How to Put Hot Bitumen on a Flat Roof

Wear heavy work gloves, boots and clothing to prevent burns from the hot bitumen.

Break the bitumen plugs in smaller pieces with an axe before using them.

Melt the bitumen pieces in an asphalt roofing kettle, which you can rent. If the job is large, rent a kettle that includes pipes so you can pump the hot bitumen to the roof. For smaller roofs, simply transport the hot bitumen carefully to the flat roof in metal buckets.

Heat the bitumen according to the label directions to prevent unnecessary health hazards.

Set the buckets of hot bitumen so they are downwind of the area where you are working. This prevents unnecessary exposure to the asphalt fumes.

Place your felt sheets nearby so that you can lay them down over the hot bitumen before it cools.

Stick a fabric mop into the hot bitumen and brush it in a generous layer over the base sheet on the flat roof. Do this in sections that are as large as the felt strips.

Lay the felt strip over the hot bitumen.

Move on to a new section, applying the hot bitumen and then the felt sheet. The roof hardens and solidifies once the bitumen cools.

Repeat the hot bitumen and felt layers according to the directions on your roofing material. Adequate protection for a roof often requires a base sheet and three layers of felt with the hot bitumen in between.