Whether you are a business owner or a homeowner, you always want your roof to be constructed with high-quality materials and coatings to ensure its longevity. There are several types of roof coatings available, and each has advantages and disadvantages of its own.
To increase the roof’s resistance to the weather, two layers of roof coatings — often composed of asphalt, elastomeric, silicone, and polyurethane — are typically put on the roof.
Make sure you invest in a roof coating that is worth the cost because it is designed to increase your roof’s resistance to inclement weather and the effects of UV radiation. Additionally, they postpone the interior membrane’s early deterioration or wear and tear.
So, let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of various roof coating kinds so you can choose wisely for your residential and business properties.
Why Should You Consider Coating Your Roof?
One of the most prominent perks of getting your roof coating is that the roof coating potentially adds more to the average lifespan of the roof. Since roof coating adds to the exterior strength of the roof, thus it makes it more persistent towards harsh environmental factors.
In addition, the roof coating also enhances the sun rays reflective capability of the roof especially if it’s in white color. It means roof coatings help you save energy hence lesser contribution to greenhouse emission.
Applying a roof coating not only improves the overall appearance of your roof but also lowers the cost of maintenance and repairs that would otherwise be necessary.
Different Types of Roof Coatings
There are many different types of roof coatings for residential and commercial buildings and each one has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Here are the common roof coating types:
- Asphalt Roof Coating
- Acrylic Roof Coating
- Silicone Roof Coating
- Elastomeric Roof Coating
- Polyurethane Roof Coating
1. Asphalt Roof Coating
Also known as asphalt rubber coating, this coating is a mixture of asphalt and rubber. It is one of the cheapest roof coatings one could have with several benefits.
Pros
- Asphalt Roof shingles are one of the most affordable roofing solutions one could imagine.You can easily install this roof coating if you are low in budget.
- They offer less tiring installation because of its light weight.
- They come in varied colors which makes it a suitable choice for the ones who like to get bright colored roof coatings.
- Unlike the other roof coatings, asphalt roof coating is applied in a single layer with more pronounced waterproofing.
Cons
- Asphalt rubber coating is more vulnerable to wind damage if not installed properly.
- In addition, it also offers less life expectancy and needs rapid replacements as compared to the other roof coating types.
- This roof coating is also more susceptible to mold growth. They absorb more moisture from the surrounding due to which mold grows more rapidly in such roof coating as compared to the other types.
2. Acrylic Roof Coating
It is made up of acrylic resin. Acrylic Roof coating is one of the most prefered commercial roof coatings due to several reasons. It is a water-based coating which makes it perfect for different roof types. They also offer more adhesion to metal, low-slope or flat roofs.
It is a cost-effective roofing solution and also provides a great value.
Pros
- Acrylic coating is perfect for the humid and warm climates.
- They are resistant to mold growth and mildew.
- It offers tough and sturdy protection to the roof.
- It resists hail, storm and UV damage, thus making it a stand-alone choice by the homeowners or roofing contractors.
- Its reflective capabilities make it efficient to help you save energy and to cut down your electricity bills in summers.
- Being a water based coating, it is easy to install and won’t take long to get ready and dry soon after application.
- Provides a good balance in cost and durability.
Cons
- Acrylic roofing gets affected in case of ponding water due to which they are best to install in a sloped roof so that they get drained effectively.
- It loses its thickness with the time due to weathering therefore should be applied to areas where the temperature ranges to 50 F or above.
- It requires primer application to make it long lasting.
3. Silicone Roof Coating
Made with the silicon polymer, this roof coating is one of the most resilient among all other options. They are one of the most effective protective solutions to many commercial roofing materials including Bitumen, single ply, EPDM and TPO.
They are perfect for the roof which is mostly exposed to thunderstorms and heavy rain throughout the year.
Pros
- It is corrosion resistant.
- It is perfect for withstanding water ponding issues. Being moisture-cure they can withstand the damage caused by the damage without breaking out.
- It can reflect up to 80-90% of the sunrays. It means by applying this as your residential or commercial roofing coating, you can cut down the cost of water control appliances such as air conditioners.
- It is resistant to algae and mold growth which makes them a preferable choice in humid climates.
- Silicone roof coatings also don’t get hard and brittle.
- It is highly durable.
- They are extremely environmentally friendly and possess less volatile compounds.
Cons
- It holds up the dirt and the rain helps to wipe that off indirectly resulting in wiping off the building material.
- It requires fibers to prevent tearing with the time.
- Silicone offers very limited adhering capabilities, so in case of recoating the roof you first have to remove the initial coating completely to make it compatible for the recoating.
- It can be an expensive roofing solution for low-budget projects.
- It also offers less color variations as compared to acrylic coating.
- Being a solvent based coating, it is hard to be sprayed with hydraulic spray equipment.
