Overview of the soft roof Katepal: Finnish approach to quality

With its soft roof solutions, the Finnish company Katepal has made a significant name for itself in the roofing material market. Katepal roofs, which are renowned for their emphasis on quality and durability, are a fusion of contemporary technology and Scandinavian craftsmanship. These roofs offer both functional dependability and aesthetic appeal, and they are made to withstand the harsh Nordic climate.

Bitumen, a strong and weather-resistant material that is the foundation of Katepal’s roofing products, is one of the materials that sets their soft roofs apart. This substance guarantees that Katepal roofs will not only withstand severe weather but also keep their structural integrity over time. For homeowners looking for long-term value and peace of mind from their roofing investments, this dependability is essential.

Katepal is unique in that they are dedicated to environmental responsibility and sustainability. Every roof is made with consideration for the environment, using materials that are both efficient and sustainable. Because of this strategy, which is in line with current trends toward sustainable building methods, Katepal roofs are an environmentally conscious and high-performing option.

Soft Roof Type	Katepal
Country of Origin	Finland
Material	Modified Bitumen
Features	Durable, Weather-resistant
Advantages	High Quality, Long Lifespan
Installation	Straightforward, Suitable for Various Climates

A little about the manufacturer: a recognized European leader

This well-known plant has a history spanning more than 60 years. Katepal began as a modest family business, expanded swiftly to become a reliable business throughout Scandinavia, and eventually gained traction throughout Europe.

Due to its distinctive deep natural shades that consistently blend in flawlessly with the surrounding natural environment, this brand of soft tile has already become well-known in Russia:

These days, Katepal is well-known for all of its high-quality processes and its refined production algorithm. Three crucial elements are given special consideration: granulatory, fiberglass, and bitumen.

As the manufacturer himself observes, a patient Finnish character emerges in their choice:

In Russia, catipal tiles are still utilized at many important sites. The 30 years official guarantee for such a roof is not hyperbole; on Russian objects, this tile has already been successfully used for more than 25 years. Although a lot of their more contemporary counterparts with long-term guarantees have only recently been available, it is too soon to tell how reliable they will be in the Russian environment.

More specifically, the following circumstances apply to the validity of the categup guarantee at 25 and 30:

• 25 years when using the lining carpets of Katesal on the entire surface of the roof;
• 30 years when using a denser carpet Superbase. It is more durable and reliable, so it can even be used as a temporary roof.

While Katepal initially promised 30 years of coating service, most flexible tile manufacturers only offered a 15-year guarantee for their products until recently.

Companies started offering longer guarantees today. But time hasn’t allowed me to check their products yet; I haven’t had time. The same roofing brands, though, come with greater warranties in Europe and America than in Russia. All because of the milder weather and shorter winters.

The range of roofing materials offered by Katepal is remarkably extensive. These are entire sets of parts for the roof device and carpet lining. One of the newest inventions is a special hound sticking mechanism that lets you make an entirely tight coating.

Because of this, installing Katupal is simple and the roof’s waterproofing is complete.

Here is a clear representation of the tile’s production process:

Composition and structure of flexible tiles from Katepal

Let’s examine the primary layers that the Finnish manufacturer’s flexible races are composed of in more detail:

The durability of the entire roof and the quality of the hounds are dependent upon the components that are used directly.

Certification: European standards

With four production lines, the Katesal plant is currently regarded as one of the biggest flexible tile manufacturers. You have undoubtedly heard of "Finnish standards," which are recognized globally as being of the highest caliber, dependable, and environmentally friendly.

Katepal takes great pride in the fact that all of the European standard requirements for the production of a soft roof are met, and that its tiles are made from extremely high-quality raw materials and advanced technologies.

The EN544 certificate is what sets Katepal products apart from their competitors in the market. This is a document of some gravity. Based on samples tested by independent laboratories, it is issued.

The certificate lists the minimum values for the primary technical indicators, including moisture absorption, UV and bloating resistance, stretching strength, fire resistance, and gap strength. Remember that this is the lowest value—not the highest.

It should be noted that bitumen tiles were invented in America, where standards for their quality were established right away. However, over time, Europeans who were expelled from their own continent created their own standard, EN544, which up to this point has governed bitumen tile quality.

They follow European manufacturers’ guidelines, and this standard is a state in several nations. But it is merely advisory in nature with regard to Russia and several other countries. Furthermore, there is still no single standard for the production of soft roofs, which is why top producers like Katepal stress that they follow the European standard EN544.

This tile’s quality is well known all over the world. For this reason, Catepal became well-known beyond its own name. Despite the fact that Finland does not exclusively manufacture this brand, they are well-known in Russia:

The tile itself is made so that it can transition indefinitely through zero, or the freezing point of water, without losing any of its properties. Because of all of this, Katepal has a very low complaint rate of just 0.04%.

