Polymer-modified bitumen roof systems have been installed in the
U.S. for more than three decades. During that time,
polymer-modified sheet membranes traditionally have been mopped in
hot asphalt or torch-applied; however, safety, health and
environmental concerns associated with the use of hot asphalt and
torch-applied membranes have led to more frequent use of
alternative application methods. As a result, contractors
increasingly are using cold adhesives to install polymer-modified
bitumen membranes.
Cold adhesives first were used in Europe during the 1960s and
were later introduced in the U.S. These early adhesives, typically
used in re-cover and resaturant processes, have evolved into the
current generation of cold adhesives that are used to install
polymer-modified bitumen membranes.
Cold adhesives, as the name implies, are bitumen-based adhesives
that do not require heat to be installed. Generally used to secure
polymer-modified bitumen membranes to substrates, cold adhesives
are composed of asphalt or coal tar that has been thinned, or cut
back, with solvents or mineral spirits and blended with fillers
and,...
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