- They get slippery on getting wet which makes them hard to walk on during rain.
4. Polyurethane Roof Coating
They are by-far the most impact resistant coating and handles the foot traffic the best way. It is the highly resistant coating type used in the industrial architectural coating system. It comes in two general types:
- Aliphatic Polyurethane
- Romantic Polyurethane
Unlike aromatic, aliphatic might cost you more initially but they resist the UV rays more effectively than its aromatic counterpart.
Pros
- Polyurethane offers a highly durable monolithic membrane coating.
- They can withstand the daily contraction and expansion of roof structure without getting hard or brittle.
- Urethane roof coating offers remarkable adhesion qualities.
- They are highly reflective and UV stable which helps the homeowners to sustain the utility bills.
- It renders a cooling effect thus making it ideal for hot weather climates.
- With an aliphatic top and aromatic base, the coat remains durable and cleaner and resists ponding of water more effectively as compared to acrylic roof coating.
- They are also resistant to algae and mold growth thus making it ideal to be installed at places where the climate is mostly humid.
Cons
- The polyurethane coating releases a pungent xylene based odor which might leave the surrounding occupants to feel uncomfortable.
- Just like acrylic roof coating, it is also a solvent based coating which makes it hard to spray with a hydraulic spray machine.
- It is pretty expensive as compared to acrylic coating.
- It has a shorter shelf life as compared to the other roof coating types.
How to Choose the Right Roof Coating?
After knowing what strengths and weaknesses does each roof coating hold, the next step is to choose what roofing coat would work best for your home. Where you are clear of all the pros and cons it is still a hard nut to crack.
The choice of roof coating is not just influenced by their pros and cons but also on the type of roof, the climate you live in and the budget constraints. Following are some factors to consider when choosing the roof coating:
Roof Type
with varied roof coating, you also have different roof types and the choice of the coating is greatly influenced by the roofing type. Flat roofs have different roof coatings while sloped roof styles have more silicone roof coating in common.
Climate
The roof coating is also determined by the climate of the area. For instance, if you are living in hot and more humid climates, you should opt for a coating material which offers more reflective capabilities.
Dirt resistance
There are some areas which have more probability of thunderstorms. In these areas, go for those roof coatings which are dirt and dust repellent.
Reflectivity
With reflectivity the roof coating means the ability of a roof coating to reflect the light back. The coating with more glossy finish tends to have more reflective capacity as compared to the ones with less glossy finish. So, when you are choosing the best of all the roofing coatings, choose those which have a more reflectivity. Because it would help you save must cost and make your home feel cooler.
Budget
One other factor to consider while choosing the right roofing coat is to consider what comes within your budget. Don’t fall for the price tags because they are often deceptive. Analyze things regarding cost and benefit and invest in that coating which renders more benefits than incurring cost.
How Long Does Roof Coating Last?
Roof coatings typically last between 12 and 15 years, although they can last longer if properly maintained and reapplied on a regular basis. However, polyurethane roofing coatings can persist for 20 years or more.
Regular roof inspection and repair can prevent you from ending up in uncertain events which could hamper life comfort.
In addition, the professional application of the roof coating also adds to the lifespan of the roof coat. The professional roofing company makes sure the roof coat is perfectly and evenly applied which of course enhances the durability.
How A Professional Roofing Company Can Help You With Installing The Best Roofing Coat?
The conditioning of the roof is very integral for the overall integrity and safety of your homes and commercial buildings. This is why it is important to consider some professional help in choosing both the roofing material and the roofing coating.
A professional roofing contractor has the necessary knowledge and expertise needed to choose the right roofing coating out of many. They are all aware of all the roofing coatings available in the market with their strengths and weaknesses which you won’t be able to get all at once at any cost.
In addition to this, they can also help you choose the roofing coat as per the roof age, material and type. They will also help you get the insight of room maintenance and care.
Is Coating A Roof A Good Idea?
After deeply analyzing all the mentioned benefits associated with the roof coatings, one can not deny that roof coating is a good idea.
Roof coatings not only enhance the lifespan of the roof but they also prevent the incidence of roof leaks. In addition, they also save you from hefty maintenance costs in the end. So, in short, investing in roof coating is worthy and one must consider it if he wants to make his roof durable and sturdy.
Conclusion
Whether you are a homeowner or someone who helps people build their homes, they must know how integral it is to decide what roof coating would go best keeping in view all of the factors.
After choosing the right roofing coat you not only assure the longevity of your roof but also enhance the resilience of the roof towards various elements which includes: dust, dirt and mold growth.
With all the available types of roof coatings which includes: silicon, acrylic, polyurethane and asphalt. Every coating has their own set of pros and cons. Considering all the things make sure you decide on the coating which suits your climate, budget, and roof type.
