What to consider when installing a new roof: description of the main stages
The final stage of the construction of the house is the installation of the roof. It protects the house from rain and snow, and a layer of thermal insulation keeps a comfortable temperature inside the room. There are many different building materials, but when installing a roof using any of them, it is necessary to monitor compliance with technologies and not miss any important stage in the installation process.
Let’s talk about each stage in more detail.
Mauerlat installation
A mauerlat is a beam that distributes the load on the walls of the structure and on which the rafter legs rest. Most often, the mauerlat is installed using anchor fasteners, which are joined to a reinforcing frame made of steel reinforcement.
The frame is then installed in an armature, which is a special concrete structure installed along the perimeter of flat walls.
Please note: when erecting a wooden house made of timber, the upper crown of the building will be used as a mauerlat. And if the house is framed, the upper binding becomes a mauerlat.
How to attach the rafter legs to the mauerlat
At this stage, the profiles are fastened with wooden screws, and then the structure is reinforced with long construction nails.
Installation of rafters
When installing the roof, two methods can be used: on-board and hanging. In the first case, there is a ridge beam in the structure, against which the rafters rest and to which the rafters are attached. With the hanging method, the structure does not have a ridge run, and the rafters rest against each other.
The inclined method will make construction easier since the builders will perform all actions on the roof. First, a ridge beam is installed on the supports, and the lower ends of the racks rest against the floor beams. After that, a beam is placed on the upper ends, which will form the ridge of the house.
A hanging truss structure is more difficult to implement. Since there is no ridge beam in it, the rafter legs simply have nothing to rest on; they are joined on top of each other. It’s not easy to do this kind of work on your own. Contact M&Y PITTSBURGH ROOFING for help. We are engaged in the installation of roofs with a lifetime service life from GAF & CertainTeed and are guaranteed to cope with the task of any complexity.
Installing the crate
When the rafters are installed, it’s time to move on to the next stage — the installation of the crate.
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The crate is mounted on the rafters. To install the structure, large integral boards (about 2 m) with a thickness of 25 cm are used. Based on the type of coating, they fill a solid (for tiles, rolled coating) or a lattice crate (slate, steel sheets), which is attached perpendicular to the rafters.
Waterproofing of the roof
Next, a waterproofing film is laid on the crate. The material is laid starting from the cornice and gradually moving towards the ridge. Subsequent waterproofing strips are laid on the previous overlap with an offset of 10–20 cm. The joints are carefully sealed with self-adhesive tape.
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The process should be approached with all rigor, since even a small leak can cause serious damage. The cost of repairing a roof leak is mentioned here.
Then the insulation is laid between the rafters. The thermal insulation layer is laid with either basalt wool or polystyrene foam plates. All joints must be insulated with tape.
Laying the coating
The final stage is roofing installation. Installation may differ depending on the material you choose. For example, if the coating is tiled, the material should be staggered. But slate or steel sheets need to be laid in the form of a single-layer structure.
The quality of the last stage depends on the service life of the roof and, of course, its aesthetic appearance. No matter what material you choose, M&Y PITTSBURGH ROOFING is ready to perform roofing work of any complexity as well as provide you with the roof repair services. Contact us now for a free consultation.