Rubber Roofing for Under Shingles

Rubber Roofing

• Rubber roofing is flexible and lays flat on a roof plane. If it often affixed to the substrate with specialized glue, but it is sometimes purchased with peel-off paper that covers a self-stick surface. These days, most rubber roofing is self-repairing. When you drive a nail through it, the membrane and glue seal around the nail and keep out water.

Uses

• Rubber roofing is ideal for flat roofs because its large surface and sealed edges form a watertight, nearly seamless roof. It is often used to flash the junction of a steep roof plane and a flat or shallow roof beneath. In cold areas, it is also useful in sealing a roof against ice dams.

Under Shingle Installation

• On roofs that are prone to ice dams, rubber roofing membrane is often installed under the lower 3 feet of shingles. The membrane's 3-foot depth and sealed nail holes stop ice dams from leaking into the roof as they melt. Used in conjunction with adequate attic insulation and snow guards, they can be an important part of an ice dam solution.

Tips

• Rubber roofing membrane can be installed under almost any roofing shingle: clay, slate or asphalt. Look for a reputable roofer who is experienced in working with rubber roofing and who knows his way around a flat roof and ice dams. Rubber roofing is not foolproof and is no substitute for good roofing technique. Be wary of a roofer who offers to install rubber roofing under a whole roof of shingles as a solution to a leaky roof.