Best Outdoor Rugs

July 9th, 2011

Asphalt shingles are installed only on continuous substrates.

I will take the opportunity to make clear that:

* on no occasion the substrate could be discontinuous
* on no occasion asphalt shingles installation can be made only with plastic cement a.k.a. asphaltic adhesive. Mechanical fixing is obligatory!
* In Europe we never use staples. We use only appropriate galvanized nails.
* Its impossible to install asphalt shingles on metallic surfaces.

Roofing underlayments/underlays to be used
should be appropriate for continuous supports

Thus the following types are automatically excluded:

* all membranes based on microperforation techniques (tent effect)
* many breathable membranes for exactly the same reason
* thin, asphalt based membranes with talcum finishing
* all kinds of roofing underlayments destined to play simultaneously the role of radiant barriers.

Radiant barriers on one side need an air gap to function and on the other side they will contribute to the development of high, very taxing temperatures.

Roofing underlays suitable for use with asphalt shingles

1. A big variety on thin asphalt membranes usually with a plastic film or spunbonded polypropylene fabric finishing.
They should have antiskid properties for safety reasons!!
Avoid products that buckle or wrinkle. Check this parameter carefully for aesthetical reasons (could cause distortion). Avoid also thick products.
Certain underlays will reduce the functional life of asphalt shingles, since they contribute to high temperature development. Talk about this parameter with your supplier.

2. A big variety of breathable membranes.
Normally they should have a 3 layers configuration and a minimum weight of 150gr/m2.

3. A lot of synthetic, not breathable roofing membranes.
I draw your attention to the ample ventilation under the substrate.

The ideal roofing underlay to be combined with asphalt shingles.

This is the familiar, elastomeric, SBS modified, self adhesive asphalt membrane with a usual weight of 1,5Kg/m2.
There are thousands of nails penetrating the roofing membrane. Despite all the best measures taken during asphalt shingles installation, I would be very anxious about the multitude of the holes.
SBS membranes have excellent self sealing properties and I have tested it many times. Moreover these membranes are valuable for low slopes and mountain climates (they alleviate the consequences from ice dam formation).

A general observation: It is not a fortuitous event that there exist many tenths of different kinds of roofing underlays.
Make your choice only with an experts help! The cost is zero!

Chris Strogilis
Civ. Eng. MBA DipM

Frequently Asked Questions

QUESTION:
horse fell on ice, leg, lump?
about 2 weeks ago maybe a bit less my 5 year old mare fell on ice, she had brushing boots on her front legs and a rug on, she only fell whilst walking, got her up and into the stable, was a bit shook up only a cut on hre back leg where she fell, and a small one at that, only bleeding a tinyyy bit, we ut disinfectant on it and checked if her legs were sore and if we could lift each on of her legs and she did it fine, yet today i turned her out in the outdoor for a while and noticed a HUGE lump at the top of her back leg, the side she fell on, its a huge swelling about a foot height and lengthwise, i dont know how i didnt notice it, theres no difference in her movement and yesterday had her over about 1 m 20 and she jumped it wth ease, yet the past 3 days i had her out and she bucked a few times while going into trot and started cantering, but she only ever did it at the very start, so i suspected something was up, i asked the yard owner and he said she seems happy enough with the lump as you can pat it and run your hand over it and she wont flinch, he said itd just be a swelling and it should heal itself within a few days, so i shoul turn her out to make sure she not getting stiff on it
anyone give me adivice or experience of what they think it might be or the best thing to do
thank you
to teddybear or whatever
i was not riding her on the ice, i was walking her back to her stable, which is on a slope, then after the fall i didnt bring her out til ice was gone as i as worried incase she fell again, i rode/ lunged her a few times after and she was fine, it was only recently she bucked.
i wasnt rding her knowing she had an injury as soon as i seen it i got the yard owner who has many years of experience with horses, is a farrier and has probley dealt with allot sick riding school ponies on his own and theyve turned out fine, so i ran and got him to check it out before i called the vet, if it gets worse im going to.
also if you had actualy read my question i think you would have known i wasnt riding her and hadnt noticed the injury
so get your facts right before you go accusing me of stuff
- ANSWER:
  It is very likely that this is a hematoma, and since it is so large, it should be evaluated by your vet since it may need to be evacuated and have a drain placed. It may also be an abscess, but either way, it warrants vet attention. The vet can also evaluate the injury while he/she is there.