The Top 3 Reasons to Restore Your Flat Roof With Silicone

When it comes to flat roof problems, you typically have 3 choices; repair, restoration or re-roof.  If the roof is in generally good condition and only has minor problems in isolated areas, repairs may be the answer.  However, if problems persist and show up in new locations after each storm, you might want to consider another option rather than continually paying for repairs that don’t solve the problem.

If the roof has reached the end of its life and/or there is significant moisture trapped in the roof assembly, it may be time for a new roof.  Keep in mind that if your building already has two or more layers of any type of roofing in place, current building codes require that all layers be removed down to the structural roof deck before a new roof can be installed.  This may also involve insulating the new roof to a minimum R-value depending upon your local building department regulations.

However if your roof is still in generally good condition, a restoration system may be the answer.  This involves cleaning the roof surface, replacing any saturated insulation, making needed repairs and applying an elastomeric coating system.  Typical choices are acrylic, urethane or silicone. Acrylics are water-based and usually not recommended for roofs that have areas of standing water.  Urethanes are tougher and handle standing water better than acrylics but typically are manufactured with 20-50% solvent content which presents a different set of environmental problems.  They are also more sensitive to UV exposure, with the surface wearing away a little each year.

Silicone has been a proven performer for decades in various building applications. The newest technology is solventless silicone; unaffected by extreme UV exposure or standing water and not a petroleum based product.  Following are the benefits of a silicone roof restoration system.    

#1—SAVE YOUR ROOF & YOUR MONEY

• Typically less than ½ the price of a new roof.
• Because we are restoring your existing roof instead of replacing it, you save money on tear-off, re-insulating, labor and landfill fees.
• Roof restoration is totally deductible as a maintenance and repair item in one tax year.

#2—SAVE ENERGY

• Energy Star Rated--compared to a black roof surface, silicone’s 87% reflectivity means the roof surface will be up to 70 degrees cooler on a hot summer day.
• This translates directly into less heat transferred into the building, the building is more comfortable and air conditioning demand is lowered.
• Less air conditioning means lower utility bills and less urban heat island effect.

#3—SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT

• Restoration is sustainable—you can recoat the roof and extend the warranty rather than replace the roof in the future.
• We use solventless silicone for several reasons:
• Solventless means no harmful VOC’s, odors or fumes; not contributing to global warming and not a petroleum based product.
• Not depleting vital natural resources—silicone is made from Silicon, the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust.
• Lowest carbon footprint of any coating—because it is solvent-free, we’re not manufacturing, shipping or applying coatings like acrylics or urethanes that contain up to 50% water or harmful solvents.
• We are not filling up landfills with roof tear-off material.