Waterproofing of roofs

Abstract

Roofing as an element of architecture and construction presents a challenging topic. This challenge, always present in the history of architecture, is now being met by dramatic new technological developments both in materials and systems. In the past decade these have made possible a revolution in the way roofs are designed and built. Good roofing design and practice involves proper selection of materials as well as a proper understanding of the current roof techniques. It is very important to have a sound knowledge of the inherent properties of the materials used, as most of the time the cause of problems is not the materials but the unsuitability of the materials to the conditions to which they are subjected. It is important to realise that what was good practice ten years ago may be deemed improper, or at least not best practice, today.