Let’s Talk About Roof Coatings

Roof coatings are designed for protecting and extending the useful service life of roof assemblies for new construction and existing roof coverings.  Roof coatings are applied to low slope roofs on residential, commercial, and industrial buildings to extend the life of a roof by preventing water, chemical, or physical damage which saves money for the building owner.  Roof coatings are also the most effective and least costly option to help buildings save energy and enhance sustainability.

Roof coatings have a high solids content. Roof coatings are formulated to protect roofs from the damaging effects of weather and the environment, such as UV light, and excessive water and wind. They are formulated to provide protection for many years and are also extremely elastic; they typically contain a high level of top-quality resin. The high-quality resins and the volume of resins introduced during manufacturing allow the coating to maintain its elastic properties throughout its life cycle. Once cured, these resins form an elastomeric and durable film, which provides an additional measure of waterproofing and allows the roof coating to bridge small cracks and membrane seams found on roofs. Roof coatings are applied in terms of multiple gallons per 100 square feet. Today, there are various types of roof coatings on the market that can benefit any type of roof.

Benefits of Roof Coatings

Roof coatings are applied to low slope roofs on residential, commercial, and industrial buildings to extend the life of a roof by preventing water, chemical, or physical damage which saves money for the building owner. Certain roof coatings even provide an extra level of waterproofing protection to help shed water to keep building interiors dry. Also, roof coatings are the most effective and least costly option to help buildings save energy.

How Roof Coatings Lower Roof Temperatures

Reflective roof coatings reflect visible light and infrared and ultraviolet radiation. This leads to lower roof temperatures which in turn helps reduce cooling costs for buildings with air conditioning units and reduce interior temperatures in buildings with no cooling units. By minimizing cooling costs in warmer climates, peak energy usage is reduced thereby decreasing the risk of power outages and the strain on the electrical grid.

The ‘Urban Heat Island Effect’

The Urban Heat Island Effect is a regional elevation in air temperature, usually gauged by the difference between urban and rural air temperatures. On a typical summer afternoon, a clean white roof that reflects 80% of sunlight will stay about 55°F cooler than a gray roof that reflects only 20% of sunlight. Likewise, a cool-colored roof that reflects 35% of sunlight will stay about 22°F cooler than a traditional roof that looks the same but reflects only 10% of sunlight. Reflective roof coatings reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect and peak energy use which lowers carbon footprints and smog while lessening the amount of roofing waste going to landfills.

Reducing Tear-Off and Waste

Every building owner will eventually be faced with the decision to completely tear-off an existing roof or to repair it. In fact, 2.5 billion square feet of roofs are either replaced or re‐coated each year. Given that roofing materials are the third greatest contributor to waste in landfills, roof coatings are an ideal solution to extend the life of a roof and prevent tear-off and waste.  Roof coatings are less invasive and typically will not require loss of work or shutdown.

TYPES OF ROOF COATINGS

The most common types of roof coatings are acrylic coatings, asphalt coatings, polyurethane coatings, and silicone coatings:

Acrylic Coatings

Acrylic water-based coatings are ideal for high UV environments where a reflective roof is desired. They can be colored, but generally are sold in white, tan, and grey. Many specialized versions are made to be compatible with specific substrates.

Asphalt Coatings

Asphalt coatings are either solvent based “cut backs” or emulsions. They can be black or aluminized. They have the ability to be used in cold and inclement weather. Aluminized coatings are used when a reflective and UV stable asphalt coating is needed.

Polyurethane Coatings

Polyurethane coatings are typically solvent based and come in two main types, aromatic (less UV stable) and aliphatic (very UV stable). Urethanes have good mechanical properties and high abrasion resistance. They are suggested for use in hail prone regions or where a roof is exposed to heavy foot traffic.

Silicone Coatings

Silicone coatings, like acrylic coatings, perform well in high UV environments where a reflective roof is desired. Often silicone is used in locations where rain is a daily occurrence, or if the roof is often wet and experiences excessive amounts of ponded water.

Other Types of Roof Coatings

Roof coatings can be made with other resins or combinations of resins. These include, but are not limited to, butyl resins, fluoropolymer, PMMA, polyester, silyl terminated polyether (STPE), polyuria, PUMA, SEBS, and styrene-acrylics.

At Skyline Roofing, we provide commercial roofing solutions and if you want to learn more about coatings reach out to us.