Geodesic Dome Spray Foam Roofing

Buckminster fuller in 1954 as a solution to the post world war ii housing shortage.

Geodesic dome spray foam roofing. Whether the additional expense and change in appearance is desired is up to the owner. The geodesic dome is unique in that it is a group of triangles bolted together to form an irregular structure. Many additional benefits also exist such as superior compressive strength lightweight self flashing durable and long lasting. When the concrete has cured the inflator fans are turned off.

They have seen all the possible problems. This last concern is often the most important one because there are many geodesic roofs that were not well done which led to the belief that domes leak. It totally changes the look of the building and maybe that 39 s wanted or not. After three inches of shotcrete is applied the monolithic dome is a steel reinforced concrete structure.

Shotcrete a special spray applied concrete is installed on the interior surface of the polyurethane foam embedding the rebar. Challenges of roofing a geodesic dome. The two most prominent benefits are waterproofing leak prevention and insulation value. After the roof s shingles had blown away the roof sheathing was compromised so the owner decided that the application of spray foam was the best way to not only seal the roof but strengthen it as well.

Spray applied polyurethane foam roofing is good stuff if the building is designed to deal with the moisture from inside the building. In nfpa 11 2010 section 5 4 a geodesic dome tank is categorized as under outdoor covered internal floating roof. This was the dilemma of a florida homeowner whose home s geodesic roof had been damaged by wind uplift over the years. The geodesic dome was a prefab housing trend patented by r.

You can google it. As the walls get closer to vertical there s a mix of open cell and closed cell so we have the dome equivalent of r 60 roof r 40 walls. Polyurethane spray foam roofing. The preferred solution these days is to use spray foam for both roofing and insulation combining its insulating properties with the ability to make the home watertight.

The top of the dome is all closed cell foam. For a roofing contractor shingling a geodesic dome can be equally challenging requiring specialized roofing techniques with expert attention to details. Each triangle is a separate item with a bottom two diminishing sides and a top and all of these angles must be accounted for when replacing the roof of a dome. Re roofing a geodesic dome.

The design called for 10 of spray foam in a 12 cavity but in some places it filled the whole 12 and had to be trimmed. We have completed 3 of these projects and it is very important that you contact the manufacturer of the building if it a pre built or if it is a kit set you need to speak with the architect or company selling the plans.