Does anybody have any information they would love to share with me about this style of roof? I have literally only seen this twice we’ve ever heard. And the 1st time was actually on this exact same roof. I can see that the tar on the edge of the roof is lifting, spots of missing gravel, improper flashing on the chimney. however I don’t know what else to be looking for because I’ve never seen it
So far, you are on point. Other concerns would be blistering or leaking. Another issue with a built-up roof is a saturated substrate or decking which is not always visually apparent. You’ll want to walk for soft spots. Be careful, that one is pitched so you may just “roll off”.
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From this article Tar and Gravel Roofing: A Quick Overview
I’d be sure to document in detail what I could see of joists and the structural support of the roof because these gravel roofs are extra heavy
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The gravel is just for UV protection.
The real roof is the built up tar below.
Document the bare spots.
Document the weight.
The gravel went somewhere. But no matter, the minimum fix for this roof is to rake the high spots in gravel so it covers up all the tar. A better roofer will know this as just do it for a fee. Other roofers will recommend replacement because, well, they don’t really understand t&g roofing (just like some electricians don’t understand k&t).
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One of my first jobs back in the day was repairing built up roofs. Often they’re “flat” roofs. They’re made by laying down layers of tar and roofing paper and the gravel protects the surface. There should be no puddling and when a spot fails it will blister up. What happens is a bit of water will penetrate the layers, the water will turn into steam on a hot day and blister up the layer. My job at the time was to cut the blisters out, let it dry and patch it with tar and fiberglass matt material. While they’re very durable when a leak happens the substrate could rot out which will be hard to detect unless you can view the underside of the decking. If you suspect problems only contractors who have experience with this type of roof should attempt repairs.
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BUR roof covering. Build-Up Roof.
Gravel stop flashing. White.
Aggregate/Ballast loss.
Exposed ply and flood coat.
Stripping too low on chimney.
Missing chimney flashing.
No gutter guards. Gravel in gutters.
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These hot pitch and gravel roofs are disappearing. I used to see several a month. Now I see one every other year.
All the comments here about inspecting them are spot on.
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Although BUR roof coverings far out preform flexible roof coverings when properly installed and maintained, less and less low or medium sloped roofs are using BUR/Build-Up Roofing or T&G Tar and Gravel roofing. MD/Modified, TPO/Thermoplastic Polyolefin or EPDM/Rubber Roofing, less likely, appear to be selling more.
Several reasons why roofing contractors sell single ply roof covering. Less labor and materials.