A-03.B5 · Roof Coatings
Coatings,
when they're
honest.
A coating can add real years to a serviceable roof. It cannot rescue a failed one, and selling it as though it can is one of the more common cons in this trade.
What a coating
can and cannot do
A reflective elastomeric coating applied over a sound low-slope or metal roof does three useful things: it adds a seamless waterproofing layer, it reflects solar radiation and lowers surface and attic temperature, and it defers the capital cost of replacement.
What it cannot do is fix a saturated substrate, restore a deteriorated deck, or correct inadequate drainage. Coating over trapped moisture seals the water in, and the roof continues failing beneath a surface that now looks new.
So the assessment matters more than the product. We survey the substrate, check for moisture, and if the honest answer is that you need a replacement rather than a coating, that is what we will tell you — even though it is the more expensive recommendation and easier to lose the job on.
When coating
is appropriate
Five conditions. If your roof does not meet them, coating is money spent to delay a problem rather than solve it.
- 01
Sound substrate
The existing membrane or metal is intact and adhered, without widespread splitting, blistering or delamination. Coating is a top layer, not a structural repair.
- 02
Dry beneath
No trapped or saturated insulation. Moisture surveys exist for exactly this reason. Coating over wet insulation guarantees continued deterioration invisibly.
- 03
Adequate drainage
Water leaves the roof. Coating a ponding roof puts a new surface under the same standing water that destroyed the last one.
- 04
Correct preparation
Cleaning, priming and detail work at seams, fasteners and penetrations before the field coat. Preparation is most of the labor and the first thing skipped on a cheap bid.
- 05
Correct thickness
Coatings perform to a specified dry film thickness. Applied thin to save material, they fail early. This is invisible to a homeowner, which is precisely why it happens.
Common questions
A-03.B5.4 · Free, no obligation
Get a real number
in writing
Site visit within 48 hours, itemized estimate after. No deposit, no pressure, and no salesperson — you'll be talking to the people who'll do the work.