VaproShield has announced the new product release of SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered, a highly vapor-permeable roofing underlayment Air Barrier (AB) material.
SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered (SA), a vapor permeable roofing underlayment, is designed for use on steep slope roofs of 2:12 or greater pitch. The revolutionary roofing underlayment features the patent-pending Vapor Permeable Polymer Composite Technology (VPPCT ) developed by VaproShield.
"VPPCT combines advanced polymer coatings and our proprietary adhesive to create a primerless, highly-permeable, and fully-adhered [roofing] underlayment that is revolutionary to the industry. The black color also absorbs heat from the sun (while exposed), which increases the drying process of wet sheathing and insulation," notes Kevin Nolan, Technical Director of North America. "Every part of SlopeShield Plus, including the color, was intentional."
The development of SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered came from an existing market demand for a high-performance and permeable roofing underlayment. Traditional asphaltic and butyl-based peel-and-stick roofing underlayments offer liquid-water holdout but lack drying capacity due to their non-permeable nature. These underlayments inherently trap moisture, reducing insulation performance and accelerating sheathing decay-potentially causing premature roof assembly failure.
"The industry has had traditional [asphaltic and butyl-based] underlayments for years. We are always working to push the industry forward," notes Lee Snyder, Managing Partner of VaproShield.
SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered offers superior performance to the polypropylene tri-laminate micro-porous permeable existing roof underlayments. The superior construction technology of SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered is a composite of polymers and polyester in a sheet good that allows vapor diffusion. The design of SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered eliminates the water leakage created by the concussion effect (caused by heavy rain and foot traffic) while allowing for 6-month UV and climate exposure prior to roof system installation.
SlopeShield Plus Self-Adhered is compatible with metal roofing, slate/clay tile with batten/counter-batten substructures, and cedar shingles/shakes with VaproMat™. VaproShield offers SlopeFlashing™ in two sizes: 29.5" and 19 2/3". SlopeFlashing is used to flash eaves, hips, ridges and valleys.
Complete Roof and Wall Water Resistant, Vapor Permeable Air Barrier System
Combining SlopeShield Plus SA and VaproShield's vapor permeable WRB/Air Barrier wall membranes will create an airtight and watertight building enclosure that offers high drying capacity for the building envelope and roofing assembly-mitigating moisture damage and saving energy for the life of the building. A NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology, NISTIR 7238] study showed that an effective air barrier can reduce a building's energy costs by as much as 40% and electrical costs by more than 25%.
Who is VaproShield?
For over a decade, VaproShield has designed and manufactured high performance mechanically attached and self-adhered vapor permeable water resistive barriers (WRB), air barrier (AB) membranes, vapor-permeable roofing underlayment air barrier (AB) materials, and accessories to create a total solution-based approach to protecting the building assembly. VaproShield's innovative features, such as; highly-permeable primerless membrane adhesive, permeable fluid-applied flashing for rough openings, and rain screen components have been rigorously tested together to maximize life-long building assembly performance and minimize building failure rates.
