What You Need To Know About Flat Roof Coatings

Flat roof coatings like those from Conklin can be a good investment for many facilities. A flat roof coating can extend the life of a roof because it lowers the roof temperature. It can also lead to additional energy savings as the temperature is reduced.

Still, because there are so many different types of roofs in use today, specifying a flat roof coating isn't easy. Different substrates require different coatings. A coating’s adhesion might depend as much on the substrate’s characteristics as on the coating type. In general, it is more difficult for coatings to adhere to hard, smooth, chemically inert surfaces and easier on rough, irregular, chemically active surfaces.

A coating’s adhesion to a substrate often improves when the installers put down a primer or base coat. Coatings manufacturers recommend certain primers or base coats to match a specific topcoat with a specific substrate. You should use only the base coat or primer specified by the coating’s manufacturer.

With the introduction of roof membranes such as ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermal polyolefin (TPO), Hypalon, modified bitumen, and built-up roofing, manufacturers have developed a variety of roof coatings to address multiple substrates with different adhesion and weathering characteristics.

You can specify asphaltic and tar-based coatings for use with coal-tar-pitch built-up roof systems. Non-asphaltic coatings, including urethanes, acrylics, and polyureas, are most commonly used on single-ply systems.

Each of these coatings has different cost and performance factors. Due to variations in coating formulations, you should work closely with a roof consultant and the manufacturer to make sure they specify the right coating for the roof substrate and that workers perform the correct repairs before applying the coating. Manufacturer representatives and product data sheets also can assist in specifying coatings.

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Patton Services | (309) 303-3128 | rpatton55@comcast.net | http://www.whiteroofingsystems.com

Conklin Roofing Contractor Completes University Stadium Job

Yoder's Roofing, a Conklin roofing contractor in Montezuma, GA recently completed a spray foam insulation job at the Allen E. Paulson Stadium at Georgia Southern University.
The job required Eli Yoder and his team to apply spray foam insulation to a 12,000 square-foot modified bitumen roof system that developed leaks and at the time, seemed unrepairable.

The roof was approximately 30 feet above the upper level seats and had several small air conditioning units resting on four-by-four wood curbs. “We sprayed 2.8 pound-density polyurethane BASF/FE foam at the minimum of one-inch thickness to the entire roof,” Yoder said. “Low areas of the roof were ‘built up’ with additional thickness of foam application to create proper drainage."

Following the application of the foam, Yoder and his team applied 1.9 gallons of Conklin Benchmark Base coating to every 100 square feet to all foamed areas. “We allowed the coating to cure after about 24 hours,” Yoder said. The team then applied 1.9 gallons of Conklin Benchmark Top Coat coating to every 100 square feet to all foamed areas.
During the job, Yoder’s team faced minimal challenges.

“The only challenge we faced was dealing with over spray from the wind,” Yoder said. “To remedy that problem, we set up masking procedures to catch the over spray.”

Yoder and his team successfully completed the job in about four days with positive reception from the Georgia Southern University staff. “They were very happy with the job because they no longer had to worry about leaks,” Yoder said. “Everything has been great since the job was completed.”

Since the completion of the stadium job, Yoder expects to work with Georgia Southern University on future projects. “We’ve worked with the university before, and I look forward to working with them again,” Yoder said.


If you are interested in white roof coatings for your building, to find a professional Conklin roofing contractor in your area, please click here.

If you are interested in becoming a Conklin roofing contractor, please contact Randy Patton at (309) 303-3128 or email rpatton55@comcast.com. Feel free to also visit http://www.whiteroofingsystems.com for more information.

ROOFING CONTRACTORS NEEDED IN MULTIPLE STATES!
Patton Services | (309) 303-3128 | rpatton55@comcast.net | http://www.whiteroofingsystems.com

An Overview of White Roof Coatings: Part 3

Permeability

Many white roof coatings (like those from Conklin) are waterproof, but some are not. The property of permeability (perm rating) to liquid water, water vapor, and gases varies greatly, depending on the type of coating.

• Acrylic roof coatings are breathable, which means they have a high moisture vapor transmission rate or permeability.
• Silicone roof coatings are also classified as breathable types.
• Butyl rubbers, hypalons, and neoprenes have a very low permeability, i.e., they are highly resistant to moisture transmission.

