cap
The finished top layer with protective granules to shield the asphalt from sun.
Edge metal
Gravel stop or drip edge at the perimeter to finish the system cleanly.
Base sheet
A fastened or adhered base layer over a clean, sound deck.
Related service
Torch Down Roof Repair Rahway, NJ
Torch down roof repair fixes the leaks that develop in torch-applied modified bitumen: open laps, blisters, splits and failed wall flashing. For blisters and splits, the damaged section is opened up, dried and covered with a larger patch. Granules are pressed into any exposed asphalt so the patch is protected from sun.
Torch work on an occupied home in Rahway needs extra care, especially near wood fascia, siding and attic vents. Near combustible materials, a cold-process or peel-and-stick patch can replace torching. After torching, a watch period for smoldering material is standard practice.
Related service
Built Up Roofing Rahway, NJ
A built up roof is made of several plies of felt mopped together with hot asphalt or coal tar pitch, then flood-coated and covered with gravel. Bare patches without gravel age quickly in the sun and are often where leaks begin. With age, these roofs blister, crack at the flashings and open at the edges.
Most built up roof repairs in Rahway start by clearing the gravel, then patching with new plies and setting gravel back in place. When a built up roof reaches the end of its life, its weight and the gravel usually mean a tear-off before the new roof goes on. The replacement is often a mod bit or single-ply roof that is lighter and easier to maintain.
Local help
Modified Bitumen Roofing Near Me
Modified bitumen roofs in Rahway cover everything from older homes with flat sections to strip centers and churches. Across Rahway and nearby towns like Avenel, Colonia, Linden and Iselin, older buildings may still have built-up roofs under a layer of mod bit, which is why the core cut matters, so a check of laps and flashings every year or two catches small trouble early.
Need modified bitumen roofing around Rahway? Call (908) 562-6861 for a Rahway roofer who serves the towns around it too.
How the weather here affects roofs around Rahway
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Rahway, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why not wait
Less damage
A roof problem fixed early rarely spreads to the decking, the insulation or the ceilings.
Local knowledge
Roofers in Rahway know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Clear next steps
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about modified bitumen roofing
Should I coat my modified bitumen roof?
Coating an aging cap sheet is a common way to add years to a mod bit roof. Loose granules are cleaned off, blisters and open laps are repaired and a primer may be needed to keep asphalt from bleeding through. White coatings reflect sun, which helps the asphalt last.
What is the difference between modified bitumen and built up roofing?
The two are related, with key differences in material and installation. Built up roofing uses many plies of felt mopped with hot asphalt or coal tar and is topped with gravel, while modified bitumen uses fewer, thicker polymer-modified sheets with a granulated cap. Mod bit is lighter and more flexible, which is why it has replaced built up roofing on many buildings.
What is the lifespan of a torch-down roof?
Most mod bit roofs last somewhere between 15 and 25 years with reasonable care. Drainage and the condition of the cap sheet granules make the biggest difference. A reflective coating applied before the cap sheet wears out can extend its life.
Can modified bitumen be installed over an existing roof?
What is already up there sets the answer. If there is a single, dry, sound roof, a recovery board and new mod bit may go over it. Two existing roofs, wet insulation or widespread blistering call for a full tear-off.
Is torch-down roofing safe?
Fire risk with torch-down comes from the flame during installation, not the finished roof. Experienced roofers avoid torching directly on wood decks or near combustible edges, fasten the base sheet over wood instead of torching it, and keep a fire watch after the work. On homes, self-adhered or cold-applied modified bitumen avoids the flame entirely.
More questions? Call (908) 562-6861
Often needed together
Flat Roof Replacement
Tearing off or recovering a worn flat roof and installing a new membrane, insulation and edge metal, and new flashing at every wall, curb and drain.
Learn moreFlat Roof Repair
Flat roof repairs matched to the membrane, whether EPDM, TPO, PVC, modified bitumen or built-up, after the real leak source is found, not guessed.
Learn moreTPO Roofing
White, heat-welded TPO single-ply roofing for low-slope homes and buildings, built around proper drainage, flashing and edge metal.
Learn moreCommercial Roof Replacement
Tear-off or recover of aging commercial roofs with new insulation and drainage, planned around rooftop units and drains.
Learn more
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