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Is rolled roofing any good?

thespruce.com - Rolled Roofing: Basics, Costs & Self-Installation - The Spruce

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If you are unhappy with the cost and complexity of re-roofing one of your structures with conventional shingle-type roofing materials, there may be a solution. Rolled roofing is one of the easiest and cheapest roofing materials you can purchase. Plus, it is one of few types of roofs that most homeowners can install on a do-it-yourself basis, although in a limited fashion. What Is Rolled Roofing? Rolled roofing is a mineral-surfaced roofing material that comes in rolls. It is thinner, less durable, and cheaper than asphalt shingles. Is rolled roofing too good to be true? While rolled roofing is cheap and easy to install, its resale value is perilously low when it is used to roof-occupied structures. Rolled roofing is best installed on unoccupied structures, such as sheds, shops, garages, and other outbuildings. Before you dash down to the home improvement store and pick up a few rolls, you should be aware of the significant disadvantages that come along with the advantages of this product.

Rolled Roofing Basics

Rolled roofing (or roll roofing)—also known as MSR—comes in rolls of 100 square feet. Rolled roofing is easy to obtain and can be found at all home improvement stores. One MSR roofing roll is usually about 36 feet long by 36 inches wide. So in terms of quantity, a roofing roll is about the size of one composite shingle square. Square is a roofing term that refers to one roofing unit of 100 square feet. The conventional way of roofing a house is with individual composite (asphalt) shingles. Rolled roofing is vaguely similar in that it is also an oil-based asphalt product. But the similarity stops there. Rolled MSR roofing is thinner, larger, cheaper, less durable, and horizontally installed in long strips. Besides being thicker, composite shingles or any type of shingle are far less prone to tearing or cracking because stress is distributed across a wide area of individually moving parts. Several types of rolled roofing are used as supplements to other roofing materials. One example is saturated felt, which is builders-grade felt impregnated with asphalt and used mainly as an underlayment. Roofing with MSR is often your cheapest roofing option, as the materials cost is low and the labor cost can be as low as free if you do it yourself. Materials are limited to little more than the rolls of roofing and 11 gauge roofing nails.

Where to Use Rolled Roofing

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Rolled roofing is rarely used for residences and other occupied structures. As a result, this product works well for utilitarian, functional structures such as work sheds, shops, potting sheds, barns, garages, outdoor roofed exercise structures, kids' treehouses, and other outbuildings. Rolled roofing material is often used on roofs that are low-sloped. If your roof pitch declines up to 1 inch vertically for every 12 inches horizontally (1:12 pitch), it is a good candidate for rolled roofing as long as you use the concealed nail method of fastening. Otherwise, the safest minimum pitch for rolled roofing is 2 inches of decline per 12 inches of horizontal direction (2:12 pitch).

Pros of Rolled Roofing

Rolled roofing is the least expensive roofing material, even compared to low-cost composite shingles. All materials, even the nails, are inexpensive. This product is the best way of covering low-incline roofs. Hammered-down rolled roofing should not be used on flat roofs, though, as this will lead to leaks. Rolled roofing goes down quickly. Unlike shingles, which apply one by one, you can roll out a square of mineral surface rolled roof within minutes. Rolled roofing is easy to transport. Composite shingles are heavy and unwieldy. Rolled roofing, by contrast, comes in lighter 75-pound units and is tightly rolled up and sealed. Professional roofers often have cranes or forklifts move conventional shingles from the ground to roof level. If you are a do-it-yourselfer, you can move the rolls to the roof by yourself or with the assistance of a partner, no machinery required. Rolled roofing is very adaptable and can be cut into 12-inch by 36-inch strips to act as hips and ridges or 9-inch strips for eaves and rakes. If removing your current shingles is a problem, it is usually permissible to re-roof over your existing roof with rolled roofing. First make certain to remove slag, gravel, and other debris from the existing roof to avoid puncturing the MSR.

Cons of Rolled Roofing

thespruce.com - Rolled Roofing: Basics, Costs & Self-Installation - The Spruce

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