Every roofing project comes with unique conditions; and for some, those circumstances can prohibit a traditional heat application process. This is particularly true for projects involving hospitals, schools, and food industry facilities where a flame is not permitted; or in situations where a roofing system is being installed on a combustible surface.
“It is generally accepted that most incidents occur during torch application of base sheet flashings works done by installer not trained or do not use the good installation method to or near unprotected combustible substrates such as wood fibreboard, wood curbs, and parapets,” says Dorothée Colbert-Houle, Product Manager, Roofing, with Soprema Canada.
Limits on heat don’t have to come at the cost of quality, however. For a growing number of roofing stakeholders, cold adhesive applications (aka flameless solutions) are becoming a common and cost-friendly alternative.
Cold adhesives 101
Flameless solutions aren’t new to the industry, but they have come a long way. One of the main benefits of cold-adhesive products is that they do not require open flames to apply. Once SBS-modified bitumen solvent-based products are applied, the solvent on the adhesive evaporates, leaving the remaining material to bond with the modified bitumen surface of the membrane by means of a solvent weld.
Traditionally, the use of such products was limited by longer cure times, odours, and high volatile organic compound (VOC) content, compared to other technologies. By contrast, today’s cold-adhered products offer high performance, no odours, and low VOC content, making them ideal for numerous applications, such as adhering SBS-modified bitumen membranes on low-slope surfaces.
There are other types of cold adhesive that can be used for flameless roofing solutions. For example, Soprema’s polyether-based adhesive, COLPLY EF (environmentally friendly), is a single-component polymeric moisture-curing adhesive that fully cures after approximately seven days, depending on temperature and quantity applied. Alternatively, Soprema’s two-component polyurethane, SOPRATACK, is ideal when a fast curing time is necessary and high adhesion performances are targeted.
Both products are solvent-free and ultra-low VOC material, allowing for application flexibility on job sites where exposure to VOC’s or odor may be a concern. Additionally, both contain adhesives formulations that, once cured, provide an additional layer of waterproofing protection beneath or between membrane plies.
The benefits of flameless solutions
Beyond these benefits, flameless solutions provide additional advantages.
- Cost savings: The absence of open flames and hot kettles can lead to safer working conditions, potentially lowering the cost of project insurance.
- High performance: Flameless solutions are designed to enable high membrane performance.
- Industry tested: Flameless roofing systems are tested in accordance with the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) A123.21, Standard Test Method for the Dynamic Wind Uplift Resistance of Membrane-roofing Systems.
Flameless solutions can also contribute to a safer overall project. According to Colbert-Houle, “[Flameless solutions] require fewer precautions to take related to fire risk, especially when crews are working on the combustible substrate or wood decking. On heat-applied projects, you need to set up a fire watch, and assign a competent person to conduct inspections throughout the day for a minimum of two hours starting when the last torch is extinguished on a roof.”
Laminated roofing panels
Over the past decade, numerous innovative products have been introduced to the marketplace that offer new options when flameless application methods are recommended. Laminated roofing boards are one example. The base sheet membrane is factory-laminated on the roofing support panel in a controlled environment of the factory, and the adhesive is already incorporated into the membrane. For instance, Soprema’s SOPRASMART BOARD 180 SANDED and SOPRASMART ISO HD 180 SANDED are made of high-performance base sheet panel composed of SBS modified bitumen sanded surface membrane with a non-woven polyester reinforcement, and factory-laminated on a support panel (semi-rigid asphaltic panel or HD polyisocyanurate insulation panel). During manufacturing, Soprema uses a unique lamination process that achieves total adhesion (100%) of the membrane to the support panel with no addition of adhesive in the lamination process.
The future of flameless solutions
Soprema is doing its part to help bring flameless solutions and techniques to the fore with the PAQ+S (Program of Affiliation for Quality + Safety), which the company offers to its business installer partners as a unique opportunity to learn about the different technology and access to the best roofing installation practices. In addition, Soprema has also proposed several other products to the marketplace for flameless application, including Galon DUO technology Sopralene stick HR GR.
“SOPREMA has several systems and application techniques that can greatly reduce, if not eliminate, the risk of a fire incident during the base sheet and base sheet flashing installation stage,” notes Colbert-Houle, noting that Soprema sees low VOC adhesives overtaking solvent-base materials and a rise in popularity for both spray-applied products and its own laminated panels.
Reflecting on the growth of such solutions, she adds, “The expected growth for flameless solutions market is largely associated with the growth in the construction industry.”
Dorothée Colbert-Houle is Product Manager, Roofing, with Soprema Canada. For more information, visit Soprema.ca
