Built-Up Roofing

Layer-on-Layer Protection That Laughs at Ponding Water and Rooftop Traffic.

BUR Explained

Inside a Built-Up Roof.

Built-up roofing, often called “tar and gravel,” bonds alternating layers of asphalt or cold adhesive with reinforcing felts to form a thick, seamless waterproof blanket. A standard assembly stacks three or four plies of fiberglass felt, each flood-coated with hot asphalt, then caps everything with a flood coat and river-washed stone. The stone ballast shields the asphalt from ultraviolet light, holds the roof in high winds, and gives service crews a safe walking surface.

Modern BUR comes in several flavors. Hot asphalt systems stay classic, heating the bitumen to 205 °C for on-deck mopping. Cold-process systems blend solvent-borne mastics that cure without kettles, easing odor concerns downtown. Hybrid BUR tops the ply stack with a smooth modified-bitumen cap sheet, merging old-school redundancy with modern flexibility. Regardless of recipe, the finished roof weighs roughly 5 kgm², resists foot traffic, and passes Class A fire tests without extra coating.

Life span reaches 25 to 30 years when drains stay clear and gravel redistributes every five years. BUR excels on spans 2% slope or less, where single-ply sheets struggle with ponding water. Annual work is light: rake gravel to even depth, vacuum fines, and spot-patch blisters before they balloon. When the roof finally retires, scrap stone gets recycled as road base, and cold-process plies grind into asphalt pavement mix, sending very little to landfill.

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Benefits Of Built-Up Roofing

Why BUR Still Rules.

Multiple Waterproof Layers

Three or four plies of felt and asphalt back up one another, so a puncture in the top coat rarely reaches the deck and leak calls drop sharply.

Superior Fire Resistance

Stone ballast and asphalt flood coat earn an inherent Class A rating, satisfying code on schools, warehouses, and high-rise towers without extra surface coatings.

Foot-Traffic Durability

Crushed rock surfacing spreads weight and bites into boot soles, letting HVAC techs and riggers cross the deck without mat paths or worry.

Stable In Ponding Water

Asphalt chemistry resists standing water, making BUR a proven choice for dead-flat spans between parapets where slope is tough to add.

Excellent Thermal Mass

Thick asphalt absorbs daytime heat and releases it slowly at night, easing temperature swings on interior spaces and extending membrane life.

Low-Odor Cold Options

Modern cold-process adhesives deliver BUR redundancy without kettles or smoke, opening the system to odor-sensitive medical or office campuses.

BUR Styles & Build Specs

Choose Your Built-Up Roofing.

Cittrix runs core samples to match new plies with existing deck, then selects mop, cold, or hybrid build based on odor limits, wind rating, and weight allowance.

Hot Asphalt Four-Ply BUR

Classic mop-and-bucket build with No. 15 fiberglass felts.
Install notes: Asphalt maintained at 205°C, felts offset 460mm between courses, pea-gravel ballast at 27 kgm², drains fitted with clamping rings.
Cold-Process Three-Ply BUR

Solvent-borne adhesive rolled between felts, curing without heat.
Install notes: 1mm mastic per ply, granule-surfaced top coat, odor monitoring for air intakes, ballast optional.
Hybrid BUR With Mod-Bit Cap

Three hot asphalt plies finished with SBS modified cap sheet.
Install notes: Torch or hot-mop cap, white ceramic granules for reflectivity, no loose gravel needed, great for rooftop solar racks.

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Built-Up Roofing Project Roadmap

Probe, Plan, Finish on a Rapid Timeline.

Deck & Drain Audit

Drone and infrared scan flag wet zones, crew cores the roof, and engineers verify load charts. A moisture map and 3-D model arrive within 24 hours.

Assembly Design

You review a side-by-side proposal showing hot asphalt, cold-process, and hybrid options with timelines, ballast depth, and firm pricing. One e-signature books the crew and orders materials.

Build & Document

Crews stage kettles or adhesive pumps, layer felts, flood the surface, and set gravel while logging daily kettle temps or adhesive spread rates. Before-after drone shots, core plug photos, and a lifetime labor pledge upload to your portal on punch-out day.

Is BUR Your Best Bet?

Check Slope, Odor, and Weight Before You Decide.

Choose BUR When You Need:

Proven life of twenty-five years on roofs under 2% slope.
Maximum foot-traffic durability for large mechanical arrays.
Built-in Class A fire rating and ballast for wind uplift.

Consider Other Systems if:

Odor control on occupied hospitals mandates zero solvents or kettles; single-ply induction systems may suit better.
Load limits prevent adding 5 kgm² ballast; TPO or EPDM cut weight.
Project demands bright-white reflectivity without granules; PVC or TPO caps meet cool-roof codes easier.

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The Cittrix Difference

Fast, Convenient Estimates

Call or submit a form and we’ll schedule a free inspection of your roof for the same or next business day. There’s no need for you to disrupt your busy schedule - you don’t even have to be at home.

Instead of sending a confusing estimate or sitting in your living room for hours with a high-pressure sales pitch, we’ll send you a clear video explanation of what’s going on with your roof and our recommendations that you can watch on your own time.
Quick Turnaround and Guaranteed Timelines

Roof installation is scheduled and completed within ten days of approval—no delays, no surprises, just reliable scheduling you can count on.
Flexible Financing Options

We offer simple, clear-cut payment options, including 0% financing with zero money down, making it easy to get the high-quality roof your family needs.
Trusted Team of Professionals
We’re proud to work closely with leading manufacturers, ensuring every roof we install is the highest quality. Our crews are experienced, respectful, and held to the highest standards in the industry—because your home deserves the best.
- Malarkey Emerald Premium Certified Contractor
- Proud Member of the Roofing and Solar Reform Alliance
- A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
- HAAG Certified Roof Inspector
- 5-Star Google Rating
- 5-Star Thumbtack Professional
Lifetime Roof Warranties

We stand behind our work with robust warranties that cover labor and materials, offering long-term protection and peace of mind.
Speedy Cleanup and Safety Precautions

Our teams take extra care to minimize disruption and keep your family and pets safe during every step of the process.
Locally Owned, Family-Run Business

Based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, and serving neighbors throughout Lake County and the Chicago suburbs, we’re proud to serve our local community with integrity, hustle, transparency, and heart.

We’ll do everything in our power to ensure you’re informed and confident through every step of the process and will always make recommendations based on what’s best for you. We’re humbled by the positive feedback we’ve received from thousands of happy customers and look forward to serving you and your family.