History of Roll Roofing

Roll roofing is a long sheet of saturated felt or mat coated with bitumen and usually surfaced with mineral granules, supplied in rolls and nailed or cemented to a roof deck. It is the direct ancestor of the asphalt shingle and a close relative of built-up roofing.

Composition roofing

The idea of making a roof from fabric or paper soaked in a waterproof binder developed in the United States in the mid-19th century. In the 1840s Samuel M. and Cyrus M. Warren of Cincinnati used a cotton fabric mat coated with pine tar and sand. Such site-applied "composition" roofs were layered on low-slope buildings, and the same principle underlies built-up roofing.

Ready roofing

In the last quarter of the 19th century, manufacturers began combining the components of built-up roofing into long, factory-made strips that could be rolled out on site. This product was marketed as ready roofing. It saved labour and made waterproof roofs available for farm buildings, sheds and low-cost houses.

Asphalt and granules

According to standard accounts, asphalt prepared roofing, similar to modern roll roofing but without surface granules, was developed in 1893. In 1897 slate granules were added to the surface for durability. Granules protected the bitumen from sunlight, weather and foot traffic and limited early colours mainly to the natural shades of the surfacing, usually red, green or black.

From rolls to shingles

Around 1901-1903 makers began cutting surfaced roll roofing into individual pieces, producing the first asphalt shingles. Shingles gave a more traditional appearance on pitched house roofs, while rolls remained the economical choice for low-slope and agricultural buildings.

Later developments

Roll roofing followed shingles in moving from organic felts to fibreglass mats. Modified bitumen sheets, developed in Europe from the 1960s or 1970s depending on the source, extended the roll format to high-performance low-slope roofing with polymer-modified bitumen.

Use today

Mineral-surfaced roll roofing remains in use on sheds, porches and outbuildings, and as a cap sheet in multi-layer systems. It is usually regarded as a short-lived, low-cost covering compared with shingles or membranes.