Gravel Roofs
"There's tar in them thar hills!" Okay, so it wasn't tar; it was gold. But did you know that using tar in roofs dates back to the good old days of the California Gold Rush? It's true! Back then, Californians (maybe some of your Orange County ancestors!) needed to construct quick and easy transient housing to live in (and, no doubt, to store all their gilded treasure!). Indeed, towns were springing up out of nowhere from the rush of 'forty-niners,' and all those new digs needed a good solid material to use for their rooftops. That's when somebody (don't know who) came up with the idea to use tar (or, more precisely, tarpaper) on roofs to protect all the new, albeit temporary, dwellings. Well, the tarpaper was a poor excuse for a topper, since it got wet and ripped easily. Eventually, smart folks figured out that tar mixed with gravel made a mighty fine roof, yes sir.
Some modern roofing materials, including clay and others, date back thousands of years, but tar and gravel became widely used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it was realized that gravel was an excellent ballast mixed with tar in roofing. A ballast is a material used to provide more stability in a structure, which is the reason gravel, ground finely, started being used as a way to stabilize tar and make it more durable. Since composite roofing materials, that is, roofs composed of two or more substances, became a favorite in the 1800s, people began adding gravel to tarpaper, and then asphalt, in order to keep rooftops from lifting up in inclement weather and high winds. Asphalt is used to waterproof a roof, and ground gravel is used as the ballast. Gravel is also effective at grabbing the sun's heat and distributing it evenly over the roof so the asphalt doesn't melt in hot spots.
Commercial buildings love tar and gravel roofs, especially buildings that show up in industrial parks (areas zoned for industrial development). Tar and gravel roofs are also known as 'built-up roofs,' or BURs. Tar and gravel roofs are typically made of several layers, starting with asphalt sheets, hot tar, and roofing felt. A layer of asphalt and a mineral coating are applied. Gravel is used to weigh down the roofing materials and provide more stability. Gravel is a very effective means of protecting roofing materials against weather and sun damage. Gravel is also a great reflector of the sun's natural light, and light colors of gravel are often used to cover darker roofing materials.
Tar and gravel roofs are a pretty inexpensive roofing project, for homes or commercial buildings. And because flat roofs are easy to design and install, tar and gravel used for flat roofing have become one of the most widely used roofing material in today's roofing industry. Commercial contractors commonly use tar and gravel roofs for flat roofs on commercial buildings in arid climates because flat roofs effectively reflect sun and lower energy bills, making them an energy efficient choice. Additionally, flat roofs made from tar and gravel are an excellent choice because they are durable. However, because asphalt and gravel are typically used on flat roofs, they aren't a good choice for buildings in climates that are wet, snowy, or rainy, since flat roofs don't allow a lot of water runoff. The ponding that happens with flat roofs made from asphalt and gravel leaves puddles of water on tops of buildings, and this causes leaks. Gravel roofs must have proper drainage systems to avoid water damage.
Flat roofs made of gravel and asphalt have been a favorite of commercial roofing contractors in Laguna Beach for a very long time. Since the Gold Rush of the 1800s, Californians have been effectively using gravel on roofs, and for good reason. Gravel, when it is finely ground, is an excellent stabilizer for asphalt. It helps to reflect sunlight, effectively dissipates the sun's rays, and makes for a very durable roofing material that is energy efficient and low in cost. When forty-niners came up with the idea to use tar on rooftops, and their kids came up with the idea to add gravel, it wasn't just a flash in the pan. No sirree, those forty-niners darn near hit pay dirt ... or pay gravel!
Some modern roofing materials, including clay and others, date back thousands of years, but tar and gravel became widely used in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when it was realized that gravel was an excellent ballast mixed with tar in roofing. A ballast is a material used to provide more stability in a structure, which is the reason gravel, ground finely, started being used as a way to stabilize tar and make it more durable. Since composite roofing materials, that is, roofs composed of two or more substances, became a favorite in the 1800s, people began adding gravel to tarpaper, and then asphalt, in order to keep rooftops from lifting up in inclement weather and high winds. Asphalt is used to waterproof a roof, and ground gravel is used as the ballast. Gravel is also effective at grabbing the sun's heat and distributing it evenly over the roof so the asphalt doesn't melt in hot spots.
Commercial buildings love tar and gravel roofs, especially buildings that show up in industrial parks (areas zoned for industrial development). Tar and gravel roofs are also known as 'built-up roofs,' or BURs. Tar and gravel roofs are typically made of several layers, starting with asphalt sheets, hot tar, and roofing felt. A layer of asphalt and a mineral coating are applied. Gravel is used to weigh down the roofing materials and provide more stability. Gravel is a very effective means of protecting roofing materials against weather and sun damage. Gravel is also a great reflector of the sun's natural light, and light colors of gravel are often used to cover darker roofing materials.
Tar and gravel roofs are a pretty inexpensive roofing project, for homes or commercial buildings. And because flat roofs are easy to design and install, tar and gravel used for flat roofing have become one of the most widely used roofing material in today's roofing industry. Commercial contractors commonly use tar and gravel roofs for flat roofs on commercial buildings in arid climates because flat roofs effectively reflect sun and lower energy bills, making them an energy efficient choice. Additionally, flat roofs made from tar and gravel are an excellent choice because they are durable. However, because asphalt and gravel are typically used on flat roofs, they aren't a good choice for buildings in climates that are wet, snowy, or rainy, since flat roofs don't allow a lot of water runoff. The ponding that happens with flat roofs made from asphalt and gravel leaves puddles of water on tops of buildings, and this causes leaks. Gravel roofs must have proper drainage systems to avoid water damage.
Flat roofs made of gravel and asphalt have been a favorite of commercial roofing contractors in Laguna Beach for a very long time. Since the Gold Rush of the 1800s, Californians have been effectively using gravel on roofs, and for good reason. Gravel, when it is finely ground, is an excellent stabilizer for asphalt. It helps to reflect sunlight, effectively dissipates the sun's rays, and makes for a very durable roofing material that is energy efficient and low in cost. When forty-niners came up with the idea to use tar on rooftops, and their kids came up with the idea to add gravel, it wasn't just a flash in the pan. No sirree, those forty-niners darn near hit pay dirt ... or pay gravel!