Keep in mind that the perm rating should not be confused with weatherability, or resistance to weathering. A roof coating with low permeability still may require a protective topcoat, to ensure satisfactory weathering resistance.

Cleanliness & Aging

Roofs that have white coatings in arid, dusty regions, or in places where farm plowing or construction exposes the earth to wind, are likely to accumulate dirt more than in areas with greenery or where occasional rainfall washes away the dirt. The frequency and intensity of precipitation and the slope of the roof also affect the cleanliness of the coatings over time.  As with other white surfaces, white coatings discolor and darken slightly after several years of service.

Two values of reflectivity are often quoted to represent the performance of new coatings and three-year-old weathered white coatings, respectively. Generally, a small decrease in reflectivity occurs over time, depending on several factors. Wind-blown dirt and dust can decrease the reflectivity of white coatings, depending on the age of the coating and regional climate characteristics.

UV radiation tends to be blocked rather than reflected by a white coating. A white roof coating still protects against UV radiation even when foreign particles reduce the reflectivity.  To maintain their reflectivity, roofs may be periodically refreshed with a new topcoat, typically for less than the cost of the initial coating.

The maintenance schedule depends on the type of coating, type of roof, the purpose of the coating, and regional climate differences. Typically, white roof coatings should be refreshed every three to seven years.

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ROOFING CONTRACTORS NEEDED IN MULTIPLE STATES!

Patton Services | (309) 303-3128 | rpatton55@comcast.net | http://www.whiteroofingsystems.com

An Overview of White Roof Coatings: Part 2

Compatibility with Membranes

White roof coatings like those from Conklin can be applied to practically any roofing membrane or system. They are commonly applied to sprayed polyurethane roofs, metal roofs, single-ply rubber roofs, and modified bitumen roofs. They can even be applied to certain kinds of asphalt built-up roofs.

It is important to establish compatibility between the white coating and the underlying roof surface. Manufacturers recommendations should be consulted for detailed information about specific coatings.

Primers & Surface Preparation
Primers are useful for improving adhesion between roof surfaces and coatings or for imparting additional properties to the roof coating systems.  For example, a rubber roof coating may provide better adhesion to a rubber roof membrane or better permeability (“perm”) rating on a sprayed polyurethane roof. Most white roof coatings impart greater reflectivity and UV protection to the system.

Manufacturer literature should be consulted and followed to properly prepare the surface for the coating. Professional roofing contractors should be employed for most coating installations. For certain systems, contractors may need to be specially trained by the manufacturer in the application of the coating. Proper application of the roof coating factors strongly in the subsequent life and performance of the coating.

Surfaces should be clean and dry, and they must have a positive slope to drains.  Application of white coatings over dirty, wet, or contaminated surfaces may produce unsatisfactory results. Acrylic latex coatings are sensitive to dew, rain, and other moisture during curing. It is important that the application be done with strict adherence to the manufacturers recommendations.

Application
Coatings are typically applied by airless spraying, rolling, or brushing. Due to the variety of coating types, climatic conditions, and surfaces to be coated, it is important to consult the manufacturer for proper application rates and related recommendations.

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An Overview of White Roof Coatings: Part 1

There are two main purposes of white roof coatings like those from Conklin. The first is to protect roof membranes and provide longer roof life cycles. The second is to reflect solar radiation and lower energy costs. Generally speaking, a white roof coating consists of a binder blended with pigments and other additives. Most roof coatings can be conveniently classified according to the binder they use.

Binders, Pigments & Liquid Carriers

Binders are usually made of an organic or silicone compound. Most binders are elastic polymers with elongation and tensile characteristics (also known as elastomers) which have the ability to return to their original shape after being stretched or deformed. In white roof coatings, the elastomer binder is the viscous, pliant material that bonds the pigments and makes them adhere to the surface. Common elastomers used as binders in white coatings include acrylic, silicone, rubber, vinyl, and urethane.

Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the common pigments that impart a bright white color to the coatings, although other pigments can be combined with these to yield a variety of pastel colors.

