Roofs are an important part of everyday life, and protecting them is essential to keeping operations running smoothly. There are many different types of roof coatings for commercial buildings, and the Pros are here to tell you everything you need to know about them and how to pick the right one for your business.
What is Commercial Roof Coating?
Commercial roof coatings mean protecting the materials and structure of a building’s roof from UV rays and other harmful weather conditions. Roof coating systems also provide a waterproof layer and improve the fire resistance of a roof system, in addition to helping owners save on heating and cooling costs.
The best part of investing in roof coating systems is that it is much cheaper than replacing an existing roof that’s damaged. Or, if you recently got new commercial roofing, a coating is guaranteed to make it last for many years to come.
Different Types of Roof Coatings
There are four types of commercial roof coatings that are popular: acrylic, asphalt, polyurethane, and silicone. There are other types of coatings that can be made with other resins or a combination of resins, but the most popular option is silicone roof coatings.
Acrylic roof coatings are best for commercial properties in high UV ray environments since it won’t be too reflective. It is possible to get colors, but the standard ones are usually white, tan, or gray.
Asphalt coatings are available in solvent-based emulsions that can either be black or aluminized. Acrylic coatings are incredibly effective when applied over an asphalt substate, and an aluminized acrylic roof coating is useful for a reflective and UV-stable roof coating system.
Polyurethane coatings mostly come solvent-based with two types: aromatic for less UV-stable and aliphatic for very UV-stable. The urethanes in the roof coatings have great mechanical properties and high abrasion resistance, which is one reason they work best in fail-prone regions or when a roof has heavy foot traffic.
Silicone coatings are a popular choice and also suited for an environment with high UV rays since its reflectivity helps resist them. The silicone roof coatings also work in areas with daily rain or roofs that experience ponding water.
Why are Silicone Roof Coatings Popular?
These are the top five reasons why silicone is a popular choice for roof coating systems: it applies in one layer, rarely needs primary, is environmentally friendly, produces an unbeatable result, and is easy to use.
Silicone can be applied in a single coat because of its higher solids content compared to acrylic and other cheaper roof coating systems. Better yet, the thick single coat doesn’t compromise the application quality or effectiveness when it’s fully cured, and the thickness allows installers to easily correct minor slope problems and reduce ponding water. Plus, the one coat application saves on labor costs and time spent on the project.
In addition to needing only one coat, a primer typically doesn’t need to be applied to the existing roof beforehand. No primer means savings on labor, materials, and time. However, an adhesion test should be conducted before a silicone coating is applied.
Silicone roof coatings are the safer choice for the environment because they are solvent-free and contain lower levels of volatile, organic compounds (VOC) levels. Silicone coatings that are solvent-free mean they aren’t flammable and, if they were ignited, the flashpoint is so high that they won’t have the fuel to sustain a fire. The extremely low VOC levels also mean silicone coatings exceed the safety standards in all 50 states, making it an easy choice for businesses everywhere.
If you haven’t been convinced yet, wait until you hear about the effectiveness of silicone roof coatings. The scientific formulation of silicone coatings forms an impermeable barrier to resist the pressure of ponding water on commercial roofing, keeping them leak-free. The coating also keeps a consistent form after installation, rather than slowly deteriorating, and recoating is a breeze.
Lastly, silicone roof coatings are very easy to use. This coating cures faster in hot and cold temperatures, making it a great choice for commercial roofs across the country.
Hire the Pros to Get the Work Done Right
If you’re convinced that you need roof coatings for commercial buildings, the qualified experts at Pro Painters can help you. We typically utilize Uniflex sealant because it’s effective at preventing leaks, lasts around more than ten years, and saves on energy and electricity, making it a cost-effective solution for your roof’s protection. Call us at (832) 831-7591 to request a free estimate and get started on a new roof coating system today.
