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What Causes A Modified Bitumen Roof To Delaminate, And What Should You Do If Yours Is Delaminating?

30 November 2022 by Leslie Turner

Modified bitumen roofing is a great choice for commercial buildings due to its durability, low cost, and ease of installation. It's made from sheets of asphalt and plastic that are rolled out across the roof and welded together using a torch. Welding the modified bitumen sheets together removes any seams between them, creating an entirely flat surface that repels water.

Unfortunately, the welds between the modified bitumen sheets are a potential point of failure in the roof. If the welds break, the sheets will come apart. This allows water to penetrate your roof, damaging it and potentially causing your building to leak.

When the welds in a modified bitumen roofing system break apart, it's referred to as delamination, and it's a problem that needs to be corrected immediately in order to stop severe damage to your roof. To find out what causes a modified bitumen roof to delaminate and what you should do if you notice signs of delamination, read on.

What Causes a Modified Bitumen Roof to Delaminate?

One potential cause of delamination is improper installation. If the asphalt in the modified bitumen sheets wasn't heated enough with the torch, the welds between the sheets will be weak.

A modified bitumen roof becomes very hot when it's exposed to direct sunlight, and heat will cause the asphalt in the sheets to soften. If the welds are weak, the softened asphalt may not have enough tensile strength to hold the sheets together. This will result in the sheets coming apart.

Improper installation isn't the only cause of delamination, however. Even if the modified bitumen roof was perfectly installed, it will become vulnerable to delamination when it's nearing the end of its useful lifespan. Asphalt becomes brittle with age, which reduces its ability to hold adjacent sheets together.

How Does Delamination Damage a Modified Bitumen Roof?

When two sheets of modified bitumen come apart, it opens up a gap in your roof that rainwater can easily leak through. Rainwater that leaks into a modified bitumen roof will rapidly damage it. Water will carry away some of the oil that's in the asphalt, which will turn it very brittle. Water leaking through the modified bitumen sheets will also damage the insulation that's underneath them, reducing its effectiveness.

What Should You Do if Your Modified Bitumen Roof Is Delaminating?

If you notice signs of delamination in your modified bitumen roof, you will most likely need to have it replaced. Welding the modified bitumen sheets back together is typically an inadequate repair since substantial water intrusion causes severe damage to every part of a modified bitumen roof. Replacing the entire roof is the best method to prevent water damage from rainwater leaking into the building beneath the delaminated roof.

Overall, delamination is a serious problem in a modified bitumen roof that needs to be addressed promptly. If you've noticed that the modified bitumen sheets on your roof are coming apart, call a commercial roofing replacement service to have it replaced. They'll remove all of the damaged modified bitumen and replace them with new sheets, welding them together properly to reduce the likelihood of them delaminating again.

Reach out to a commercial roofing replacement service, such as Four Seasons Roofing & Repair Inc, to learn more.

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