The majority of white roof coatings are water-based. These products (often referred to as latex coatings) are available in a variety of polymer types. The water in latex coatings serves as a liquid carrier, allowing the pigment and binder to be spread onto the surface as a thin coating. For some white roof coatings, organic solvents are used as the liquid carrier, while others (often referred to as reactive coatings) may have sufficient flowability to eliminate the need for a liquid carrier. Reactive coatings are generally prepared with multiple-part resins often blended on site, before curing.

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Patton Services | (309) 303-3128 | rpatton55@comcast.net | http://www.whiteroofingsystems.com

Reflectance and the Future of Roof Coatings

Reflectance is measured according to strict standards. A perfect reflector would have a value of 100 percent for all wavelengths of light. When just one value of reflectance is given, it usually represents an average value weighted according to intensity across the solar spectrum.

With the growing recognition of reflectance as an important design parameter, reflectance values are being thoroughly measured across the entire solar spectrum (including infrared wavelengths) and accurate values for specific materials and coatings are becoming readily available.

The beauty of a white roof coating like those from Conklin is that the pigments, such as zinc oxide (ZnO) or titanium dioxide (TiO2), scatter a large fraction of the incident photons back into the sky, optimized for reflection in the visible and nearinfrared bands. Metal-oxide pigments used in white coatings scatter light by the same mechanism that light is scattered with by the water droplets in a cloud, or fog; the scattering is due to the tiny particle size. Except for the small particle size, these materials would be transparent to light, because the metal atoms are oxidized, i.e., the valence electrons of the metals are held by the oxygen and do not interact with the incoming photons.

Most white coatings have a very high reflectance across all visible wavelengths and also have a high reflectance for near-infrared radiation (NIR). Typical reflectance values averaged over these wavelengths are in the neighborhood of 70 percent or 80 percent.

Interested in white roof coatings for your building?

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For Roof Coatings, Longevity is also Important

California lawmakers deserve applause for encouraging the use of white roof coatings like those from Conklin to reduce energy costs. But lower energy use is not the only benefit that accrues from the use of white roof coatings.

White coatings can extend the life expectancy of many different types of commercial roofing systems simply by avoiding the high roof temperatures associated with exposure to the sun.

The technical term for exposure is “insolation,” and it is measured in terms of the rate of solar radiation received per unit area (typically expressed in Watts per square meter). Under very clear skies, up to 1,220 W/m2 of solar radiation reaches the rooftop. Imagine ordinary household hair dryers every 10 feet in both directions of a twodimensional array: that is the intensity of the sun’s energy incident upon a rooftop. Heavily insulated roof systems block this heat from penetrating the building as heat; however, in summer months, convective heat transfer to the surrounding air and radiant heat transfer are inefficient. Consequently, the heat has nowhere to go and roofing membrane temperatures can soar.

For commercial roofing systems made from organic materials, high temperatures can shorten the life of the roofing system. Rubber as well as other synthetic polymers and especially asphalt, is susceptible to damage at these elevated temperatures. Roof temperatures can rise above ambient air temperatures by as much as 90°F. Meanwhile, the rate of degradation of the roofing materials begins to accelerate at modestly elevated temperatures, for example at 140°F. Significant damage can begin to occur at these elevated temperatures, causing both short-term and long-term performance issues.

As temperatures rise to the peak of this range, degradation of roofing systems increases exponentially. Lighter and hence more volatile organic compounds may evaporate into the atmosphere, and chemical reaction rates with water, oxygen and contaminants also increase. As a result, roof life expectancies are shortened. A rule of thumb for thermal aging is that service life is cut in half for every 18°F increase in temperature (weighted and averaged over time).

Most people appreciate that white coatings result in savings on cooling costs, but enhanced roof longevity, especially in northern states, can be another major benefit that results in at least as much savings. Without white coatings, roof temperatures can skyrocket in the summer months, especially for buildings in northern climates, because they typically have a lot of insulation to help keep in the heat during the winter months.

The inverse correlation between insulation thickness and roof life is well documented by roof asset management firms. Since ripping out the insulation every summer is of course impractical, white coatings are one of the best means available to counteract the deleterious effects of high heat levels and enhance the prospects for a long-lasting roofing system.

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ROOFING CONTRACTORS NEEDED IN MULTIPLE STATES!

Patton Services | (309) 303-3128 | rpatton55@comcast.net | http://www.whiteroofingsystems.com