WHAT TYPE OF INSTALLATION EQUIPMENT IS REQUIRED FOR SILICONE?
As we continue our series on the uses of silicone, we have to look at how it is installed to get a complete picture. You can know everything about the chemistry, proper application technique, weatherability etc. of silicone but if you don’t know how to install it, what good is all that? Let’s look at the installation equipment required to get a beautiful silicone coating on your roof.
Installation Methods
The various types of equipment available to you depend on the method you choose to use. We have customers who spray coating as much as possible. They have bought the equipment, have the vehicles to haul it, and they love spraying coating. For them, it’s the fastest way.
We have other customers who prefer to roll the coating. They use a medium nap roller cover attached to a standard paint roller and stick, and they roll out the entire roof. They feel they can more accurately gauge how thick the material is going down when they do it this way.
Similar to rolling, many contractors will use large squeegees to apply the coating. They pour the coating out of the roof, then drag a large smooth squeegee across the surface. This provides a very smooth, very consistent coating with minimal equipment.
While spraying and rolling are the two major ways in which silicone is applied, there is different installation equipment for different areas of the roof. For instance, if you’re applying flashing grade around a vent, you can use a trowel or putty knife. If you’re just doing small touch-up work, you can use a regular paint brush to install the coating.
No One Correct Answer
As you can see, there might be a time and reason to use any of the installation methods listed above. There is no single right answer in every case for how you should install a silicone coating. Sometimes spraying might work better, such as on a very large roof. Sometimes you might find rolling works better. The key is to have all options available to you and be proficient in each of them.
