A roof coating is the best way to add life, stop leaks, reinforce weak areas and add energy efficiency to a commercial roof. How do you tell if your building is a good candidate for coating? The best way is to get an inspection and evaluation from a reliable, experienced commercial roofer.
There are several types of coatings available including EPDM, which is a liquid rubber or elastomeric coating; and aluminum asphalt emulsion, which is a mixture of asphalt and tiny aluminum flakes that reflect sunlight and reduce damaging heat. Both of these products can qualify as tax deductible “cool roofs” that have the following benefits.
– Lowered air conditioning costs. Reflected sunlight keeps the surface cool and lowers the temperature within the building.
– Low installation costs with no disposal or “dump” charges.
– Low maintenance. Maintenance costs are tax deductible including the initial application of the cool products.
– Extended life expectancy of the existing underlayment. Cool installations do no suffer the breakdown of tar based gravel coated examples caused by excessive heat.
– Seamless installation makes the surface impervious to wind and driving rain, ice melt and standing water, as well as resistant to hail damage.
The principal behind a cool roof coating is the same as selecting a car in a hot climate. If you choose a black car, it is going to be much hotter on a sunny summer day that a white car. Your air conditioner is going to take a lot longer to cool down the interior of your black car. The same holds true with a building. A light-colored reflective surface will keep the interior of the building much cooler than a black tar surface.
Due to the savings on your cooling bill your project will make sense economically. Add to that the tax benefits and rebates in some states, and a cool coating is the only way to seal off your commercial building.
The CRRC rates cool roofs based on solar reflectivity and thermal emittance. The particular color does not have to be white for a high reflectivity rating. There are many very attractive colors to choose from that the CRRC rates high on the cool scale.
So what types of existing examples are good candidates for roof coating? The products can be applied to the following types of existing installations: Built up asphalt, metal, including steel, galvanized steel and aluminum; and single ply. Most commercial buildings fall into one of these three categories.
When selecting a roof coating contractor be sure to choose one that has a long history of cool roof installation and can provide references of other installation and long maintenance relationships with customers. That way you will be assured of a contractor that won’t coat and run back to another state. It is common for out of state roofing contractors to solicit in a state where there have been heavy rains, hail or wind damage and disappear after doing the work. Choose a local contractor with a great reputation and you will rest easy knowing your building is protected for years to come.