What Is Liberty Roofing?

GAF Liberty™ roofing is a self-adhering, base ply, modified bitumen roof membrane that boasts a durable design that makes it deal for use as a waterproofing membrane. Liberty roofing material is reinforced with a glass mat and is coated with a polymer-modified asphalt. Liberty roofing systems are applied without torches, open flames, hot asphalt or any solvent-based adhesives and are thus suitable for many primed substrates. Liberty’s high-quality granules come in seven well-matched colors. Unlike traditional roofing systems, Liberty™ can be installed easily and quickly by a small roofing crew without the hassles of bulky equipment or unpleasant odors.  

Does A Liberty Roof Protect From Fire?

A self-adhering Liberty™ roofing system is fire retardant and will provide long-lasting protection for your flat roof’s low slope areas – without the danger or hassles associated with the installation of other conventional roofing products. Liberty’s™ self-adhering roofing systems are a key part of the GAF-Elk Smart Choice® Roof System Solution.  

Is A Liberty Roof Safer For Your Building?

Liberty’s™ self-adhering roof membrane systems eliminate the need for open flames on your roof – so therefore – no fumes! Unlike conventionally-applied systems, this system eliminates the fumes and odors from hot asphalt or other solvent-based adhesives. This proven technology is based on the same technology used in GAF’s commercial roofing systems – and has been proven in the field for decades! GAF also provides a warranty against material defects for up to 15 years. There is an extended GAF guarantee available for both commercial and residential applications if you so choose.  

What Are The Perks Of A Liberty Roof?

• Seven popular colors to complement your Timberline® or other residential shingle roof
• Often voted ‘Professional’s Best Choice’
• Safer for the installers
• No torches, kettles, or dangerous chemicals
• may even reduce your insurance premiums!
• Quicker installations
• Often 1/3 faster install than other  conventional systems
• minimal set-up and clean-up time
• No new or extra tools required
• No need to rent expensive equipment
• Based on the same technology as GAF’s Ruberoid® SBS modified bitumen membranes
• Flexible installation options
• FM Approved
• UL Classified
• FBC Approved

The seven blended colors are designed to complement your shingles – not to be an exact match. Because of the small size of these samples, it is often difficult to reproduce an actual color match. Please be sure to see a full-size roll before making your color selection.  

Can I Install A Liberty Roof Myself?

The Liberty™ System is designed for new roofing and re-roofing projects. Low slope roofing systems like Liberty should only be installed on roof slopes of 1/2″ to 12″. Never install it on roofs with ponding water. The latest GAF product is the easiest yet. Liberty is essentially a peel and stick roofing material that, if installed correctly, should last years. Self-adhering modified bitumen roll roofing is designed for flat roofs with a pitch or 4/12 (or less), which are typically found over sheds, garages, flat -roofed commercial buildings and some second-floor porches.  

How Do I Install Liberty Roofing?

Peel-and-stick roofing is suitable for flat roof constructions. Liberty peel-and-stick products are suitable for the majority of flat roof construction types and usually come with a 10-year warranty. Peel-and-stick roll roofing is a polymer and asphalt product, with a metalized or granular top coat and a self-adhesive underside, which purports to provide a faster installation time than traditional roll roofing materials.  

What Will I Need To Install A Liberty Roof?

• A Push broom
• Degreaser
• Cloth
• Asphalt primer (optional)
• Utility knife
• Scissors (optional)
• Hand roller
• Waterproof caulk (optional)
• Spray adhesive (optional)

Run a bead of waterproof caulk along exposed edges of the peel-and-stick roofing to increase water tightness. Install the roll roofing in warm and dry conditions to produce optimum adhesive performance. Check your manufacturer’s instructions carefully because some products require the application of an additional adhesive spray along the perimeter edge of the flat roof.     Take considerable care on the roof in order to prevent injury or death from falling off. Applying peel-and-stick roofing in cold weather severely reduces the efficacy of the adhesive. Do not install the roofing onto a wet roof deck because the adhesive will fail. Sweep the roof deck with a push broom in order to remove debris such as stones, leaves, twigs, moss and loose dirt. Use a degreaser to clean ingrained oily marks and dirt from the roof deck. Wipe the deck with a damp cloth in order to pick up any dust particles that remain.   Hammer the raised nail heads into the roof deck to ensure a smooth surface for an effective installation of the peel-and-stick roll roofing. Read the roll-roofing manufacturer’s instructions to determine if you need to apply an asphalt primer over the roof deck, because some peel-and-stick products adhere more effectively with a primer. Align the length of roll roofing with the lowest edge of the flat roof and flush to the side edge of the roof. Pull back 6 inches of the release paper in order to position the start of the roofing sheet accurately.    Smooth down the sheet with your hand to adhere the roll roofing to the roof deck. Peel back the release paper and smooth down the roofing sheet as you go in order to prevent wrinkles in the asphalt membrane. Cut the roofing to size using either a utility knife or scissors, according to the roofing manufacturer’s recommendations. Use a hand roller to firmly press the roofing length onto the roof deck after you position each course. Overlap each preceding course by 3 inches to create an effective watertight lap for the flat roof. Overlap the edge of an end piece from roll to roll by 6 inches and stagger the laps between courses.  

Installing The Drip Cap

Installing peel-and-stick roll roofing on a flat roof requires a minimum slope of 1/2 inch per 12-inch roof run. Peel-and-stick roll roofing is a polymer and asphalt product, with a metalized or granular top coat and a self-adhesive underside, which purports to provide a faster installation time than traditional roll roofing materials. Wipe the deck with a damp cloth in order to pick up any dust particles that remain. Smooth down the sheet with your hand to adhere the roll roofing to the roof deck.

Flat Roofing Services Expressway Offers

We are experts at all things ‘flat roof’. We’ve been continuously in business for over 20 years. Some of our other flat roofing services include general flat roof repair, flat roof gutter repair, flat roof chimney repairs and installations and much more. Please call us at 631.772.6363 for your next flat roof repair service