Various types of bitumen as raw materials

And now for the most crucial part. Significant differences between bitumen that has been modified and oxidized have been discussed a lot lately. In summary, there are several drawbacks to oxidized bitumen that don’t show up right away.

Cracks in the tile are the most common way that this manifests visually. In actuality, the oxidation process itself causes bitumen to age, which in turn causes the roof as a whole to age. Thus, today’s opinion is that SBS-modified bitumen is far superior and more dependable than oxidized bitumen.

The quality of the bitumen used determines the characteristics of the roof itself. So let’s take a closer look at the bitumen tile production process, and you’ll see why Katepal costs what it does.

For instance, they frequently use oxidation to increase bitumen’s heat resistance to the appropriate degree (heat resistance is necessary so that the tile does not undergo significant changes in properties in the heat and frost). In the factory, bitumen is saturated with air bubbles for this reason. However, in reality, the oxidation process continues on the roof after it leaves the factory.

Consequently, all of this causes bitumen to age more quickly. Hydrocarbon molecules break apart, oxygen molecules land on their chemical bonds, and oxidation proceeds. T.e. Bitumen cannot be allowed to oxidize "a little" and then have its aging stopped.

Free bonds are always present during oxidation; these bonds absorb ozone and become the hubs of hill degradation. As a result, the soft roof’s sheets grow increasingly rigid with time and eventually break even with minor deformation. Furthermore, the tightness of the roof is lost if there are cracks.

In this sense, oxidized bitumen tiles have typically been in use for no longer than 20 years. Abroad, it is common for a new roof to be nailed onto a crumbling, rotting roof without first tearing down the old one. However, the use of an SBC modifier in bitumen has made serious manufacturers more favored.

We are discussing butadien-style rubber, or to put it another way, an elastic polymer that is artificial. Bitumen becomes more elastic and flexible with this addition, even at low temperatures. It has outstanding adherence and a strong resistance to cyclic loads as a result.

Furthermore, this type of bitumen is so elastic that it can stretch two thousand times! To put it in scientific terms, the polymer interacts with bitumen through a molecular structure, increasing the mass’s overall elasticity, flexibility, and strength. To put it simply, SBS Polymer adds a new network molecular structure to bitumen, allowing it to absorb other components and have a larger effective volume.

And it’s precisely these gentle hounds that work best in the climate of Russia. These technologies, by the way, are not new; they were employed in the automotive and aviation industries before finding their way into the roofing sector.

However, just like the modifier itself, producing modified bitumen is costly; as a result, Katepal products cost more than their oxidized bitumen-based counterparts.

After all, not everyone is aware that bitumen modified with SBS is the outcome of expensive research and many years of development. Researchers have been working for a long time to create a modifier that will not deteriorate bitumen’s quality, but rather enhance it based on fundamental traits like elasticity, flexibility, and the retention of significant parameters when the temperature crosses zero:

In addition, the Katepal tiles are already made with second-generation bitumen, which offers even more durability. Additionally, this Finnish producer just introduced a first for the Russian market—the first two-layer tile made of differentiated bitumen.

Dynasol of Spain makes a unique second-generation SBC modifier for Katepal, while Nynas provides bitumen. This business is dedicated to the release of bitumen, which is significant because, in contrast, bitumen suppliers in Russia are first imprisoned for producing gasoline. However, MaxitGroup already provides the granulant for the well-known Finnish tile.

Granulators: from the very bowels of the Earth

It is worthwhile to discuss the granules that Katepal uses if you choose to comprehend the quality issue all the way through. This is phyllitis, a crystalline rock. When shales are compressed and turn into crystals, a change occurs in the shales that produces phillit. As a matter of fact, this process is comparable to how quartz is formed. Furthermore, phyllitis has developed for many millions of years in the Earth’s interior.

Weak water saturation, outstanding resistance to frost, and good water-repellent qualities are some of this breed’s benefits. In addition, fire resistance and defending against hostile external environments are included.

Such a material is easy to work with and doesn’t break off or crumble. The European mountain climbers have been covering their roofs with this material for a long time. They created the necessary components by splitting thin slabs by hand.

One can still come across black Phillit in German settlements on house roofs. Furthermore, this type of material is so eco-friendly that it’s even used to complete contemporary saunas.

In particular, Phillit is mined on the Finnish Lapland mine for Katepal. Usually, it is left in its natural state or painted at a high temperature to carry out a specific design project. Sibelco nickel granules are used by Katepal to achieve the black color. They capture the tile’s vibrant color just right.

There’s a good reason why black flexible tile is the most popular color in Finland. In addition, other artificially painted granulators eventually become dull and lose their saturation.

