Although roof repair has grown in popularity as a substitute for roof replacement over time, most facility managers and owners of commercial real estate are still mostly unaware of it.
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The following is meant to provide a thorough and all-encompassing review of the restoration business for people who might not be aware of the advantages of fluid-applied commercial roof repair.
Roof restoration: what is it?
Using elastomeric roof coatings, roof restoration—also known as liquid roofing—is the process of restoring your current roof to like-new condition.
Except in cases when a tiny piece of the roof is damaged or jeopardized, restoring your roof usually doesn’t need replacing any existing materials.
Commercial roof restoration solutions are made up of coatings that are intended to completely enclose roof surfaces in a flexible, seamless, reflective, and waterproof membrane.
The business offers a wide variety of roof coating chemistries, such as silicone, urethane, butyl, acrylic, and so on. The majority may be used on a broad range of commercial roofing substrates, including as concrete, spray polyurethane foam, built-up roofs, metal, modified bitumen, PVC, TPO, and EPDM.
What Advantages Do Roof Restoration Offer?
Spends Less
A complete replacement might be anywhere from $5 to $20 per square foot, depending on the kind of roof. Conversely, restoration offers all the benefits of a brand-new roof at a far lower cost. This is due to the fact that roof restoration uses a lot less material and labor than traditional tear-off and replacement techniques. You should anticipate paying 50–70% less as a consequence.
Increases Service Life
The capacity of a restoration system to extend roof life is arguably its greatest feature. The typical lifespan of a business roof is between 20 and 25 years, however with repair, you may extend the useful life of your current roof by 10, 15, or even 20 years.
These systems may even be recoated several times if fitted and maintained correctly, so you won’t need to worry about replacing them too soon.
Enhances Output
Restoration systems’ coatings are designed to completely cling to commercial roof surfaces. They offer a monolithic, impermeable, and protective membrane that may efficiently halt leaks and restore functionality. They also greatly lessen the requirement for ongoing roof upkeep and repairs.
Cuts Energy Expenses
Systems for restoring roofs are highly reflective and emissive, which may significantly increase your building’s energy efficiency.
The coatings used in makeup restoration systems, in contrast to conventional roofing materials, may reflect 80–90% of the sun’s UV rays and reduce the amount of heat that enters your building. This can save up to 20% on interior cooling expenses and significantly lessen the stress on HVAC systems.
Dropping outside temperatures will also help unconditioned areas.
Greater Sustainability
The need for more environmentally friendly roofing solutions has increased significantly in recent years as a result of tighter construction rules and environmental restrictions, as well as a growing public concern for the environment.
Replacements of commercial roofs send millions of tons of debris to landfills every year. On the other hand, restoration doesn’t need to be removed and doesn’t harm the environment much.
Reduced Disruption
Restoration has a much less impact on your regular company operations than roof replacement since it requires a fraction of the time to install and causes significantly less disruption to building occupants.
When Is It Time to Repair Your Roof?
Preserving your roof should ideally be done well before issues begin to surface. Your roof is gradually deteriorating day by day, thus taking preventative measures is usually advised. A repair system has a higher chance of long-term success the sooner in the roof’s lifespan it is implemented.
Regardless, the roofing assembly needs to be free of moist or damp insulation and structurally sound. Rust and corrosion are possible on metal roofs, but not to the point where any panels become weaker or dangerous from a structural standpoint.
If your roof meets these requirements, a restorative coating system may be a good option. But each roofing situation is unique, and there are additional things to think about.
Note: It is strongly advised to conduct an adhesion test patch in order to ascertain whether a roof is a good candidate for a coating system.
What Kind of Application Gear Is Employed?
Applying elastomeric coatings to commercial roof surfaces may be done in three main ways. Selecting the most effective approach is contingent upon several criteria, including but not limited to roof type, roof construction, product chemistry, season, and contractor choice.
Sprayer without air
Spray rigs, often referred to as airless sprayers, are generally regarded as the most effective way to apply elastomeric coatings to roof surfaces. However, this kind of technology may be quite expensive, and it usually takes considerable technical expertise to operate and maintain effectively.
Coating ingredients are atomized into a fine, “sprayable” form using an airless sprayer’s hydraulic pump. These rigs need far greater pressures and flow rates than traditional paint sprayers because elastomeric coatings are far more viscous than ordinary paint ingredients.
Spreader Tank
Tank spreaders are relatively new to the market, but many roof painting companies are rapidly making them their first option. They are not only affordable and simple to use, but they are also quite effective.
The straightforward “gravity-fed” construction of a tank spreader is its greatest benefit. After being put into a reservoir (tank), the coating material falls onto an application roller as the operator moves the spreader along. Specialized rollers that fit certain profiles are offered for metal roofs.
This application technique minimizes the possibility of overspray that may arise from using an airless sprayer and is excellent for attaining uniform mil coverage.
Roller for naps
The easiest approach to apply coatings to roof surfaces is with a nap roller. Generally speaking, this technique is only used for smaller roofing projects or remote roof locations with potentially restricted access.
Note: Using a wet mil gauge is highly advised in order to accurately measure and maintain the appropriate wet film thickness throughout the installation process, regardless of the application technique.