REMOVE ROOFING FELT - TIPS AND INSTRUCTIONS

Many flat roofs, for example on garages or garden houses, are covered with roofing felt. This is practical and is much faster than applying individual roof shingles. But even this unproblematic roof covering has at some point reached its lifespan and needs to be replaced. Many hobby craftsmen recommend simply laying new roofing felt over the old, often somewhat damaged roofing felt. This saves the annoying and often not so easy removal of the roofing felt and, above all, disposal, because this is quite expensive, albeit rightly. So that you know what to look for when removing roofing felt and which tool is best, we have written this small but fine article.

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO REMOVE ROOFING FELT?

As always in life, nothing lasts forever - not even roofing felt. It is exposed to wind and weather all year round and UV radiation, rain, and wind can damage it to such an extent that the roofing felt actually has to be replaced at some point. For a few years, you will probably do a little patchwork every now and then, laying a little bitumen here and a small new runway there, but you cannot postpone a complete renovation forever. Now some may be wondering why you should do the job and remove the old roofing felt. Can't you just put another layer on top and get even better protection from wind, weather, and water? In principle, one could agree with this but also bear in mind that the roofing felt has a really great weight, which then lies on your roof structure. In addition, the risk of fire increases with each position.

If you are also the proud owner of old tar paper or even roofing felt containing asbestos, then we can only urge you to remove it as quickly as possible and completely. These roofing felt materials have been taken off the market for decades because they are extremely harmful to the environment and health. You can simply send a piece of your commercial roof repair in Austin felt to a disposal company and ask for analysis. With tar paper, you will be stuck with your nose when removing it, because you will encounter the typical smell of tar.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROOFING FELT

For the sake of completeness, we would like to briefly explain the different types of roofing felt to you.


ASBESTOS

Asbestos is now banned in Germany because it is a particularly carcinogenic material. Until the 1970s, and who knows, perhaps far beyond that among private individuals, asbestos was very popular in residential construction and also in roofing.

TAR PAPER

It used to be common practice that roofing felt was tar paper. But that hasn't been the case for a while. The production of tar paper was stopped in Germany a few years ago. Although tar paper is not quite as harmful to health as asbestos, it is by no means harmless. The so-called PAH compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are hazardous to health.

BITUMINOUS BOARD

Today roofing felts are made from bitumen. As the name suggests, the mats or sheets are no longer soaked in tar, but rather in bitumen. They are less harmful to the environment and health because they contain fewer PAH compounds. The bitumen cardboard is not entirely free of harmful substances, which is why proper work protection with robust long clothing, gloves, protective goggles, and a respirator is just as mandatory when removing as with other types of roofing felt. Bitumen cardboard is also not disposed of in normal bulky waste or even in household waste. But we already recommended our special contribution to disposal.

PROBLEMS WITH REMOVING ROOFING FELT

Most problems with removing roofing felt are caused by the fact that gaps and faults have at some point been patched with liquid bitumen. This means that the roof is tight again, but the effort involved in removing the bitumen layer from the roof can be incredibly high. The most effective way to remove both the bitumen sheeting and the patches is with a spatula and chisel. But that is very time-consuming and sometimes also exhausting.

A second problem with removing roofing felt is one that goes in the healthy direction. You will come across it less and less, but it does happen every now and then. We are talking about tar paper, which is harmful to health, or even roofing felt that still contains asbestos. When removing, you should not only wear long clothing, protective goggles, and a breathing mask but also take care of proper disposal in advance, because this is subject to documentation for these materials.

But modern bitumen sheeting or panels must also be properly disposed of. In the article Disposing of roofing felt - how to do it correctly for you, we have put together what you have to consider and what costs you will have to pay.

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REMOVING ROOFING FELT MADE EASY

With nailed roofing felt, you usually have no problems removing it again. Set it up with a spatula, preferably in the corners, and with a little force, you can easily pull off the roofing felt. The roofing paper sticks shop fly around your ears a bit. But most roofs are glued or welded with bitumen or sometimes with tar paper. Removing these webs requires a lot more effort and most likely also involves the use of special tools.

REMOVE STUCK OR WELDED ROOFING FELT

Most modern roofs are covered with bitumen welding sheeting, which is welded or glued and often also attached with roofing pegs. If you are faced with such a challenge, a cutter knife or a small angle grinder that you use to score the roofing felt and then simply tear it off will not help you out. Now you have to use special tools. To remove the welded or glued roofing felt, you can either work with a scarfing device or a stripper. Of course, we explain both.

REMOVE ROOFING FELT WITH THE SCARFING DEVICE

Scarfing devices are special welding devices for removing bitumen sheeting or roofing felt. The devices are quite expensive, so the best thing to do is to ask for a loaner at the hardware store. Then it goes with it (and in protective clothing if you go!) Onto the roof. Use the scarfing device to heat a bitumen sheet at the beginning and then pull off each sheet with a little force. It's best if you work in pairs. One of them repeatedly warms the region where the web is just throwing up the edges, and the second is continuously peeling off. As already described in the problems, you can come across patches and gap fillers that are not webs, but pure bitumen paste. Usually, only the laborious removal with a spatula and chisel helps.

REMOVE ROOFING FELT WITH THE STRIPPER

A second way to remove the roofing felt is to use a stripper. No, we are not talking about a stripper in the sense with a hard hat and checked shirt, but the device. A stripper is also used by roofers. You may know the device as a carpet stripper. So it's actually a pretty big spatula that's motorized. With this device, carpet residues and glue or even roofing felt are scraped off. The layer underneath is not damaged in the process. The Stripper is available as a handheld device for smaller areas, but also as a heavy device for operating while standing and walking. Inquire at the hardware store which is the right stripper for your purposes.

AND WHAT ABOUT A ROOFER?

Of course, as always, the saying “it is the man” applies. But especially when it comes to roofing, you can think about hiring a professional. Removing the roofing felt with the scarfing device can release toxic gases, the work is really no picnic and the devices are expensive. In addition, there are also the costs for disposing of the roofing felt. Ultimately, where something has been removed, something new has to be added again. With all the time and costs that can arise for a small garage roof, it is worthwhile to get information from roofing companies beforehand. It is not so rare that you get a lot cheaper by hiring a professional to bring all his material and dispose of all waste than if you were to do it yourself. Who of course just has fun with it,