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I'm wondering specifically, if rubber-roll roofing, such as this can be used on a sloped roof.

Or maybe if there is something akin to the stretch-and-seal tape but in large sheets that would be weather resistant and suitable for roofing applications. That way the seams would be self-sealing.

Essentially I'm wondering about some sort of rubber or silicon roofing that ultimately will turn itself into one single coating, as opposed to typical shingles which have a million seams in them. Can you tar a sloped roof?

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  • I honestly have done little roof work - other than rip shingles off - so I won't offer an answer. But I did see a Holmes on Homes about 2 months ago where they did install "tar rolls" (sorry not sure of the name or brand or even if they were tar) and heat them together to form a seamless roof. It was a peaked residential roof. The rolls were ordered based on the measurements of the roof too.
    – DMoore
    Aug 9, 2013 at 17:27
  • Hmm, that sounds like it would be perfect. Then you can just melt a layer over the peak too and be done with it. I'll have to look that up.
    – eidylon
    Aug 9, 2013 at 17:37
  • They had a cap for the peak. That is one place you don't have to worry about a seam as long as the cap hangs over.
    – DMoore
    Aug 9, 2013 at 17:40
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    But do note that while shingles have 'seams' they are all overlapped, so shed water just fine. (In other words, the seams have no bearing on their ability to shed water)
    – DA01
    Aug 9, 2013 at 20:27
  • I have that over my car port, roofers came in a laid foam down first because it was a flat roof and laid strips down directly over that. Used a heat gun to make the seals. Mine came w/ 10 yr warranty, I'm about 2 yrs in. The foam and rubber are more than though enough for wet leaves to sit on for a few months and my weight when I go to sweep them off. Had a ~1" branch come down and puncture it (which apparently wasn't covered) they wanted a few hundreds buck so I just filled it with silicone.
    – Jason
    Aug 10, 2013 at 6:58

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+50

I think one could feasibly cover a sloped roof with that stuff, but it would be very odd. Most HOAs and neighborhood associations would reject it. You neighbors would be annoyed. If snow or ice accumulations are possible for the climate, it probably would cause random ice sheet falls, which is not an issue for its intended use on level roofing.

As some comments hint, a properly installed composite roof becomes a single, seamless sheet of roofing. It only takes one warm day for the shingles to soften and then seal together. Even before self-sealing, the shingle and seam overlap makes the roof rainproof.

Anyway, the danger of a roof leaking is not the integrity of the initial installation's seams and whatnot. It is the decades of abuse wrought by the weather (sun, hail, wind, snow), moss, leaves, tree branches, animals pecking or running, maintenance people walking across it, using shovels, picks, rakes, and brooms to clean it, blasting it with a power washer, etc. Any of those can poke holes, cut slits, move flashing, or lift up edges. That's the most likely cause of leaks.

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  • I'm not opposed to this answer but I am also not opposed to a roofing option that comes in large rolls or sections that overlaps a bit too.
    – DMoore
    Aug 23, 2013 at 14:39

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