Hot tar was originally used by King Richard of England in 1189 as a way to torture men! He created "tar and feathering"! After many centuries, however, hot tar was put to a more practical use when it was discovered that after cooling the tar hardened and became a fantastic waterproofing agent. Using it for roofs began in the late 1800s and has continued to this day.
Although most industries advance over time, hot roofing techniques developed in the 1800's are pretty much the same as they are today. There are some small changes to the process, but the raw material and general concept has remained unchanged all of these years.
People usually resist change. This push back is fueled by those who stand to lose if change occurs. The businesses in the hot tar industry - including contractors who sell hot tar roofing for a living - stand to lose a lot if tar is replaced by more innovative processes and materials. But as the video cassette gave way to the DVD and the internet replaced a multitude of things, hot tar is a fading memory of the past - just like the dial up modem or rabbit ears sitting on an old black and white TV.
"Single Ply" roofing is the best technology available for flat roofs. This material is a major improvement on the old hot tar ways. Single ply material is founded on developments in plastics and the field of chemistry. These chemical techniques have resulted in sheets of material that can last half a century in some cases. It is recyclable, is highly reflective for dramatic energy savings, is safer to install, is a fraction of the weight (about ten times less) and typically costs about the same to install as a hot tar roof.
Many big companies (such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc.) changed their roofs to single ply several years ago, but most flat roof buildings still use the old technology.
Although hot tar roofing has been used for years, single ply is now becoming the leading technology. If you want to keep water off your head and add extra savings while protecting the environment, single ply is an option worth looking into (and the only thing I recommend).
Although most industries advance over time, hot roofing techniques developed in the 1800's are pretty much the same as they are today. There are some small changes to the process, but the raw material and general concept has remained unchanged all of these years.
People usually resist change. This push back is fueled by those who stand to lose if change occurs. The businesses in the hot tar industry - including contractors who sell hot tar roofing for a living - stand to lose a lot if tar is replaced by more innovative processes and materials. But as the video cassette gave way to the DVD and the internet replaced a multitude of things, hot tar is a fading memory of the past - just like the dial up modem or rabbit ears sitting on an old black and white TV.
"Single Ply" roofing is the best technology available for flat roofs. This material is a major improvement on the old hot tar ways. Single ply material is founded on developments in plastics and the field of chemistry. These chemical techniques have resulted in sheets of material that can last half a century in some cases. It is recyclable, is highly reflective for dramatic energy savings, is safer to install, is a fraction of the weight (about ten times less) and typically costs about the same to install as a hot tar roof.
Many big companies (such as Wal-Mart, Home Depot, etc.) changed their roofs to single ply several years ago, but most flat roof buildings still use the old technology.
Although hot tar roofing has been used for years, single ply is now becoming the leading technology. If you want to keep water off your head and add extra savings while protecting the environment, single ply is an option worth looking into (and the only thing I recommend).