The idea that Ruflex tile is a derivative is false. This isn’t the case, actually. Up until 2011, Katepal tile was marketed as Katepal Ruflex since Ruflex served as the Finnish company’s Russian distributor. Though they are both of very high quality, these are actually entirely different brands.

Collections: from classics to 3D realeization

Katepal stands out against other flexible tile varieties because of its vibrant color and conventional rectangular shape (with a few exceptions). This trademark encompasses five collections in total that are universally compatible with any stylistic solution. They employ orange, yellow, brown, and red hues, occasionally diluted with black granulatory.

Think about the variations between these collections. The manufacturing technology is the same, there are no overall qualitative differences, and the only variations are visual in nature.

As the manufacturer claims, there is no discernible quality difference even between single-layer and two-layer tiles. Even one of the tiles’ layers should be fairly sealed and long-lasting if the tiles are trustworthy. However, a lot of people still believe that a woman’s life expectancy increases with the number of tile layers.

In actuality, bitumen thickness has no bearing whatsoever on durability. The real factors that determine whether the roof lasts for a long time or develops cracks in five years are the raw materials. This kind of bitumen was modified using SBS. With Katepal, however, you can safely select your preferred design without worrying about the finer details.

Noble and universal classic

A plain, hexagonal racetrack with noble filling is the Classic collection. Select this specific collection if you are unsure which ones to prioritize in order to prevent unintentionally damaging the house’s overall aesthetic.

The spirit of history in the Rocky collection

The well-known Rocky collection, which comes in the color schemes of terracotta, gold sand, autumn maple, red granite, and chestnut, accurately replicates the old roof. Furthermore, Rocky has recently restocked with hues like southern onyx and gray agate:

Among the hottest new products Rocky is the new color of Mahagon and a ripe chestnut that dances in the sun. Machogon is a rich, reddish-brown hue that dazzles with elegance.

This range of granules, which range in color from light beige to brown, is so exquisite that it almost looks like the structure of a mast tree. The magnificent tree further inspires a sense of stability and confidence, which is reflected in the roof’s color.

Soft muffled Foxy colors

A tile with a lovely shape and sophisticated appearance is another innovation from Katepal:

A tile from the Foxy collection, which resembles right rhombuses, gives the appearance of a respectable shale roof. In this instance, the racers’ own darkening provides the roof’s desired visual volume.

By the way, Foxy was the one who designed it with the Russian climate in mind. Strong hail, snow, and rainfall are examples of atmospheric influences that it completely opposes.

Light games and shadows of the Ambient collection

The Ambient collection stood out in particular because it captured the essence of the Middle Ages so well. Rectangular petals are used to create a relief pattern that resembles multi-layer tiles.

However, "Black Gold," the novelty from this collection, particularly pleased the buyers. Such a tile produces an incredibly opulent combination of gold and black granules for an opulent, pricey mansion.

Stylish shades of Jazzy

Jazzy collections are tiles with a fairly unique hexagonal mosaic pattern that combine black and colored granules to add depth and volume:

3D effects of the Katrilly collection

However, the appealing visual appeal of this collection’s three-dimensional effect draws in customers. Here, dense shadows play eerily, and the color palette is pleasing with deep tones like "wood bark" and "greens of moss."

Laminated tiles Mansion

The first laminated tile based on SBS-modified bitumen—Mansion—was also released by Katepal. Compared to a traditional tile, the Gont width is increased by 11% in this one, and the drawing itself is increased by 13%.

This is nearly twice as large as the sheet ceiling in terms of the nail-attaching zone. Lastly, a sizable adhesive layer in the shape of a long, continuous strip is used to apply this tile. Sufficiently practical for installation.

Soft roofs from Katepal are a prime example of Finland’s dedication to high standards and creative roofing solutions. Katepal roofs are renowned for their strength and beauty, and because they are designed to withstand even the most extreme weather, builders and homeowners can trust that they will last.

Katepal is unique in the way it uses cutting-edge materials and technology. Every roof is expertly constructed using premium bitumen and strengthened with durable, flexible fibers. This combination guarantees better performance in terms of insulation and waterproofing while also extending longevity.

Katepal roofs are made with sustainability and design in mind, in addition to functionality. With their assortment of hues and textures, homeowners can use energy-efficient roofing solutions to lessen their impact on the environment while enhancing their architectural style.

Katepal soft roofs provide a fusion of contemporary engineering and Scandinavian craftsmanship for anyone thinking about upgrading their roofing. Focusing on toughness, style, and environmental friendliness, Katepal is still the industry leader in roofing quality.

"Uncover the essence of Finnish precision and quality-crafted Katepal soft roofs. This article explores how Katepal’s cutting-edge building materials and methods redefine roofing. Discover why Katepal stands out in the roofing industry by providing the highest standards of aesthetics and dependability, from durability to environmental sustainability."

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