Posted by Joseph Newland on Thu, Aug 05, 2010 @ 03:07 PM
This video, from the U.S. Department of Energy, explains some of the benefits of a cool roof and the effect they have on our environment. If you are replacing a roof on an existing building or have plans to build, make sure the design incorporates a cool roof!
My next article will highlight the benefits of a fluid applied roof system over the competition; from money saved, to environmental impact, to unmatched warranties.
Posted by Joseph Newland on Tue, May 25, 2010 @ 10:48 AM
To continue my last my last post on choosing the right roof coating I will address the other key points to consider before purchasing a roof coating.
- What problems are you trying to solve?
- What type of roof do you have?
- What is the condition and age of your roof?
If your roof is leaking, starting to rust, you are looking for energy savings or any combination of these, you will need a product that is compatible with your roof and can solve all of these problems. Some coatings are just a coat of paint or fibered aluminum and are not designed to waterproof. A good way to tell is to check the
application requirements and see if details including penetrations, seams, curbs, etc. are mentioned and require special attention like the use of reinforcing fabric or scrim. Without these details taken care of your roof will continue to leak.
What about rust? Without proper cleaning and the use of a primer you may cover up the issue but continue to have rust eating away at the metal underneath, causing the problem to continue unnoticed and costing you more money in the long run.
Most every type of roof can be coated. Be sure to know what type of roof you have before picking a product because not every product will work on every roof. Verify compatibility before purchasing!
The condition and age of your roof are very important to consider as well because some roofs are too far gone to be saved by coatings and will need to torn off. How do you know if your roof can be recovered with a coating? The best way is to have your roof inspected by a professional but a good indicator is walking the roof and feeling for soft areas where water has penetrated through the roof and damaged the underlying insulation and deck. In many cases these bad areas can be cut out and repaired with traditional roof materials and then the coating can be applied. The surface of the roof is a good indicator as well. If the surface of the roof is very brittle and cracks while you are inspecting then most likely the roof would not be a good candidate for a roof coating.
Advanced Epoxy Systems has been helping building owners and contractors solve roof coating issues for 15 years so
contact us today and let us take the headaches out of your next roof coating project!
Posted by Joseph Newland on Thu, Apr 29, 2010 @ 09:39 PM
Choosing the right roof coating product can be a difficult task; this article will give you some basic knowledge to make an informed decision. Roof coatings have come a long way in the past twenty years from basic acrylic paint to the abundance of materials that are available today.
The most notable distinction among commercial roofs, and one that is critical when choosing a coating, is the amount of slope. Roofs with a slope less than 3:12 or 14 degrees are considered low-slope. Most commercial roofs have less than a 1:12 pitch and do not drain properly which causes a problem for most roof coatings because puddles of water will collect in low areas and remain for several days to weeks. I know this seems somewhat elementary that a roof product that is designed to keep water out would need to stand up to a little water sitting on it but many products will not last even with minimal ponding. My advice to any one looking to install a roof coating on a low-slope roof is to check the warranty first. Many products claim, in their marketing, to have excellent resistance to ponding water but the warranty states that standing water will void the warranty. This leaves the building owner holding the bag, or more appropriately the bucket which you will need to catch the leaks.
There is so much more to cover so I will have to continue the subject in the next several blog post so check back soon or better yet subscribe through email or RSS feed.
Click here for information on Advanced Epoxy's solution to coating flat roofs!
Posted by Joseph Newland on Mon, Apr 05, 2010 @ 02:56 PM
The Department of Energy defines a "cool roof" as "A roof covering which efficiently reflects the sun's heat and emits absorbed solar radiation back into the atmosphere.
Why should I choose a "cool roof"? What benefits will I see?
Over the past decade the US Department of Energy has done extensive research on the advantages of cool roof systems and has positively concluded that by using a cool roof system one can:
- Reduce cooling energy cost by 10% to 30%
- Reduce air pollution
- Extend A/C equipment life
- Improve thermal efficiency of the roof insulation
We know what a cool roof is and we see that they offer quite a few benefits for our environment and our bottom lines, but which cool roof system is right for your building and your budget? For this article lets assume we are dealing with an existing building. The roof is 10-15 years old, leaks and bills for roof patches are becoming frequent.
You have a choice of removing the entire roof and replacing with a cool roof system such as a white single ply with a base of recovery board. This could be a good solution but will be a more expensive option. It is not very environmentally friendly because the existing roof has to be torn off and thrown into a landfill. The second option is to repair and waterproof your existing roof with a flexible roof coating system.
Roof coatings are a "green" option because we are not tearing off the roof and dumping it into the local landfill. Because you can theoretically just re-coat your roof, instead of replace the roof, it is also "sustainable".
In the next few blog post I am going to explore roof coatings in more depth so check back soon. I would love to hear others experience with roof coatings; good, bad or otherwise so feel free to leave a comment.