DO SILICONE ROOF COATING BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE COSTS?
Yes! Silicone roof coatings have been a high quality roofing option for quite some time now, yet many people are still unaware of exactly what the coating does and the benefits of silicone roof coatings. Many building owners still think that the benefits of silicone roof coatings do not warrant the costs, but as the benefits continue to grow and more people use the coatings, it is becoming clear that the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. There are many silicone roof coating benefits facility managers and building owners receive when they install a silicone coating on their roof. These benefits greatly outweigh the potential higher cost of silicone coatings. Let’s look at some of the benefits and why they make the sometimes higher price tag on silicone worth it.
Silicone Roof Coating Benefits
We’ll look at five different silicone roof coating benefits in detail, and see how each one of them can impact your building and your company. If you have any more questions about silicone roof coatings after reading, please contact us and let us know!
Silicone Roof Coatings Are Generally Applied In a Single Coat
One of the most important silicone roof coating benefits is that they have higher solids content than acrylic and other cheaper coatings, and therefore can be applied thicker in a single coat without compromising on application quality and effectiveness when cured. This saves on labor costs and time on the roof. This “high-build” capability is made possibly by the careful scientific formulation of silicone coatings that has been improved upon for many years by some very smart people. The ability to apply the coatings at a greater thickness means the installer can correct minor slope problems and reduce ponding water during the application process.
Silicone Roof Coatings Rarely Need a Primer
Another huge benefit of applying a silicone roof coating on your roof is that it doesn’t need a primer in most cases. Typically, silicone coating can be applied directly to the existing roofing surface with only a power washing. Like the first benefit, this results in lower labor costs and lower material costs as no primer is needed. While it is true that one of the key silicone roof coating benefits is that they don’t need a primer, it is also true that every case is different. Some single-ply roofing systems that were recently installed (less than 5 years old) still have a filmy residue on top of them that doesn’t allow the silicone to stick. The key is that while you most likely won’t need a primer, you should perform adhesion tests to be sure.
Silicone Roof Coatings Are Safe for the Environment
Silicone coatings are solvent free and contain extremely low VOC levels. Solvent-free means the coatings aren’t flammable and while they can ignite, their flashpoint is extremely high and they don’t have the fuel required to sustain fire. Silicone Roof Coatings have extremely low VOC levels, even lower than those required by the strictest state – California. These properties mean our coating meets and exceeds material safety standards in all 50 states and can be purchased and installed without having to worry about whether or not the material is appropriate for use.
The Performance of Silicone Coating is Unmatched
Ponding water is no match for a silicone coating on your roof. Thanks again to its scientific formulation that allows it to moisture cure, silicone forms an impermeable membrane that can resist ponding water better than any other coating. Silicone coatings will maintain their adhesion and remain leak-free even when under the pressure of ponding water. There are very few other coatings that can say the same. Also, because silicone coatings are specially formulated to be non-sacrificial, they don’t chalk away over time. Rather than slowly deteriorating and becoming useless, coatings pretty much stay in the same form after installation. There will be wear and tear and they need to be recoated, but they last much longer than most other coatings. The last of the performance-related silicone roof coating benefits is that they are resistant to UV exposure. This is the attribute that originally brought them into the roofing market, and now it is a key benefit as to why they are still used in the market.
Silicone Coatings Are Extremely Easy to Use
The application of a silicone coating on your roofing system is easier than almost all other coatings for many reasons. Silicone coatings cure faster, are moisture cured products (humidity is a plus rather than something that must be avoided), they can fully cure in hot and cold temperatures which extends the roofing system into spring and fall, and there is no risk of wash-off thanks to the careful formulation behind silicone coating. The ease of use is one of the most significant silicone roof coating benefits, they take most of the headache out of roof repairs and replacements, and that is good news for you.
If you’re interested in extending the life and improving performance of your roof, don’t ignore the many benefits of a silicone coating. It is a very simple system to use and can alleviate many of your headaches. Contact us if you have any questions, we’d love to talk. We also have a brochure on these benefits.