Asphalt shingles continue to be the most widely installed roof covering option in north america.
Minimum roof pitch for gravel and tar.
Repairing a tar and gravel is of course best left to the professionals and since a properly maintained bur roofing system can last for decades chances are you will have to repair your roofing system at some point during its existence.
The roof was less than 8 years old and was missing a lot of gravel.
The minimum roof slope allowed by code for any type of roof is in 12 applicable only to coal tar pitch roof systems.
They provide excellent weather resistance great value and now more than ever a tremendous range of beautiful designs and color blends.
Ballast is commonly used with roofs made of tar and gravel roof alternatives.
For that reason flat roofs are limited to these types of covering materials.
This seems to go against shingle manufacturer recommendations minimum 4 per 12 but we have not noticed any issues in.
Today the roof has traditional asphalt shingles and underlayment with tighter than usual spacing which was done about 15 years ago before we bought the house.
It is a planks on rafters roof that was originally tar and gravel.
There are 2 basic types of built up roof.
The type can be identified by placing a small amount of the material in a small glass of lighter fluid.
Gravel on a ballast roof system.
Ballast is a different style of gravel which is applied to single ply roofing systems.
I frequently see tar and gravel on flat roofs but rarely on sloped roofs.
The short simple answer is 2 12 has traditionally been considered the absolute minimum acceptable roof slope suitable for asphalt shingles.
Tar and gravel roofing.
Flat and nearly flat roofs a pitch of 1 in 12 or 2 in 12 cannot be covered with shingles or shakes of any material since there is not enough angle to combat the danger of blow off.
How roof pitch determines suitable roofing systems.
If you have a home with a flat roof a tar and gravel roof may be a good option for you.
The following table provides the minimum required allowable roof slope for each type of roofing material mentioned in the code.
They look similar but behave somewhat differently.
Coal tar pitch and asphalt.
Tar gravel roof repair.