Roof Coatings Information
Roof coatings are waterproof, protective layers used in environments where wind, rain, snow, and other precipitation can damage a building’s roof. Typical applications include warehouses, chemical plants, manufacturing facilities, and commercial buildings.
Types
There are many different types of roof coatings. Choices include:
- coatings
- paints
- primers
- inks
- stains
- marking materials
- sealers or surface sealants
Coatings vary in terms of properties and chemistries. Paints include products made of enamel and lacquer. Marking materials are used for rooftop identification, while sealers are designed to seal gaps in a roof’s surface.
Specifications
Roof coatings carry specifications for technology and may be designed for specific substrate materials. Common technologies include film drying and air setting, laser fusing and laser marking, multi-component systems, reactive or moisture curing, and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Thermoplastic roof coatings melt repeatedly when heated and solidify when cooled. Thermoset roof coatings undergo a chemical reaction during the cure cycle when heated. Depending on the technology, coatings can be used with substrates made of aluminum, steel, or other metals; fibers or fabrics; asphalt, bitumen, or coal tar; plastics, rubber, or elastomers; and concrete or masonry.
Roof coatings differ in terms of processing parameters and performance. Processing parameters include coverage, wet thickness and dry thickness, cure temperature and cure time, volatile organic chemical (VOC) content, viscosity, specific gravity, humidity, and particle size. Pot-life time, an additional parameter for roof coatings, is the time between the mixing stage and the gel stage at which a coating remains usable in the pot at 77o F. Performance specifications include:
- conductivity
- resistivity
- dielectric strength
- index of refraction
- transmission
- operating or use temperature
Specialty roof coatings for specific applications and industries may carry additional specifications.
Features
Form, application method, color, finish, and features are important to consider when selecting roof coatings. Some products are provided as aerosols, crayons, films, liquids, markers, pastes, or powders. Others are available as inks, solids, and transfer tapes. In terms of application method, roof coatings may require electrostatic, electrocoating, or powder coating techniques. Rollers, screens, and spin or spray coating equipment are also used. Although color choices vary, there are four basic finishes for roof coatings: flat, satin, semi-gloss, and high-gloss. In terms of features, anti-slip products are available.
Related Information
CR4 Community—The Ziggurat Roofs of Bermuda
Image credit:
Liquid Rubber Europe / CC BY-SA 3.0
- Acrylic / Latex
- Aerosol
- Alkyd / Oil Based
- Aluminum
- Aluminum
- Automotive
- Ceramic / Porcelain
- Chemical / Oil Resistant
- Coating
- Concrete / Masonry
- Corrosion Inhibiting / Rust Preventive
- Electronics
- Film Drying / Air Setting
- Fluoropolymers (PTFE, FEP, MFA, etc.)
- Food and Beverage
- Glass
- Heat Resistant / High Temperature
- Lacquer Paint
- Liquid
- Medical / Healthcare
- Metal
- Metal / Metal Filled
- OEM / Industrial
- Paint
- Plastic
- Polyurethane
- Primer
- Protective
- Reactive / Moisture Cured
- Resin Base / Polymer Binder
- Sealer / Surface Sealant
- Silicone
- Solvent Based
- Steel
- Vinyl
- Waterproof / Water Repellant
- Weather / UV Resistant
- Wood
- elastomeric roof coatings
- metal roof coatings
- EPDM Liquid Rubber
- acrylic elastomeric roof coatings
- acrylic roof coatings
- aluminum fiber roof coatings
- asphalt flat roof coatings
- asphalt roof coatings
- asphalt shingle roof coatings
- asphalt waterproofing coating
- clear acrylic roof coatings
- clear elastomeric roof coatings
- clear reflective roof coatings
- clear roof coatings
- coatings elastomeric roof coatings
- concrete roof coatings
- concrete tile roof coatings
- elastic roof coatings
- elastomeric metal roof coatings
- elastomeric paint roof coatings
- elastomeric tile roof coatings
- epoxy roof coatings
- fibered aluminum roof coatings
- fibered silver roof coatings
- flexible epoxy roof coatings
- formulation elastomeric roof coatings
- gaco silicone roof coatings
- gaf topcoat roof coatings
- industrial metal roof coatings
- industrial roof coatings